3) Does the idea of warfare as a contest between two war medicines add a new perspective?
3 comments:
Anonymous
said...
Mike Gaus:
I would not necessarily say that this provides a new perspective on warfare among plains tribes. It has been obvious that medicine power held an important role in warfare in other readings. In particular I can recall Eagle Voice participating in his prayer rituals with his friends before both their horse raid and a battle. Eagle Voice also describes an opposing tribe as having a stronger medicine power during the battle in which his father and many others were killed by their opponents' superior guns. While we may not have specifically discussed the idea of warring medicine powers, I believe the concept of medicine power has played a central role in examination of warfare among the Plains Indians.
I am actually a little confused about intertribal warfare, because this culture is so different from my own. I understand that after white settlers began to invade the plains and hunt animals, causing the depletion of buffalo, elk, deer, and other animals, there was much greater competition for the limited supply of animals for food. Tribes began competing each other for animals, and battles became deadlier than they had been in the past with the use of guns.
But, I am confused about intertribal warfare prior to white invasion. Doesn't the idea of intertribal warfare as a game (even a less risky game, as it was before guns were introduced on the plains) contradict the peaceful nature of Indians to some extent? I don't really understand how potentially wounding and even killing members of another tribe--even when the battles were fought on foot by using arrows--could pass for a "game"?
Sometimes when I study history, I wonder if people valued human life differently than we do now, or if they might have had different ways of dealing with death than we do in modern times. I may even misunderstand the whole concept of intertribal warfare in this regard. But if someone could try to clear this up for me a little, I would really appreciate it because I would love to understand it a better! Thank you.
3 comments:
Mike Gaus:
I would not necessarily say that this provides a new perspective on warfare among plains tribes. It has been obvious that medicine power held an important role in warfare in other readings. In particular I can recall Eagle Voice participating in his prayer rituals with his friends before both their horse raid and a battle. Eagle Voice also describes an opposing tribe as having a stronger medicine power during the battle in which his father and many others were killed by their opponents' superior guns. While we may not have specifically discussed the idea of warring medicine powers, I believe the concept of medicine power has played a central role in examination of warfare among the Plains Indians.
I am actually a little confused about intertribal warfare, because this culture is so different from my own. I understand that after white settlers began to invade the plains and hunt animals, causing the depletion of buffalo, elk, deer, and other animals, there was much greater competition for the limited supply of animals for food. Tribes began competing each other for animals, and battles became deadlier than they had been in the past with the use of guns.
But, I am confused about intertribal warfare prior to white invasion. Doesn't the idea of intertribal warfare as a game (even a less risky game, as it was before guns were introduced on the plains) contradict the peaceful nature of Indians to some extent? I don't really understand how potentially wounding and even killing members of another tribe--even when the battles were fought on foot by using arrows--could pass for a "game"?
Sometimes when I study history, I wonder if people valued human life differently than we do now, or if they might have had different ways of dealing with death than we do in modern times. I may even misunderstand the whole concept of intertribal warfare in this regard. But if someone could try to clear this up for me a little, I would really appreciate it because I would love to understand it a better! Thank you.
(Sorry, the last entry was from me, Stephanie C.)
Post a Comment