| Though cultural features, including | | | | American ancestry enrolled in a |
| language, garb, and customs vary | | | | federally recognized tribe are legally |
| enormously from one tribe to another, | | | | authorized to obtain eagle feathers for |
| there are certain elements which are | | | | religious or spiritual use. Native |
| encountered frequently and shared by | | | | Americans and non-Native Americans |
| many tribes. | | | | frequently contest the value and |
| Early hunter-gatherer tribes forged | | | | validity of the eagle feather law, |
| stone weapons from around 10,000 years | | | | charging that the law is laden with |
| ago; as the age of metallurgy dawned, | | | | discriminatory racial preferences and |
| newer technologies were used and more | | | | infringes on tribal sovereignty. The law |
| efficient weapons produced. Prior to | | | | does not allow Native Americans to give |
| contact with Europeans, most tribes used | | | | eagle feathers to non-Native Americans, |
| similar weaponry. The most common | | | | a common modern and traditional |
| implement were the bow and arrow, the | | | | practice. Many non-Native Americans have |
| war club, and the spear. Quality, | | | | been adopted into Native American |
| material, and design varied widely. | | | | families, made tribal members and given |
| Large mammals such as the mammoth were | | | | eagle feathers. |
| largely extinct by around 8,000 B.C., | | | | Many Native Americans would describe |
| and the Native Americans were hunting | | | | their religious practices as a form of |
| their descendants, such as bison. The | | | | spirituality, rather than religion, |
| Great Plains tribes were still hunting | | | | although in practice the terms may |
| the bison when they first encountered | | | | sometimes be used interchangeably. |
| the Europeans. The acquisition of the | | | | Native American music is almost entirely |
| horse and horsemanship from the Spanish | | | | monophonic, but there are notable |
| in the 17th century greatly altered the | | | | exceptions. Traditional Native American |
| natives' culture, changing the way in | | | | music often includes drumming and/or the |
| which these large creatures were hunted | | | | playing of rattles or other percussion |
| and making them a central feature of | | | | instruments but little other |
| their lives. | | | | instrumentation. Flutes and whistles |
| Society and art | | | | made of wood, cane, or bone are also |
| The Iroquois, living around the Great | | | | played, generally by individuals, but in |
| Lakes and extending east and north, used | | | | former times also by large ensembles (as |
| strings or belts called wampum that | | | | noted by Spanish conquistador de Soto). |
| served a dual function: the knots and | | | | The tuning of these flutes is not |
| beaded designs mnemonically chronicled | | | | precise and depends on the length of the |
| tribal stories and legends, and further | | | | wood used and the hand span of the |
| served as a medium of exchange and a | | | | intended player, but the finger holes |
| unit of measure. The keepers of the | | | | are most often around a whole step apart |
| articles were seen as tribal | | | | and, at least in Northern California, a |
| dignitaries.[26] | | | | flute was not used if it turned out to |
| Pueblo peoples crafted impressive items | | | | have an interval close to a half step. |
| associated with their religious | | | | Performers with Native American |
| ceremonies. Kachina dancers wore | | | | parentage have occasionally appeared in |
| elaborately painted and decorated masks | | | | American popular music, such as Rita |
| as they ritually impersonated various | | | | Coolidge, Wayne Newton, Gene Clark, Tori |
| ancestral spirits. Sculpture was not | | | | Amos and Redbone (band). Some, such as |
| highly developed, but carved stone and | | | | John Trudell have used music to comment |
| wood fetishes were made for religious | | | | on life in Native America, and others, |
| use. Superior weaving, embroidered | | | | such as R. Carlos Nakai integrate |
| decorations, and rich dyes characterized | | | | traditional sounds with modern sounds in |
| the textile arts. Both turquoise and | | | | instrumental recordings. A variety of |
| shell jewelry were created, as were | | | | small and medium-sized recording |
| high-quality pottery and formalized | | | | companies offer an abundance of recent |
| pictorial arts. | | | | music by Native American performers |
| Navajo spirituality focused on the | | | | young and old, ranging from pow-wow drum |
| maintenance of a harmonious relationship | | | | music to hard-driving rock-and-roll and |
| with the spirit world, often achieved by | | | | rap. |
| ceremonial acts, usually incorporating | | | | The most widely practiced public musical |
| sandpainting. The colors—made from | | | | form among Native Americans in the |
| sand, charcoal, cornmeal, and | | | | United States is that of the pow-wow. At |
| pollen—depicted specific spirits. | | | | pow-wows, such as the annual Gathering |
| These vivid, intricate, and colorful | | | | of Nations in Albuquerque, New Mexico, |
| sand creations were erased at the end of | | | | members of drum groups sit in a circle |
| the ceremony. | | | | around a large drum. Drum groups play in |
| Religion | | | | unison while they sing in a native |
| The most widespread religion at the | | | | language and dancers in colorful regalia |
| present time is known as the Native | | | | dance clockwise around the drum groups |
| American Church. It is a syncretistic | | | | in the center. Familiar pow-wow songs |
| church incorporating elements of native | | | | include honor songs, intertribal songs, |
| spiritual practice from a number of | | | | crow-hops, sneak-up songs, grass-dances, |
| different tribes as well as symbolic | | | | two-steps, welcome songs, going-home |
| elements from Christianity. Its main | | | | songs, and war songs. Most indigenous |
| rite is the peyote ceremony. In the | | | | communities in the United States also |
| American Southwest, especially New | | | | maintain traditional songs and |
| Mexico, a syncretism between the | | | | ceremonies, some of which are shared and |
| Catholicism brought by Spanish | | | | practiced exclusively within the |
| missionaries and the native religion is | | | | community. |
| common; the religious drums, chants, and | | | | Native American art comprises a major |
| dances of the Pueblo people are | | | | category in the world art collection. |
| regularly part of Masses at Santa Fe's | | | | Native American contributions include |
| Saint Francis Cathedral.[27] Native | | | | pottery, paintings, jewelry, weavings, |
| American-Catholic syncretism is also | | | | sculptures, basketry, and carvings. |
| found elsewhere in the United States. | | | | Artists have at times misrepresented |
| (e.g., the National Kateri Tekakwitha | | | | themselves as having native parentage, |
| Shrine in Fonda, New York and the | | | | most notably Johnny Cash, who traced his |
| National Shrine of the North American | | | | heritage to Scottish ancestors and |
| Martyrs in Auriesville, New York). | | | | admitted he fabricated a story that he |
| Native Americans are the only known | | | | was one-quarter Cherokee. The integrity |
| ethnic group in the United States | | | | of certain Native American artworks is |
| requiring a federal permit to practice | | | | now protected by an act of Congress that |
| their religion. The eagle feather law, | | | | prohibits representation of art as |
| (Title 50 Part 22 of the Code of Federal | | | | Native American when it is not the |
| Regulations), stipulates that only | | | | product of an enrolled Native American |
| individuals of certifiable Native | | | | artist. |