Sample essay topic, essay writing: Native American Healing And Dance - 746 words

Native American Dance and HealingNative Americans in Contemporary Society:The population in the United States has increased steadily in the 20th century. In1990 the number of Native Americans was almost two million, 8 percent of the totalpopulation. Slightly more than one third live on a reservation; about half live in urbanareas. Indian reservations function as independent governments within the federalframework. Among many of the Native Americans, there are many musical styles, singing is thedominant form of musical expression, with instrumental music serving primarily asrhythmic accompaniment. Throughout the Americas the principal instruments have beendrums, flutes, and whistles. The American Indian lived life in love with nature. Their wisdom showed ineverything, their capacity for harmony with the environment, what they wore, what theycreated, what they ate and how it was prepared, in their philosophies and beliefs. Music and dance were confined to the native world or offered in tourist attractionsas an illustration of a lifestyle unknown to many people.

Over the past few years there hasbeen a heightened interest in all Indian things, such as in their art. Expression in the artand dance among North American people this part of life in the form of function andceremony as it is decoration or performance. Today the Indian Arts have been"discovered", and a large cross section of humanity is enjoying its intrinsic excellence, vitality, originality and tradition they offer to the heart and head. Men's Traditional Dance:They danced with exaggerated movement above the waist to simulate hunting, tracking, or fighting, but heavy grounded, flat footed loser body. This dance originatedwith members of warrior societies on the Great Plains. Costumes includes an eagle featherbustle and hair roach made of porcupine quills. Women's Traditional Dance:This dance is extremely reversed in nature, simply a single or double step done in acircle

Sometimes as a up and down movement is done while standing in place. Costumesfor women's traditional dance also remains tribal specific, and sometimes with elaboratebeadwork on a long buckskin or trade cloth dresses. Stomp Dances:This dance they get into nature by way of rhythm and it can make your bodyhealthier and relieve stress. Native Americans believe then and still believe now that whenthe body works in harmony with nature, the natural rhythms of the body and spirit worktogether. It is that energy that makes one whole. In the Native stomp dances, in thehabitats of the native homelands, when they get into rhythm with nature then your bodybecomes healthier, your mental stress is relieved and you become a whole personspiritually and physically. Healing:It is hard for us to believe that ancient people knew more about their world than weknow about ours.

We think or we presume that our knowledge has not only caught up withtheirs but surpasses it. And yet those primitive people may have known more about healingand preventing disease than we give them credit for. Their medicine was a combination offaith, blind luck and relying on the good earth, or basically relying on what was there. What nature provided was all there, there wasn't a corner drugstore, not even medicalspecialists. They knew what would keep them from getting sick and what potions wouldease the pains of snake bites and rheumatism and child birth, even what would heal thewounds of arrows and gunshot wounds, and other scars from battles in their daily living. Many centuries of trial and error taught them what leaves, herbs, roots, smoke, heat, andeven faith could do.

They knew what could cure them and what could kill them. It wasnatural healing, and now, centuries later, the world is returning to it. We ( western civilization ) are in the middle of an interesting contradiction. Wehave the most advanced medical systems in the world, with exotic machines and drugs andeven drug therapies that could not have ever been imagined even fifty years ago. And yet, there is a tendency to go back to old approaches. Why? There are many reasons: Medicalcare has become too expensive, too impersonal and people are searching for differentalternatives. Almost every Indian culture believed that every mountain had a soul, every tree, every rock, every living creature and the Great Spirit flowed through all, keeping natureand mankind in perfect balance.

Religious beliefs and daily life were intertwined, embodiedby the medicine men, the priest, the magicians, and the healers whose knowledge andrituals were handed down through centuries. The medicine bag was the symbol of theirstatus and authority, in which they carried their healing secrets. Even today, witheverything we know, their secrets still remain secrets.

Research paper and essay writing, free essay topics, sample works Native American Healing And Dance

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