Countries that were "discovered" by explorers often have two or more cultures operating within the country. This is especially true in the USA, where when the culture is defined, it is generally that of the settlers' descendants, rather than the original people.
What's In a Name?
Since Christopher Columbus left Europe for India, he called the people he found "Indians". Some people dislike the phrase "American Indian" because of this incorrect association. As a result, the term "Native American" came into vogue as a means of showing ethnic diversity and identifying all groups within the USA as "XXX-Americans".
By the end of the 20th century, native peoples encouraged the use of tribal name such as Seneca, Hopi, Navajo or Iroquois. While this is helpful when dealing with a specific ethnic group, it is impossible when trying to define the entire culture of original inhabitants of the country.
Culture of this Culture within a Culture
There are 566 federally recognized American Indian / Native American and Alaska Native tribes and villages in the USA, each with their own unique traditions and distinct styles of housing, dress, language, and food. These groups are sovereign nations within the USA that are dispersed across the country and their cultures differ from the dominant American culture.
Although American Indian cultures may differ from each other, they are built upon similar foundations:
- Hierarchical structures: Most tribes greatly respect the family and elders.
- Indirect communication: Most rely on oral traditions to relay stories about their group and its traditions.
- Group orientation: Mutualism promotes a sense of belonging and solidarity with group members cooperating to gain group security and consensus. Tribes tend to respect and accept other cultures. They do not express opinions about others’ affairs or issues unless asked directly.
- Focus on the current: Traditionally, most tribes were oriented to the current time and the immediate work to be done. The focus was on being rather than becoming. For the most part, American Indians believe that their current needs and desires take precedence over vague, future rewards. Although this orientation has changed considerably over the past 40 years, vestiges remain.
- Work ethic: Most tribes believe that work has a specific purpose. They are often driven, focused, and committed to the task at hand.
- Interconnectedness: Tribes think that everything and everyone is connected. They believe that what they do to others and to the planet they do to themselves.
- Practicality: Tribes are often quite practical. Many find it easier to understand training materials or instructions that are concrete or experiential rather than abstract and theoretical.
Hospitality
For the most part, tribes are extremely hospitable and immediately offer their guests something to eat. It is quite common to greet guests with the question "Have you eaten?". Since offering guests something to eat is such an ingrained part of the culture, most families keep a pot of food simmering on the stove. (This behavior may be more pronounced on Reservations, but it is often carried into urban living.)
Hosting friends or family comes with certain expectations:
- Compliment guests
- Help Elders to enter or leave the home
- Remain standing as long as any guest is standing
- Offer guests a place of honor in the home and to give them the best food available
- Protect guests as members of the family or clan
As you might expect, guests have certain duties:
- Accept any food offered
- Show gratitude for any offers from the host
- Give honor and show respect to the woman of the home
- Compliment the host
- Present the host with a gift
Communication
The communication style is influenced by their values of humility, respect for elders, and harmony. As indirect communicators, they often use storytelling to exchange information. This is not a culture where getting to the point quickly and directly is appreciated.
Traditionally, most prefer listening to speaking. They believe that talk must have a purpose. Small talk and social conversation are not practiced except perhaps among family and close friends. This is most prominent when a younger person is in the presence of an Elder.
Words are seen as having extraordinary power. Thus, when there is a reason to speak, it is generally done carefully.
It is rude to begin speaking until you are certain that the other person has finished conveying their message. American Indians often pause while conversing to order their thoughts and find the most appropriate wording. Do not rush to fill any such pauses or the conversation may end abruptly.
Many tribes prefer to relay difficult messages using humor, smiles or even jokes. Humor may also be used to show affection or offer correction. Therefore, it is important to listen carefully to what sounds like a humorous statement. It would be considered rude to ask for clarification. If you are confused, you may wish to speak to someone else privately and see if they can provide a deeper explanation.
For the most part, tribes avoid confrontation or directly criticizing someone. Many believe that is disloyal or disrespectful to speak negatively about another person. This is bolstered by the belief that people who have done something wrong or harmed another will pay for their behavior.
Tribes generally do not express strong emotions, either verbally or non-verbally, in public or with people they do not know very well.
It is inappropriate to ask questions directly and expect an immediate response, from people you do not know very well or for whom you should be showing respect. Direct questions force the person to answer immediately and to frame the response in a particular way. This infringes upon the person's right to decide when and how a response will be made, if at all.
As with most explanations on culture, this is a broad overview and may not replicate the behavior of specific people that you meet.
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