Specifically, the Mississippian Culture is well known for using platform mounds as a central aspect of their overarching religious beliefs. Mississippian platform mounds are usually four-sided truncated pyramids, steeply sided, with steps built of wooden logs ascending one side. A long-standing interpretation of Mississippian mounds comes from Vernon James Knight, who stated that the Mississippian platform mounds were one of the three "sacra," or objects of sacred display, of the Mississippian religion (also see Southeastern Ceremonia ...

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Platform mound, Platform mound - The Mississippian Native American Platform Mound, Platform mound - Platform Mounds Around the World

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Main article: Peyote song Peyote is a cactus found natively in Mexico. The buttons of the cactus, when chewed, act as a hallucinogen used in the ancient Aztec religion and continued by area tribes to the present. Peyote ceremonies spread north and east, reaching the Apache tribes in the 18th century and then spreading to most every tribe in North America, along with some Apache music and Plains-Pueblo characteristics. Peyote songs accompany the peyote ceremonies, and are mostly the same throughout the area of peyote's entheogen ...

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Arapaho music, Arapaho music - Sun Dance, Arapaho music - Secular music, Arapaho music - Ghost Dance, Arapaho music - Peyote songs, Arapaho music - Sample

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The town was officially named on August 27, 1853, in an unusual ceremony. Lincoln, having assisted with the platting of the town and worked for the railroad which led to its founding, was asked to participate in a naming ceremony for the town. During the proceedings, Lincoln chose a ripe watermelon from a nearby wagon, broke it open, and squeezed the juice on the grounds, as an informal rite of baptism. Langston Hughes spent some of his early years in Lincoln. Later on, he was to write to his eighth-grade teacher in Lincoln, telling her his writing career began there in the e ...

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Lincoln Illinois, Lincoln Illinois - Geography, Lincoln Illinois - History, Lincoln Illinois - Demographics, Lincoln Illinois - Notable people from Lincoln

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Each village of the Cherokees had two governmental units comprised of a white and red government. During times of peace the white government had complete control of all affairs dealing with the village. This government consisted of older and wiser men who would not make foolish decisions. In times of war all duties fell on the red government which consisted of younger men who would do well in battle. See also:

Cherokee society, Cherokee society - The seven Cherokee clans, Cherokee society - Blood revenge, Cherokee society - The Council House, Cherokee society - Villages, Cherokee society - White government, Cherokee society - Red government, Cherokee society - Cherokee society, Cherokee society - Seven festivals of the Cherokee, Cherokee society - Cultural values and traditional views, Cherokee society - Centrality of family, Cherokee society - Leadership, Cherokee society - Principle of non-interference, Cherokee society - Purpose of life, Cherokee society - Sacred ceremonies and traditons, Cherokee society - Naming, Cherokee society - Traditional use of masks

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Timucua - Organization and Classes. Like most Native American tribes, the Timucua were not a unified and single tribe. Rather, they were split into a number of chiefdoms - perhaps 25-30 - with each chiefdom comprised of at least five hundred villages. Villages were divided into family clans, usually bearing animal names. The chiefs were despotic and absolute in their power. There were three social classes - the nobles, common people and below that were prisoners-of-war who were slaves. ...

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Timucua, Timucua - History, Timucua - Culture, Timucua - Organization and Classes, Timucua - Customs, Timucua - Settlements, Timucua - Diet, Timucua - Physical Appearance, Timucua - Language, Timucua - Sounds, Timucua - Reference, Timucua - Bibliography

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They are believed to be descended from the three major cultures that dominated the region before European contact: Mogollon, an area near the Gila wilderness Hohokam, archaelogical term for a settlement in the Southwest Ancient Pueblo Peoples or the Anasazi, as termed by professional archaeologists. Historically, they supported themselves mostly by maize agriculture, although they live in one of the more arid regions in North America. European settlement began in the late sixteenth century, but th ...

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Pueblo people, Pueblo people - Language groups, Pueblo people - Descent and History, Pueblo people - Culture, Pueblo people - List of Pueblos, Pueblo people - Gallery of Pottery by the Pueblo peoples

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Bands recognized by the United States government, but representing only 250,000 Cherokees, have headquarters in Tahlequah, Oklahoma (the Cherokee Nation), and United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians and at Cherokee, North Carolina (Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians). State-recognized Cherokee tribes have headquarters in Georgia and Alabama. Other large and small non-recognized Cherokee organizations are located in Arkansas, Missouri, Tenness ...

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Cherokee, Cherokee - Bands and naming, Cherokee - Language and writing system, Cherokee - History, Cherokee - The modern Cherokee Nation, Cherokee - The Environment, Cherokee - Gay marriage, Cherokee - Famous Cherokees, Cherokee - Notes

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Native American folk is usually religious in nature, and is used to communicate spiritually with the heavens and to pray for good luck. Epic stories of heroes are also common. Native American religious beliefs hold that music was given to humans by spirits as a method of communicating with the supernatural. Song composition, then, is a highly ritualistic act. Choctaw Social Dance, for example, is not composed, having been given to the people at creation. They can vary slightly from year to year, with leaders recombining and introducing slight variations. The Pueblo compose a number of new songs each year in a ...

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Native American music, Native American music - Folk song, Native American music - Traditional music cultures, Native American music - History, Native American music - Southwest, Native American music - Eastern Woodlands, Native American music - Plains, Native American music - Great Basin, Native American music - Northwest Coast, Native American music - Arctic, Native American music - Pan-tribalism, Native American music - Native American flute, Native American music - Samples, Native American music - External link

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Sake is often drunk as part of Shinto purification rituals (compare with the use of red wine in the Catholic Eucharist). During World War II, Kamikaze pilots drank sake prior to carrying out their missions. Today barrels of sake are broken open during Shinto festivals and ceremonies or following sports victories: this sake (called iwai-zake, literally "celebration sake") is served freely to all to spread good fortune. Sake is also served during the light me ...

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Sake, Sake - History, Sake - Varieties, Sake - Types of brewing process, Sake - Serving sake, Sake - Ritual uses

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Upon the arrival of Hernando de Soto, the Mississippians and Europeans received the first full taste of each other. Due to aggression on both sides and cultural misunderstandings, the encounter left nearly all of the Spaniards and perhaps many hundreds of Native Americans dead. The chronicles of de Soto are essentially the first documents ever written on Mississippian peoples, and are an invaluable s ...

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Mississippian culture, Mississippian culture - Cultural traits, Mississippian culture - Chronology, Mississippian culture - Contact with Europeans, Mississippian culture - Known Mississippian Chiefdoms, Mississippian culture - Related modern tribes

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See also: archeology of the Americas, models of migration to the New World, and indigenous people of the Americas for more detailed history and migration theories. Native Americans in the United States - The Bering Strait Land Bridge theory. Based on anthropological and genetic evidence, most scientists believe that most Native Americans descend from people who migrated from Siberia across the Bering Land Bridge between 17,000 and 11,000 years ago, where the Bering Strait is to ...

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Native Americans in the United States, Native Americans in the United States - Early history, Native Americans in the United States - The Bering Strait Land Bridge theory, Native Americans in the United States - Settling down, Native Americans in the United States - European colonization, Native Americans in the United States - Initial impacts, Native Americans in the United States - Early relations, Native Americans in the United States - Removal and reservations, Native Americans in the United States - Current status, Native Americans in the United States - Cultural aspects, Native Americans in the United States - Society, Native Americans in the United States - Religion, Native Americans in the United States - Gender roles, Native Americans in the United States - Music and art, Native Americans in the United States - Economy, Native Americans in the United States - Terminology differences, Native Americans in the United States - Common usage in the U.S., Native Americans in the United States - Bibliography

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The original narrative is to be found in the rambling chronicle, El Carnero, of Juan Rodriguez Freyle. According to Freyle, the king or chief priest of the Muisca was said to be ritually covered with gold dust at a religious festival held in Lake Guatavita, near present-day Bogotá. It is believed that these rituals [citation needed] were carried out by the Muisca in several lakes along their territory. In 1636 Juan Rodriguez Freyle wrote this account, addressed to his friend Don Juan, the caciqueSee also:

El Dorado legend, El Dorado legend - Tribal ceremony, El Dorado legend - Legendary city, El Dorado legend - Metaphor

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Tarpon Springs is known for elaborate religious ceremonies related to the Greek Orthodox Church such as Epiphany celebrated every January 6 with the blessing of the waters and the boats. Since the livelihood of the initial Greek immigrants hinged around the sea and their boats, their attachment to a religious service centered at requesting divine protection for what used to be a highly risky job can be easily explained. The celebration attracts Greek Americans from across the country, and the city's population is known to triple in si ...

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Tarpon Springs Florida, Tarpon Springs Florida - Geography, Tarpon Springs Florida - History, Tarpon Springs Florida - Epiphany Celebration, Tarpon Springs Florida - Demographics

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Over the ensuing months, because of regular visits by the army during which they were threatened, harassed, and intimidated, most of the survivors abandoned the village for the mountains, other towns and villages, or Guatemala City. In 1985 they began to trickle back and were allowed to resettle in Plan de Sánchez and work their land, provided that they served in the PACs and remained subject at all times to military oversight. By 1987 some 20 families were again living in the village, albeit under strict orders from the military not to dis ...

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Plan de Sánchez massacre, Plan de Sánchez massacre - National context, Plan de Sánchez massacre - Local context, Plan de Sánchez massacre - The events of July 1982, Plan de Sánchez massacre - Witness testimony, Plan de Sánchez massacre - Aftermath, Plan de Sánchez massacre - Witness testimony, Plan de Sánchez massacre - Death toll, Plan de Sánchez massacre - Domestic legal proceedings, Plan de Sánchez massacre - Supranational legal proceedings

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Cleveland Heights is governed by a city charter adopted in 1921 and amended in 1972, 1982 and 1986. The charter specifies a council-manager form of government, with seven members of council elected to four year terms. Four members of Council are elected the year following a presidential election, and three the year following a gubernatorial election. All are elected using plurality at-large non-partisan voting. The mayor is elected by council from amon ...

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Cleveland Heights Ohio, Cleveland Heights Ohio - Geography, Cleveland Heights Ohio - Demographics, Cleveland Heights Ohio - Politics and government, Cleveland Heights Ohio - Famous residents

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Kutcher has dated a variety of celebrities, including actresses January Jones (from 1998 to 2001), Ashley Scott (from 2001 to 2002), Monet Mazur (2002) and his Just Married co-star, Brittany Murphy, whom he dated from 2002 to 2003. Following his break-up with Murphy in mid 2003, Kutcher began dating actress Demi Moore, whom he married on September 24, 2005 in a lavish ceremony in Los Angeles, California. Both Kutcher and Moore are fairly devout followers of Kabbalah, a mystical off-shoot of the Jewish religion. Kutcher has been reported to celebrate traditional Jewish holidays [1], take time off from filming [2] and ...

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Ashton Kutcher, Ashton Kutcher - Early life, Ashton Kutcher - Career as actor, Ashton Kutcher - Career as producer, Ashton Kutcher - Private life, Ashton Kutcher - Selected filmography

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There were seven clans in antiquity. There is a common misperception that the Ah-ni-ku-ta-ni or ancient Cherokee priesthood comprised an eighth clan of the Cherokee People, but this belief is a commonplace myth. The Ah-ni-ku-ta-ni appointed a member of each of the seven clans to represent both the spiritual forces the Cherokee believed existed in the Natural World, and the ritual of ceremonies related to the progression of the human spirit from birth until entry into the spirit world to perform the sacred ceremonies for the Cherokee people f ...

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Cherokee Clans, Cherokee Clans - Background on Cherokee Clans in Ancient History, Cherokee Clans - The Seven Cherokee Clans, Cherokee Clans - Spiritual Significance of the Clans in Ah-ni-ku-ta-ni Rituals, Cherokee Clans - Ancient Spiritual Symbolism of the Cherokee Clans, Cherokee Clans - Clan Customs of the Cherokee Clans, Cherokee Clans - Cherokee Marriage Customs Between the Clans, Cherokee Clans - Clan Marriage Ceremonies of the Ah-ni-ku-ta-ni, Cherokee Clans - Clan Married Life, Cherokee Clans - Clan Voting and Banishment in Ancient Times

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Fur and hides find their main use today as clothing, particularly coats. They are valued for their warmth, and as a status symbol. Ermine fur was historically popular in ceremonial clothes of European monarchs. The black-tipped tails were arranged around the edges of robes, producing the familiar pattern of black diamonds on a white field. Because of this use, "ermine" became a term in heraldry, to mean a white field strewn with small bell-shaped designs called ermine-spots. Hides have also been used to build canoes and tents, as simple window panes, and as material for writing. For example, many medieval books were ...

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Hides, Hides - History, Hides - Production, Hides - Use, Hides - Controversy

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The Tustin City Council is composed of five members elected at large; the Mayorship rotates among the council members and is primarily a ceremonial role. Local politics in the late 1990s and early 2000s have been dominated by the 1997 closure of the local United States Marine Corps Air Station and plans for subsequent commercial development of the land, including an unsuccessful bid by neighboring Santa Ana to build a school on the land, part of which is within ...

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Tustin California, Tustin California - Geography, Tustin California - Demographics, Tustin California - History, Tustin California - Politics, Tustin California - Education, Tustin California - Famous People From Tustin

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Originally supposed to be called "Lyttleton," the town's name gained its current spelling due to a misspelling in the newspaper. Littleton was first settled in 1686 and was officially incorporated in 1715. Local legend suggests that the town was to be named for a Lord Lyttleton, who was to provide the town with a town bell. When he learned of the misspelling of the town name, he refused to provide the bell. Author John Hanson Mitchell wrote a book titled Ceremonial Time which details a history of fifteen thousand ...

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Littleton Massachusetts, Littleton Massachusetts - History, Littleton Massachusetts - Geography, Littleton Massachusetts - Demographics

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Main article: Sun Dance The Arapaho Sun Dance, performed in the summer when the Arapaho bands come together for the occasion, is a ceremony performed in order to guide warriors on a vision, receiving a guardian spirit. The vision is inspired by intense self-torture. There are also Arapaho folk songs taught by guardian spirits, which are only supposed to be sung when the recipient is near death. ...

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Arapaho music, Arapaho music - Sun Dance, Arapaho music - Secular music, Arapaho music - Ghost Dance, Arapaho music - Peyote songs, Arapaho music - Sample

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The Zuñi were and are a peaceful, deeply traditional people who lived by irrigated agriculture and now by the sale of traditional crafts. Their location is relatively isolated, but they welcome tourists. Carved stone animal fetishes, jewelry, needlepoint, and pottery are popular items. There is an old Spanish mission, Our Lady of Guadalupe Mission, which is a popular attraction; and a tribal museum, A:shiwi A:wan Museum & Heritage Center. Of late, Gavin Menzies suggested that the Zuni shares some affinities with the Japanese people, due in part to linguistic and cultural similarities. This is n ...

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Zuni, Zuni - Culture, Zuni - History, Zuni - Miscellaneous, Zuni - Books on Zuñi by Frank Cushing

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