History Native cultures are metal

Lord Sovereign

Well-known member
I felt we needed a thread to talk about how very badass and complex a lot of indigenous cultures are. From American Indians scalping any fool who crossed them, to the Maori beating giant birds to death with oars, and the Zulu steam rolling a one thousand strong European force, they have rather impressive martial feats. That aside, "peaceful cultures happily frolicking in nature before whitey showed up" don't have horror stories like the Wendigo in their mythologies. Nor, as is the case with the Aborigines, do they merrily hunt a species of super komodo dragon to extinction.

These are not the victims of history white people fawn over and give grovelling apologies to. These are proud, fierce, and vibrant cultures who gave as good as they got. We disrespect them by infantilising them.
 

Captain X

Well-known member
Osaul
My mother tells me that Natives actually learned how to take scalps as a way of keeping score from white folks. Specifically during the French and Indian War because they were paid bounties on how many they killed, and it was a way of having physical proof of killing someone. I have no idea if this is true or just part of some revisionist history, but it does kind of make sense.
 

Lord Sovereign

Well-known member
My mother tells me that Natives actually learned how to take scalps as a way of keeping score from white folks. Specifically during the French and Indian War because they were paid bounties on how many they killed, and it was a way of having physical proof of killing someone. I have no idea if this is true or just part of some revisionist history, but it does kind of make sense.

Might well have been influenced, but there appears to have been evidence of scalping among the natives since 600AD at least. A prime example of this appears to be something called the "Crow Creek Massacre" which happened in the 14th century.

Then again, apparently your people (Cherokee if I'm not mistaken) had a more restrained attitude towards it. They took scalps to account for/even the score for their fallen warriors as I understand it.

It's easy to forget that there isn't quite a full blown united native american culture. The Iroquois don't have much in common with the Comanche for example.
 

Cherico

Well-known member
The Chumash in Cali had a mighty trade empire that stretched along the coast with their currency being found all the way in Arizona. The problem was that said currency was abolony shells and a simple Spanish nail turned a process that took hours and turned it in one that took seconds the hyper inflation that followed wreaked their economy.

A lesson perhaps we should all learn from for we are not that different from them.
 

bintananth

behind a desk
The tribes on the west side of the Cascades in the Pacific Northwest are pretty badass in their own way. Between the rivers and evergreen pine forests they were able to live a settled lifestyle without relying on agriculture and animal husbandry or having to fight much with each other.

Some of the softwoods prefererred for modern timber construction are very abundant there.

Social status and their economy was based around gift-giving and "If you need something, all you need to do is ask." Saying "No" if could spare it or asking for the return of something you gave away and didn't need at the moment or expecting payment was taboo because there was more than enough for everyone.

Sorta a stone age analoge of sci-fi post scarcity.
 

Sailor.X

Cold War Veteran
Founder
My mother tells me that Natives actually learned how to take scalps as a way of keeping score from white folks. Specifically during the French and Indian War because they were paid bounties on how many they killed, and it was a way of having physical proof of killing someone. I have no idea if this is true or just part of some revisionist history, but it does kind of make sense.
Well during WW1 My tribe and others had open season on Germans in the fields of France. It was not good to be a German when my Uncles and cousins came upon them.
 

Bear Ribs

Well-known member
My mother tells me that Natives actually learned how to take scalps as a way of keeping score from white folks. Specifically during the French and Indian War because they were paid bounties on how many they killed, and it was a way of having physical proof of killing someone. I have no idea if this is true or just part of some revisionist history, but it does kind of make sense.
That's revisionist history. There's evidence of scalping going on in the Americas almost a thousand years before Columbus.
 

Scottty

Well-known member
Founder
If my absolutely appalling memory serves, was it not your people who gave Custer and his 7th Cavalry an, ah, "impromptu hair cut"?

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Lord Sovereign

Well-known member

Funny meme, but I really cannot understate just how badly the 7th Cavalry got their cheeks clapped at Little Big Horn. The Indians totally surprised, overwhelmed, and scattered their enemy that day.

And the ones who managed to flee were the lucky ones…

In the British context, we essentially suffered that on steroids at Isandlwana. Except the envelopment was complete, and there was no escape for the 24th Foot...
 

Cherico

Well-known member
Funny meme, but I really cannot understate just how badly the 7th Cavalry got their cheeks clapped at Little Big Horn. The Indians totally surprised, overwhelmed, and scattered their enemy that day.

And the ones who managed to flee were the lucky ones…

In the British context, we essentially suffered that on steroids at Isandlwana. Except the envelopment was complete, and there was no escape for the 24th Foot...

he litterally played stupid games and won a stupid prize, man should have waited for reinforcements.
 

Sailor.X

Cold War Veteran
Founder
He was overconfident. He was one of several men who bragged that with 80 men he could ride through the whole Sioux Nation. He was also not the only one to say that who later meet his doom at the hands of the Sioux.
You know what is really sad. His Wife Libby Custer carried on his cause in the media to screw over Native Americans out of pure spite. Libby Custer | History of American Women
 

Husky_Khan

The Dog Whistler... I mean Whisperer.
Founder
Sotnik
He was overconfident. He was one of several men who bragged that with 80 men he could ride through the whole Sioux Nation. He was also not the only one to say that who later meet his doom at the hands of the Sioux.

That was Captain Fetterman (perhaps related to Senator-elect John Fetterman?) actually, who was later actually given 81 men later and fell somewhat short of that boast.


It's incredibly exceptional how he made that boast and then his entire command was practically identical to the size he bragged he could do it with.
 

Lord Sovereign

Well-known member
That was Captain Fetterman (perhaps related to Senator-elect John Fetterman?) actually, who was later actually given 81 men later and fell somewhat short of that boast.


It's incredibly exceptional how he made that boast and then his entire command was practically identical to the size he bragged he could do it with.

The Sioux were just not push overs in the slightest, were they? Although they were to an extent technologically inferior, the US Army seemed to forget that these people were a warrior culture with centuries of practice.
 

Zyobot

Just a time-traveling robot stranded on Earth.

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