Forests and Southeast

Much of North and East America is characterized by its extensive coverage of dense forests, interrupted only by the presence of lakes and rivers. The myths that flourished in this region, with their stories about spirits, demons and forest monsters, faithfully reflect the natural environment. Here, elemental gods were worshipped and one believed in a supreme being, in addition to conceiving a higher and a lower world. Despite pressure from European settlers, some of the native inhabitants migrated to the plains, but managed to preserve much of their rich mythology.

Southeast

From the wavy Apalachian mountains to the region that encompasses Florida and the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, and to the west, from beyond the Lower Mississippi to the arid lowlands of southeastern Texas, extends a warm, humid and fertile region. In this environment, the diversity of vegetation and animal life was exceptional. Most of the inhabitants of this region were farmers who lived in villages. Unlike their northern counterparts, these southern farmers harvested maize twice a year, in addition to growing shrimp and sunflower. In the subtropical areas near the Gulf of Mexico, bananas, rice, bonia and sugarcane were also grown.

Peoples, such as the Florida caluses, continued to be hunting and harvesting, taking advantage of the abundance of birds, reptiles, fish, whales and foxes, as well as the edible roots of the subtropical Atlantic coastline and the Gulf of Mexico. The forests and open spaces of the interior offered a rich source of edible fruit, wild dried fruit and hunting animals, while the rivers were full of fish.

Hunting in this region required special techniques, as there was no snow that slowed down the speeds of deer. Many of the hunters perfected the calls to attract the frogs and keep them away from their weapons.

Traditional housing varied by tribe, but the creeks, for example, built rectangular summer houses with two-water roofs and adobe walls, and winter houses in a conical form, partially buried to isolate from the cold. In subtropical areas, housing was designed to withstand warm climates, like seedlings houses, which were open structures with roofs of palm leaves.

The abundance and diversity of plants in the southeastern region suggests that the indigenous tribes of this area had extensive knowledge of the medicinal properties of herbs and used numerous plant substances in their ritual practices. They cultivated tobacco, smoked in pipes during ceremonies or applied it to their bodies for healing purposes.

In the late 15th century, when the Spaniards arrived in this region, the south-eastern tribes still retained attributes of the Mississippi culture, the last of the great cultures of the river valleys of North America. They spoke different languages: the Creeks, the Choctaw and the Chickasaw used dialects of the Muskogi, the Catawbas spoke Sioux and the Cherokis expressed themselves in Iroquois. The cultural complexity of the region was affected by the first contacts with Europeans, which began with the Spanish expedition of 1513. Successive Spanish, French, and English invasions, along with the arrival of American settlers, triggered wars, diseases, and disorder in indigenous communities, accelerating their decline.

However, the most devastating blow to the Southeast tribes came with President Andrew Jackson, who enacted the Indian Removal Act of 1830, which prohibited Aborigines from staying east of Mississippi. This measure mainly affected the “five civilized tribes” that had worked to assimilate to the white culture: the choctaw, the chickasaw, the seminolas, the creek and the cherokis. Most of these groups were displaced to the west, often through forced marches that resulted in the deaths of thousands of people. The Cherokee, for example, referred to their displacement as the “trail of tears,” an expression adopted by other indigenous nations.

The cheroki syllable

Cherokee emerged as the first indigenous language to have a writing system, thanks to the syllable developed by Sequoyah (1770-1843). He devoted more than ten years of his life to creating this system, which succeeded in reducing the cherokee to eighty-six distinct syllables. The introduction of this syllable was received with remarkable enthusiasm, and in 1824 the Bible was published in Cherokee, marking an important milestone.

Four years later, two additional milestones appeared: The Cherokee Phoenix, a bilingual newspaper, and the Constitution written in cherokee. During the first half of the 19th century, this silabary played a fundamental role in preserving Cherokee culture from the pressure and oppression of white culture.

Cahokia

Cahokia, an ancient settlement in North America near the Mississippi River, about 11 km from the present St. Louis, Missouri, represented the main urban center before the 19th century. Its development began with a small agricultural village founded between the years 600 and 800. The inhabitants of this region planted corn in the fertile drainage plain, similar to what the Hopewell settlers had previously done. However, in Cahokia, hybrid varieties of corn were used, similar to those grown in Mexico, which were more resistant and produced abundant crops. Thanks to this wealth, Cahokia and other villages in the Mississippi River area and its tributaries progressed and grew.

These Mississippi settlements were characterized by the presence of large mounds and squares, which shared surprising similarities with Mesoamerican temple and square complexes. For example, in Moundville, Alabama, there were 20 mounds arranged in circles, some of them used as graves and others as temples and residences for the elite. Aztalán, a fortified city in Wisconsin, was located next to impressive mountains with sculptures of animals and birds, built by an earlier culture. However, Cahokia stood out as the most complex urban center that developed in northern Mexico.

When the Spaniards explored the Mississippi River in the 16th century, Cahokia had long been abandoned. Overpopulation, which led to epidemics, social conflicts and droughts, may have been one of the causes of the decline of Cahokia and the Mississippi cities in general.

At its peak, between 850 and 1150, Cahokia had more than a hundred pyramids and mounds of land with flat peaks, of which approximately twenty can still be seen today. Although in the past, large wooden structures were erected over these mounds, possibly used as residences for high-ranking people, the majority of the population lived in smaller wooden buildings, arranged around the mounds and squares. It is estimated that the population may have exceeded 10,000 inhabitants, with up to 40,000 people living in the surrounding villages.

At the dawn of the summer solstice, the "solstice post" and the central point of the wooden circle are perfectly aligned with the sun when it emerges above the Monk's mound. The main mounds in this archaeological site are part of this alignment.

The first European explorers in North America were amazed at the vastness of the continent. The small groups of Vikings and Basque fishermen who arrived on the northeast coast, and the first Spanish, French and English explorers, barely altered thousands of years of indigenous culture. The first European settlements were small factories, missions, and colonies, and they were established as fortifications in the midst of a large undiscovered territory.

By raising their flags, the Europeans affirmed their dominion over these lands and, in just four centuries, completely deprived the indigenous peoples. Although some indigenous groups controlled the hunting and harvest areas, and all respected the boundaries of sacred places, none of them conceived of the land as lines drawn on a map, that is, as something divided, bought and sold. The colonizers endeavoured to impose this concept with relentless determination.

This European invasion was manifested in three forms: the physical occupation of the territory by the newcomers, the imposition of Christianity in a spiritual sense, and the introduction of material elements such as weapons and alcohol. The natives were displaced, deceived by treaties not fulfilled, subjected, in some cases destroyed, and exposed to alcohol, as well as confined in reserves. However, their culture was not annihilated, partly thanks to the influence of brilliant leaders. Traditional indigenous cultures survived and adapted to modernity.