Native American Culture and Influence

[Shadowhntr]

As I stated in another thread...I focus my point of Native American interest in documentation of the last Yana Yahi, we know as ishi...though nobody ever knew his name. I really enjoy reading about his customs and ways.
I'm an Irish boy, with zilch for Native blood....but I certainly do admire from a distance.

[Captainkirk]

Yes, Ishi was responsible for the resurgence of archery here in the US.

[Longtrad]

here are a few pics I took of the displays mesa verde in western CO https://imgur.com/a/yMgyg , the cliff dwellings there are much more interesting than what they have indoors behind glass. I would highly recommend a visit.

[Captainkirk]

Great pix, Clay! It's amazing how straight those arrow shafts look.

[Shadowhntr]

Here is what amazes me... for as old as they are... yes, they are pretty straight but there is still way more crooks and lumps and bumps then any one of us would stand for our own arrows. We get bent out of shape worried over .006 of an inch. True that these MAY have once been more straight....but pretty much all primitive arrows I've seen were far from perfectly straight. The people hunted for SURVIVAL....not sport or even necessarily passion. Yet they were FINE with arrow shafts that weren't straight by today's standard, as well as strapping on a 500 gr stone tip ...and often shot bows in the 40-45 lb range. They never once cared about speed...trajectory loss...chronys...and the such like. It's NOT coincidence most of these arrows had huge foc's...its what worked well and they knew it from years of experience. This is the biggest reason I only hand straighten my wood shafts, and I could care less about a few thousandth of an inch difference in carbon shafts...im gonna buy the cheaper ones with less tolerance every single time.. I care more about weight forward, and over all mass weight..just like they did. These people SURVIVED by the bow and arrow. Are we really that hotty to believe we are that much more intellectually superior? Science says that's not the case and the Paleo and Clovis people's were NOT cave men, but had the same capacity of intelligence we have today so don't give me that crock of bull that they didn't know better. They came from the land of Asia, which had some of the most advanced weaponry back then...especially archery and had been at it for several thousand years...think about that a second. These people came prepared and KNEW what they were doing. They were nomadic, making natural shelter a bonus as well as stone tools that were quick and could be delt with on the spot...where as smelting ore required a more permanent location for all the work it took to produce a product. Not a good choice for someone in nomatic mode.
I have felt for a while now...modern archers get all butt hurt over things that these people didn't much worry about, yet modern man argues with what these highly intelligent and successful people DID care about. Mankind can be crazy.

[Graps]

Jason , that's why I get so frustrated with people that are all hung up with the mathematics of archery .
I'm dumbfounded when a guy is upset because his bow doesn't like the arrow that the Kanuton Mathamatizer Calculater calls for .
I want to just scream IF IT'S NOT BROAK , DON'T FIX IT !
Stop thinking about the equipment so much .
Let that 12 year old shoot for you and enjoy the flight of the arrow .

[Captainkirk]

I find this amusing because it's so true! Sure, I check my shafts for weight, spine and straightness...because I can. But when I finally checked my old painted arrows from the '60s and I find out they are 45 spine and I was shooting them out of a 35#@26 bow...and they shot great! And when Jason sends me some 60 spine shafts, I find they group better out of my 45# Griz than the supposedly 'perfect' 40/45 spine customs I had made...? What does this tell me? Back in the day, I'm sure the indigenous people chose a shaft based on straightness and availability...nothing more. Not weight, not spine, and not wood grain. Same with cane arrows ("nature's carbon")...you think these were chosen for their outstanding qualities that mirror modern carbon shaft construction? No, they were likely chosen because of lack of suitable trees. And it all worked out.
Yes, we get wrapped way too tight over details and .001 of an inch and forget the important part is between the ears of the guy with his fingers on the string. Truthfully, if there's a paper plate on the target butt and I can hit it with an arrow...I'm a pretty happy dude.

[Graps]

Me shoot deer two day back .
Me pace off shot , 16 pace .
Blood good , him go 67 pace .
Find in thick brush .
Sun was one hand high , me so proud , beat chest .
Two Dogs be jealous .
Squaw make plenty jirky .

Speaking of jirky........

[Captainkirk]

Speaking of jirky........

Got any? Yer makin' me hungry.

[Graps]

Do you see this fine thing? Do you admire the humanity of it? Because the human beings, my son, they believe everything is alive. Not only man and animals. But also water, earth, stone. And also the things from them... like that hair. The man from whom this hair came, he's bald on the other side, because I now own his scalp! That is the way things are. But the white man, they believe EVERYTHING is dead. Stone, earth, animals. And people! Even their own people! If things keep trying to live, white man will rub them out. That is the difference.