The article “Notes on the Takelma Indians of Southwestern Oregon” is anthropology about a native tribe, referred to as the Takelma Indians, in the California area. The Takelma Indians were an integral part of the communities that lived in the California area before the arrival of the white settlers. However, the tribe has been on the decline, and by 1906 it was practically going extinct. Takelma’s culture is captured in the characteristics of their language, food, habituations, leisure, clothing, numeral system, social organization, beliefs, warfare and social ceremonies. These characteristics have been used to determine their way of life and the factors that could have influenced the future of the tribe. For example, the cultural characteristics indicate that the Takelma Indians were a hostile tribe, and this could have contributed to their decline because of conflicts with white settlers (Sapir 252). This article provides important details about the Takelma Indian’s culture from an anthropological perspective.
Takelma Indian’s way of life demonstrates the view that “the processes of culture are similar for all people, regardless of where or when they lived, because human minds are similar” (Moore 10). Culture is as a result of mental constructs, and since human mental processes are similar, communities develop their culture along similar issues. Cultural evolution in societies reflect the changes taking place in human mental constructs regarding the prevalent issues such as the social, political and economic concerns. The cultural differences are caused by differences in exposure to various issues and concerns. There are many cultural issues among the Takelma Indians that can be termed as universal.
One, the society was arranged in defined social structures that guided the relationships and interactions among the people. There were social classes where the rich had political and economic power. The community was controlled by wealthy men who controlled resources. The wealthy men were referred to as chiefs and employed the poor people to work for them (Sapir 263). The social status was also an important issue and could be reflected in the daily way of life including possessions and during a marriage. The poor people were often looked down upon because they could not offer valuable presents to the other party during marriage ceremonies and were regarded “as not much better than dogs” (Sapir 275). Also, the common houses were made of lumber, but the poor lived in houses made of pine bark (Sapir 263). These social structures have a lot of commonality with the cultural elements in almost every society.
Two, the linguistic and numeral elements by Takelma Indians are similar to those of other native tribes in California. Language provides clues about the interactions between Takelma Indians and other tribes. For example, there are striking linguistic similarities for the word “dog” in Takelma and about ten other native tribes in California (Sapir 257). The similarities in lexical element indicate the character of the Takelma in respect to other native tribes. Additionally, it is possible to tell the meaning of the words used by Takelma Indians by considering their structure. There are distinct characteristics for words meant for places, people and natural features. For example, Takelma place names start with a common local element in the first syllable (Sapir 254). This logic has been employed in describing the correct meaning of some of the words used in literature and arts about the community. Three, the social practices considered the status of every individual in the society. For example, the beds were usually spread on the ground near the fireplace, but unmarried girls slept on raised wooden boards and platforms (Sapir 262). Other social categorizations in this community are on the basis of gender and occupation.
- Moore, Jerry D. Visions of culture: An introduction to anthropological theories and theorist, 3rd ed. Altamira Press.
- Sapir, Edward. “Notes on the Takelma Indians of Southwestern Oregon.”American Anthropologist, New Series, 9.2 (1907): 251-275.
