So here we are on the shores of my home, the continent of North America where I want to talk about the indigenous people here. As this series of articles has gone on, it has grown into more than a just a collection of alternative myths that you or I can utilize in our campaigns. As more than a few people have pointed out, these articles only scratch the tip of the iceberg in terms of getting to know people around the world, their personal mythologies, and how we might respectfully represent them in role playing games. We do our best to find good sources; it has been quite an education to be honest.
Before we get too deeply into the people of North America, I want to talk about the world these early Americans migrated through and eventually settled. I think talking about the geography and weather of their world can help us understand their lives better, to find interesting portions of the lives and allow us as gamers to respectfully approximate a world where life itself was an adventure. After which, we will talk about some of the earliest folk to make North America their home.
It is the Later Pleistocene epoch where we find humans coming to the Americas. The world was a much different place, with considerably lower temperatures and ice sheets covering large portions of the land. Much of the Earth's water was in the form of ice and this means less precipitation. Cooler seasons mean less snow melt and subsequent advancement of the glaciers. Many fauna of the period, like the mammoth, the giant sloth, and the smilodon were still around. However, these populations were on the decline. Scientists are still debating the reasons for the mass die off of these species.
There is some debate over exactly the first humans migrants from Asia made their way to the Americas. Conventional thinking has the date at approximately14,000 B.C.E. However, some more recent science suggest it may have been as early as 24,00 B.C.E. Early Americans were hunter gatherers, going after big game to provide food and materials for their existence as well as gathering plants to supplement their hunting. As with some theories, there is some debate about this. Generally these people are known as Paleo Indians and they are thought to have been a nomadic folk. They traveled in small family units that are known as bands. Of these groups the one that has caught the most attention are the Clovis People.
I am not qualified to assess whether the Clovis people were or were not the first or dominant culture in the Americas and there is some debate over this topic. The debate includes not only North America but the Americas in general. However, there is no doubt the Clovis people did exist and had an impact on developing American cultures.
Clovis people were around as a culture for about 400 years. They used a characteristic "Clovis Point" to hunt game, both big and small. These Clovis Points are spread over a wide area in the Americas, which suggests that the people themselves settled in a large area. There is some evidence that the Clovis People are direct ancestors of the more familiar Indigenous peoples who live in the Americas today. As with everything, the science is ongoing and some of these theories will change in time.
Using myth and history to create a game or campaign is a long standing tradition in the RPG community. Primarily those myths and histories focus on societies that have a well developed society and technology. After all the sword is a powerful symbol and metaphor, such that some characters in certain games are not trained or even not allowed to use it. To tackle a subject matter where technology and accepted symbolism are not in play could be a tough sell.
I don't agree though. Players like to play and there are a plethora of potential players who might like to see their own history made part of an role-playing game, as opposed to playing through the history of others. The migrations of the first Americans is a fantastic idea for play. The exciting life of the hunter, chasing dangerous prey, would certainly excite players. However, I think there is equal merit in following the earliest gatherers as well, as they seek food for their people. Certainly there was danger and conflict in those daily quests with a cold climate and dangerous animals complicating matters. The story potential is unlimited.
Next time we move into the more modern tribes and people we are more familiar with.
contributed by Sean Hillman
Before we get too deeply into the people of North America, I want to talk about the world these early Americans migrated through and eventually settled. I think talking about the geography and weather of their world can help us understand their lives better, to find interesting portions of the lives and allow us as gamers to respectfully approximate a world where life itself was an adventure. After which, we will talk about some of the earliest folk to make North America their home.
It is the Later Pleistocene epoch where we find humans coming to the Americas. The world was a much different place, with considerably lower temperatures and ice sheets covering large portions of the land. Much of the Earth's water was in the form of ice and this means less precipitation. Cooler seasons mean less snow melt and subsequent advancement of the glaciers. Many fauna of the period, like the mammoth, the giant sloth, and the smilodon were still around. However, these populations were on the decline. Scientists are still debating the reasons for the mass die off of these species.
There is some debate over exactly the first humans migrants from Asia made their way to the Americas. Conventional thinking has the date at approximately14,000 B.C.E. However, some more recent science suggest it may have been as early as 24,00 B.C.E. Early Americans were hunter gatherers, going after big game to provide food and materials for their existence as well as gathering plants to supplement their hunting. As with some theories, there is some debate about this. Generally these people are known as Paleo Indians and they are thought to have been a nomadic folk. They traveled in small family units that are known as bands. Of these groups the one that has caught the most attention are the Clovis People.
I am not qualified to assess whether the Clovis people were or were not the first or dominant culture in the Americas and there is some debate over this topic. The debate includes not only North America but the Americas in general. However, there is no doubt the Clovis people did exist and had an impact on developing American cultures.
Clovis people were around as a culture for about 400 years. They used a characteristic "Clovis Point" to hunt game, both big and small. These Clovis Points are spread over a wide area in the Americas, which suggests that the people themselves settled in a large area. There is some evidence that the Clovis People are direct ancestors of the more familiar Indigenous peoples who live in the Americas today. As with everything, the science is ongoing and some of these theories will change in time.
Using myth and history to create a game or campaign is a long standing tradition in the RPG community. Primarily those myths and histories focus on societies that have a well developed society and technology. After all the sword is a powerful symbol and metaphor, such that some characters in certain games are not trained or even not allowed to use it. To tackle a subject matter where technology and accepted symbolism are not in play could be a tough sell.
I don't agree though. Players like to play and there are a plethora of potential players who might like to see their own history made part of an role-playing game, as opposed to playing through the history of others. The migrations of the first Americans is a fantastic idea for play. The exciting life of the hunter, chasing dangerous prey, would certainly excite players. However, I think there is equal merit in following the earliest gatherers as well, as they seek food for their people. Certainly there was danger and conflict in those daily quests with a cold climate and dangerous animals complicating matters. The story potential is unlimited.
Next time we move into the more modern tribes and people we are more familiar with.
contributed by Sean Hillman
