Cultural And Religious Traditions Of The Americas And Oceania

The original people of the Americas and Oceania lived in societies that were considerably smaller than those of the eastern hemisphere. Long before they entered into sustained interaction with European and other peoples, they built complex societies and developed sophisticated cultural and religious traditions. In Mesoamerica and Andean South America, they built imperial states that organized public affairs on a large scale. The cultural and religious traditions of these imperial societies reflected concern for agricultural production. There were states and empires in Mesoamerica and North America, states and empires in South America, and societies of Oceania. The most prominent of peoples contesting for power in Mesoamerica were the†¦show more content†¦The Aztec empire or the Mexica overcame their immediate neighbors and demanded tributes from their new subjects. The Aztec empire did not have an elaborate bureaucracy or administration. The Mexica and their allies just conquered their subjects and assessed tribute. For the Mexica society has the most information than any other people of the pre-Columbian Americas. Women played almost no role in political affairs. Priests received a special education in calendrical and ritual lore. On a few occasions, priests even became supreme rulers of the Aztec Empire. Skilled artisans enjoyed prestige in Mexica society. In Mexica Religion there are two principal gods, Tezcatlipoca, â€Å"the Smoking Mirror,† and Quetzalcoatl, the â€Å"Feathered Serpent†. Tezcatlipoca was a powerful figure known to be the giver and taker of life and the patron deity of warriors. Quetzalcoatl had a reputation for supporting agriculture, art, and craft. For sacrifice there was ritual bloodletting. Mexica enthusiasm for sacrifice followed their devotion to the god Huitzilopochtli. The Pueblo and Navajo peoples tapped river waters to irrigate crops of maize. By about 700 C.E. the Pueblo and Navajo began to construct permanent stone and adobe buildings. The most im pressive structures of the woodlands were enormous earthen mounds. Woodlands peoples used those mounds sometimes as stages for ceremonies and rituals. The largest surviving structure is a mound at Cahokia. There