There are such a lot of misconceptions, myths, and half-truths surrounding my Native folks. Beneath you’ll discover a compelling assortment of Native American details I gathered to share along with your college students. Some could problem your preconceptions, others could pique your curiosity, and lots of extra have the ability to encourage a profound sense of marvel and respect.
These Native American details have been gathered from varied sources with attentiveness and thorough consideration. But it surely’s essential to keep in mind that these insights solely scratch the floor of the expansive, multifaceted realities of those Indigenous folks. The true essence of Native American ceremonies, traditions, and methods of life usually lies past the confines of textbooks and tutorial archives, handed down by way of the ability of oral storytelling and firsthand accounts. It’s at all times finest apply to hunt the reality instantly from the folks themselves. If you happen to search a deeper understanding and connection to who we’re and the historical past of this land, ask us about our story and you will notice.
Plus, click on the button beneath to obtain your personal Google Slides to share these details simply along with your classroom.
Intriguing Native American Details
1. There are 574 federally acknowledged tribes in america.
This implies these tribes are formally acknowledged by the federal government and may obtain particular packages and companies. In addition they have sure rights, like making a few of their very own legal guidelines and choices.
2. The large sequoia tree is known as after the Cherokee chief Sequoyah, who invented the phonetic written alphabet for the Cherokee language.
In 1847, Austrian scientist Stephen Endlicher named the coastal redwood bushes Sequoia sempervirens. He was doubtless honoring Cherokee chief Sequoya, who created an alphabet with 86 symbols for the Cherokee language. Later, in 1854, a French scientist named Joseph Decaisne used the identical title for large sequoias, that are associated to the coastal redwoods.
3. Many U.S. state names come from languages of Native American tribes.
For instance, Texas comes from the Caddo phrase taysha (translated to tejas in Spanish), that means “associates” or “allies,” which highlights the pleasant relationships among the many Native tribes. Equally, Michigan is known as after the Ojibwe phrase mishigama, that means “massive water” or “massive lake,” referring to its location close to the Nice Lakes.
4. Earlier than the colonization of North America, there have been as many as 500 native languages spoken on this continent.
Many native languages have disappeared, however some are nonetheless spoken at the moment. When the final speaker of a language dies, the language is misplaced eternally. Nonetheless, Native communities are working to protect and revive their languages, with some tribes efficiently bringing again misplaced languages utilizing outdated books and articles.
5. Nike designed a shoe particularly for the distinctive construct of Native American toes.
Nike’s analysis for creating the specialised sneakers included greater than 70 tribes. That shoe is the N7 and was launched in 2007.
6. The Lakota, Dakota, and Nakota tribes all revere the buffalo as a sacred animal.
The three tribes as soon as used each a part of the buffalo, from the hair for rope to the enamel for jewellery and the bones for instruments, weapons, and toys. Nothing was wasted.
7. Birchbark canoes have been gentle and sturdy modes of transportation for Native peoples residing close to massive our bodies of water.
To protect their canoes for one more season, the Ojibwe folks would line the canoe with clay and stones and sink it to the underside of the lake. After the winter ice melted, they’d retrieve the canoe and use it for one more yr.
8. “Counting coup” in your enemy is the very best honor in battle.
Killing one other warrior was not as honorable as counting coup on them. Counting coup is achieved when a warrior can contact an enemy with a stick, struggle membership, or whip with out being harmed. On this method, the warrior who counts the coup is displaying the opposite that his life might have been taken, however he’s spared on this present day. This present of dominance and talent was the very best honor one might earn in battle.
Setting Native American Details Straight
9. Pocahontas didn’t marry John Smith, nor was she a princess.
Keep in mind, motion pictures are for leisure, not historic details. She was married to John Rolfe.
10. Native People don’t use the time period “shaman” of their tradition. They use the phrase “medication man.”
The truth is, many Native People discover the time period “shaman” offensive. The phrase “shaman” really comes from Siberia, the place it describes a holy one who interacts with deities and spirits by way of direct contact, prayer, rituals, and choices.
11. Witchcraft, skinwalkers, and Bigfoot/Sasquatch are all very actual beliefs in Native American tradition.
For instance, the Navajo imagine in skinwalkers—shape-shifters who can take the type of animals. Changing into a skinwalker entails violent rituals, and people initiated are thought of “pure evil.” These legends are deeply rooted in Native American tradition and are as actual to them as another myths are to different cultures.
12. A struggle bonnet (feathered headdress) isn’t a fancy dress or ornament, it’s an honor reserved for the best of Native folks.
Struggle bonnets are reserved for warriors who’ve accomplished a large number of deeds in life and battle. They’re earned by a lifetime of nice deeds that your neighborhood acknowledges by gifting you the struggle bonnet. This may occasionally take a lifetime to realize. Evidently, if a Native neighborhood didn’t present you a struggle bonnet, you shouldn’t be sporting one, nor sporting imitation struggle bonnets—each are disrespectful.
13. Not all Native People lived in teepees.
One of many most iconic symbols related to Native People is the teepee. That is largely due to their depiction in Hollywood movies, but in addition due to the dearth of correct Native American historical past taught in our college methods. The reality is Native housing/dwellings have been simply as various as our language and tradition. Every geographic area equipped its personal particular pure assets, which have been utilized for dwellings. For instance, the arctic tribes used igloos, the river tribes made mud properties, desert tribes used adobe, and the woodlands tribes constructed longhouses. These are however a number of of the varied number of properties Natives lived in.
14. Sure, Native People must pay taxes.
Federally acknowledged Indian tribal governments don’t pay federal earnings tax however should pay employment taxes for his or her staff. Nonetheless, particular person members of those tribes should pay federal earnings and employment taxes, similar to different U.S. residents.
15. Alaska Natives want to be referred to as “Inuit” for plural or “Inuk” for singular.
The phrase “Eskimo” is virtually a racial slur and has nothing to do with arctic tribal tradition.
16. The Inuit phrase “igloo” isn’t used strictly for a shelter produced from snow and ice.
“Igloo” refers to any dwelling the place somebody lives. Subsequently, the home you reside in now’s an “igloo.”
Laborious-To-Face Native American Details
17. Many tribes at the moment are nonetheless not acknowledged by the U.S. authorities as sovereign nations.
Some tribes, regardless of being the unique inhabitants of this land, are nonetheless not acknowledged by the federal authorities. For instance, the Ohlone of California are nonetheless preventing for federal recognition.
18. A whole bunch of tribes nonetheless haven’t any rights to their ancestral land.
Though there are over 500 federally acknowledged tribes in america, greater than 200 of them are with out land rights. This quantity doesn’t issue within the tribes which might be nonetheless preventing for federal recognition.
19. Greater than 10,000 Native folks died on the Path of Tears.
In 1830, President Andrew Jackson signed the Indian Removing Act, which forcibly eliminated tribes from Alabama, Florida, Tennessee, and different states and despatched them to Oklahoma. Greater than 10,000 Native folks died throughout the pressured journey.
20. U.S. and Canadian boarding faculties stole Native kids.
Through the period of the boarding faculties, Native kids as younger as 4 years of age have been stolen from their households and positioned in boarding faculties. The U.S. coverage was “kill the Indian, save the person.” Hundreds upon 1000’s of Native kids have been systematically taught to overlook their tradition, their language, and their id. They have been abused bodily and sexually, and lots of by no means made it residence. Mass grave websites are being found round boarding faculties in each america and Canada at the moment, sparking the Each Little one Issues motion.
21. It’s estimated that from the yr 1492 to 1900, greater than 100 million Native People died prematurely on account of the invasion of Europeans.
That is the results of colonialism that introduced on, amongst different issues, genocidal violence, illness, wars, pressured relocation, and destruction of meals sources. Since 1900, many Native folks in america have died due to the lasting results of colonialism and ongoing racism. It’s arduous to know the precise variety of Native deaths throughout a lot of the twentieth century as a result of there isn’t sufficient data obtainable. Nonetheless, it’s estimated that round 200,000 Native deaths could have occurred as a result of these issues since 1900.
22. The buffalo have been nearly hunted to extinction in an try and subdue the Plains tribes.
As soon as upon a time, you could possibly look over the Nice Plains and spot a thunderous herd of buffalo roaming the tall grasslands. Their numbers have been estimated to be greater than 60 million. The U.S. army strategically worn out the buffalo as a method to weaken the tribes that trusted the buffalo for his or her livelihood. The horrific marketing campaign of slaughter labored, because the buffalo have been practically hunted to extinction.
Inspiring Native American Details
23. A 22-year-old Tarahumara lady received an ultramarathon whereas sporting sandals and a skirt.
Maria Lorena Ramirez of the Tarahumara tribe beat 500 different rivals from 12 completely different nations in a 50-kilometer (31-mile) ultramarathon race … all whereas sporting her conventional clothes and Tarahumara-style sandals produced from recycled tires.
24. It took greater than 8,000 troopers to seize the final band of free Apache.
It took roughly 5,000 U.S. Military personnel, plus 3,000 Mexican troopers, and about 1,000 volunteers to deliver them in for give up.
25. Native dogsled mushers helped save Nome, Alaska, from a diphtheria outbreak.
Through the 1925 diphtheria outbreak in Nome, harsh winter climate made it unimaginable for any aircraft or automobile to make it to the villages to ship the serum wanted to battle the illness. Nonetheless, a group of sled canine racers was put collectively to ship the treatment. A few of these mushers have been Native People. This actual occasion impressed the movie “Balto.”
26. John Herrington was the primary Native American to journey to area.
Herrington accomplished three area walks. He’s an enrolled member of the Chickasaw Nation. He additionally introduced alongside cultural artifacts and objects corresponding to eagle feathers, sweetgrass, arrowheads, and wood flutes on his journey by way of area!
27. Regardless of having his sneakers stolen earlier than the race, Native American Jim Thorpe went on to win two Olympic gold medals.
Olympian Jim Thorpe had already had a tough life with the lack of his twin brother on the age of 9 and the lack of each his dad and mom shortly after, making him an orphan. After which anyone determined to steal Jim Thorpe’s sneakers proper earlier than his Olympic race. Nicely, that didn’t cease Jim. He pulled two monitor sneakers out of the trash … they usually have been from two completely different pairs of sneakers. The truth is, one of many sneakers was so massive, he needed to placed on further socks to maintain them on his toes. Did that cease Jim? Nope—Thorpe went on to win two gold medals!
28. As soon as forbidden in america, the Navajo Code Talkers’ language was used throughout WWII to assist win the struggle.
Their language was as soon as forbidden by this nation, however throughout World Struggle II, the Navajo Code Talkers used their language to assist win the struggle. Though the Japanese have been in a position to crack most of the U.S. codes, the Navajo Code was by no means damaged.
29. Lily Gladstone was the primary Native American lady to win a Golden Globe for finest actress.
Lily Gladstone (Piegan Blackfeet and Nez Perce) was the first Native American lady to win a Golden Globe for finest actress. This isn’t solely a win for her and any Native baby with a dream, but in addition an indication that Hollywood is attempting to diversify the panorama of appearing.
30. The Apache Dawn Ceremony requires women to quick, dance, and pray for 4 days as they transition into womanhood.
The Apache coming-of-age ceremony generally known as the Dawn Ceremony is a particular time to honor the transition of Apache women into womanhood. The women quick, run, and dance all night time and day. Every woman’s household and neighborhood collect to encourage her by way of constructing, track, dance, and prayer. The ceremony itself lasts 4 days, however the entire means of constructing and breaking down camp can take weeks.
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