Native Americans have always played a major role in building the United States of America. From their contributions to the American culture to shaping modern society, Native Americans have remained an important aspect of society. Though their history is diverse, rich, and complex but in common education, they are often overlooked. In history class, teachers have always told about their colonization and displacement, however, in reality, there is more to their history. So, in this article, we will tell you the facts about Native Americans that weren’t told in the history class.
There Were Female Warriors Who Fought Alongside Men
The fact that has always been left out about native Americans is that there were female warriors who also fought with male warriors. In Hollywood films, it is always shown that male Native Americans go to the fields to fight, whereas the females used to sit at home cooking, sewing, and taking care of the camp. However, this is not true. Many women warriors fought alongside men, such as the Buffalo Calf Road Woman. She was a member of the Northern Cheyenne tribe and fought in the Battle of Little Bighorn and the Battle of Rosebud. Also, it is said that she was the one who badly hit George Armstrong Custer in 1876.
The Education Of Little Tree Was A Hoax
The Education Of Little Tree is a memoir about the childhood living of Forest Carter, who spent time with his Cherokee grandmother and grandfather. The book was read by countless Americans and for decades, it was taught in schools with regard to the history of Native Americans. However, famous historian Dan T Clark proved in 1991 that the book was a hoax written by Asa Carter. She was once a member of the Klu Klux Klan and a white supremacist who wrote all the false facts.
Native Americans Lived In Different Types Of Houses
For a very long time, it is believed that the Native Americans lived in the teepees, but this is not true. There were a lot of tribes in Native Americans and all of them spoke different languages and had their own cultures. Because of this, the Plains Indian tribe lived in the teepees, tribes of the Iroquois nation lived in the longhouses, tribes of Mesa Verde lived in the cliffs, and tribes of Toas lived in the pueblos.
The Gifts Given By Native Americans Weren’t Actually Gifts
Another fact that is not known about Native Americans is that the gifts given by them cannot be trusted because they might ask the person to return them back. Due to cultural barriers, the reality is much more complicated. It is believed that white settlers mainly used the money to make their purchases but the Native Americans relied upon a barter system. This means that the objects or things they used to offer were not actually gifts but rather the things of value for which they expected to receive something in return which was equal to its value.
The Invention Of Popcorn
Every time you eat popcorn while watching a movie in the theatre or at home, you might wonder where it came from. The native Americans were the first to cultivate or develop a type of corn specifically suited for making popcorn. This happened thousands of years ago which showed their understanding of agriculture. Also, the artifacts of popcorn were found in Peru around 6,700 years back.
Maria Tallchief Was A Native American
One of the most famous Native Americans was Maria Tallchief, the pioneering woman who brought big changes in the world. Maria’s father was a member of the Osage Nation and from a very young age, she dreamt of becoming a ballet dancer. She moved to New York City at the age of 17 to start her professional life as a ballerina but racism stopped her. On several occasions, Maria was advised to change her last name so that her Native American heritage was apparent, but she didn’t do it. However, despite racism, she broke barriers and became the first Native American to perform in Moscow with the Bolshoi Theater and Paris Opera Ballet. At the New York City Ballerina, she became the leading ballerina.
The Origin Of Hockey
Now, the fact that the sport of Hockey was originated by Native Americans is not known by most people. The Foxes, Saux, and Assiniboine were the Native American tribes who played a game called shinny in which a buckskin ball was hit down a field using a stick that had a curved shape. In summers, the game was played on the field however in winter, it was played on ice. After some time, the game came to the notice of white settlers and it was named Hockey.
The US Constitution Is Modeled On The Constitution Of Iroquois Confederacy
The Constitution of the United States, which outlines the framework of the American government is based upon the political system of the Iroquois Confederacy. It is said that Ben Franklin and other Founding Fathers observed the aspects of the Iroquois Confederacy’s Constitution such as decision-making and leadership and laid them down while creating the American Constitution. However, an official of the Center For Native American and Indigenous Research at Northwestern University has stated that Ben Franklin left most of the critical parts that the Clan Mothers later found out. Also, they held more power because they were responsible for selecting chiefs at the representative level.
The Artifacts Of Native Americans Are Legally Protected
Whenever a person finds a cool artefact lying on tribal land, he or she might feel tempted to keep it. However, keeping the artefact can be legally prohibited and against the law. According to the Native Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, there are some items that belong to Indian tribes, Native Hawaiin organizations, and lineal descendants. Because of this, objects of cultural patrimony, sacred objects, human remains, and funerary objects. Therefore, now the artifacts of Native Americans have been placed in museums.
Jim Thorpe Was The First Native American To Make Olympic History
The following well-known Native American who every person should know is Jim Thorpe. He was a member of the Sac and Fox Nation and was the first Native American to win a gold medal in the Olympics. In reality, he won two gold medals in the Decathlon and Pentathlon. Apart from these, Thorpe also played basketball, football, and baseball at the professional level. While studying in college, Thorpe won a dancing championship and played lacrosse.
The Story Of Squanto Has More To Say
In the story of pilgrims of the Mayflower, you might have heard about Squanto who belonged to the Patuxet Tribe and helped the pilgrims in their survival. Though the story of Squanto is told to people in their history class, but the fact that is left out every time is that Sqaunto was equipped to help the pilgrims because he learned the English language after getting kidnapped. English explorer George Weymouth kidnapped him and took him to England. He learned the English language while staying in England. Later, he returned to his country but was again kidnapped by Thomas Hunt. He sold Squanto into slavery. Later, he returned to his homeland just months before dying from smallpox.
Code Talkers Were Finally Recognised When Code Talkers Recognition Act Was Passed
For a very long time until 2002, the heroic services done by the native American Code Talkers weren’t recognized. However, when Congress passed the Code Talkers Recognition Act, the story of these heroes came into the spotlight. During the time of World War I and World War II, these servicemen relayed messages behind enemy lines in their native languages. This work was considered one of the most dangerous because, at this time, Native Americans were fighting discrimination. The codes of these Code Talkers were never leaked or broken and this gave the US an advantage.
Every Native American Tribe Has A Different Culture
Another fact about the Native Americans which is not known by most people is that every Native American tribe has a different culture to which they belong. Mostly, people have just heard about Cherokee ans Sioux but there are infinite other tribes also. The government of the United States recognizes many tribes, and the Tribal Preservation Program of the National Park Service helps protect their cultural heritage and lands. Further, each of the tribes has different religious practices, origins, and languages. Also, their traditions and beliefs are also different because of different cultures. Further, the Congressional government passed the Native American Language Act in 1990 which provides support to all these languages.
Native Americans Spoke More Than 300 Languages
Before colonization took place, there were more than 300 spoken languages in North America but a huge number of these languages have disappeared due to the assimilation policies passed by the administration. The languages were substituted with English. After this, the Native Americans and the communities belonging to them were moved to different places, and beginning in the 1800s, their children were educated in the English language only. However, in 1972, the Indian Education Act was passed which permitted the Native American tribe to teach their kids in their own languages. It was reported that until 2013, there were 169 native languages in America, some of which had a deficient number of speakers.
The Publishing Of The First Newspaper In The Native American Language Started In 1828
The Native American languages, before the colonization, were orally transmitted but when the Europeans arrived, several tribal people started adopting writing systems. A member of the Cherokee Nation spent almost 12 years developing a writing system just because he wanted his people to learn writing. In the year 1821, his 86-character syllabary was completed and it was easy for the Cherokee tribe to learn. In February 1828, the first edition of a native American language newspaper called Cherokee Phoenix was published. It was printed both in Cherokee and English so that reading could be made easier.
A Total Of 574 Tribes Are Federally Recognised In The United States
Another fact that is not known about the Native Americans is that there are a total of 574 tribes that have been recognized by the United States government. Out of this, 229 tribes can be found in Alaska, and 109 can be located in California. There are some tribes that have not been recognized by the government which means that they are not eligible for government support. Also, in recent years, some Native American tribes have received state recognition but this does not always mean that they are entitled to state benefits.
Some Of The Important Crops In The World Were Cultivated By The Native Americans
The Native American tribes had a different and varied diet that majorly reflected their local food systems. Some of the crops that are eaten around the world today were domesticated by the Native American tribes when they practised agriculture. In the year 2016, it was estimated that sixty per cent of the global food supply was based on crops that originated in the North American region. Some crops they cultivated were corn, beans, potatoes, tomatoes, and squash.
One Of The Oldest Living Democracy Is The Haudenosaunee Confederacy
The Haudenosaunee Confederacy is also called the Iroquois Confederacy by the French people. It was mainly created by five Native American tribal nations Seneca, Oneida, Cayuga, Onondaga, and Mohawk. Though it has been stated that the Confederacy was created in the year 1142, but they have said that they existed since the time of immemorial. The Great Law Of Peace guides the nations in this Confederacy as this is their political constitution. In the 18th century, a nation called Tuscarora joined the Confederacy. Donald A Grinde Jr, the author of Exemplar Of Liberty, has said that the Haudenosaunee Confederacy has brought many people together across large geographic areas. Also, it is said that women played a significant role in the Haudenosaunee democracy.
The Indian Relocation Act Of 1830 Displaced Native Americans
Native Americans used to live all across the United States before the colonization happened. However, in 1830, Andrew Jackson, the 7th US President signed the Indian Removal based on which the white settlers wanted to take the land of the Choctaw, Creek, and Cherokee tribes in the south. They wanted this land to grow cotton which was very valuable at that time. Further, the act forced the Native American tribes to move out of Florida, Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, and Tennessee and placed them into Oklahoma. Due to this forced migration, many Native Americans lost their life.
Native Americans Were Given Citizenship In 1924
The Indian Citizenship Act was approved by Calvin Coolidge, the 30th US President, in June 1924 due to which many Native Americans were given citizenship. However, many Natives already had citizenship because of the 1887 Dawes Act which gave citizenship to those who accepted land grants. Despite this, several Native Americans did not have the right to vote because these rights depended upon the states. Also, many states discriminated against them and limited their access to the polls. However, the 1965 Voting Rights Act ended all of these.
Navajo Nation Has The Largest Tribal Land
The Navajo Nation is one of the largest lands which is almost 25000 square miles. The area of this land is about the size of West Virginia and more than twice the size of Maryland. The Navajo Nation extends into Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico. This nation surpassed the Cherokee Nation in the year 2021 and became the largest tribal land by population.
There Are Around 326 Tribal Land Areas Out Of The 574 Recognised Tribes
The United States government has recognized a total of 574 Native American tribes, but not all of these have their own land. It is said that there are only 326 tribal land areas out of the total number. For the tribes that have their own land, the land is much smaller now, on average it is only about 2.6% of the size it was before colonization. Also, the tribes who were forcibly moved out of the United States were left without any land.
