There are such a lot of misconceptions, myths, and half-truths surrounding my Native folks. Under you’ll discover a compelling assortment of Native American info I gathered to share together with your college students. Some might problem your preconceptions, others might pique your curiosity, and lots of extra have the ability to encourage a profound sense of marvel and respect.
These Native American info had 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 typically lies past the confines of textbooks and tutorial archives, handed down via the ability of oral storytelling and firsthand accounts. It’s all the time finest follow to hunt the reality instantly from the folks themselves. In the event you 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 note.
Plus, click on the button beneath to obtain your personal Google Slides to share these info simply together with your classroom.
Intriguing Native American Info
1. There are 574 federally acknowledged tribes in the US.
This implies these tribes are officially recognized by the government and may obtain particular packages and companies. Additionally they have sure rights, like making a few of their very own legal guidelines and choices.
2. The large sequoia tree is called 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 seemingly 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 big 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 word taysha (translated to tejas in Spanish), that means “buddies” or “allies,” which highlights the pleasant relationships among the many Native tribes. Equally, Michigan is named after the Ojibwe word mishigama, that means “giant water” or “giant 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 in the present day. When the final speaker of a language dies, the language is misplaced without end. Nevertheless, Native communities are working to preserve and revive their languages, with some tribes efficiently bringing again misplaced languages utilizing previous books and articles.
5. Nike designed a shoe particularly for the distinctive construct of Native American ft.
Nike’s research for creating the specialized shoes 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 every part of the buffalo, from the hair for rope to the tooth for jewellery and the bones for instruments, weapons, and toys. Nothing was wasted.
7. Birchbark canoes had been gentle and sturdy modes of transportation for Native peoples residing close to giant our bodies of water.
To preserve 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 might 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, warfare membership, or whip with out being harmed. On this method, the warrior who counts the coup is displaying the opposite that his life may have been taken, however he’s spared on at the present time. This present of dominance and talent was the very best honor one may earn in battle.
Setting Native American Info Straight
9. Pocahontas didn’t marry John Smith, nor was she a princess.
Keep in mind, films are for leisure, not historic info. She was married to John Rolfe.
10. Native People don’t use the time period “shaman” of their tradition. They use the phrase “drugs man.”
In reality, many Native Americans find the term “shaman” offensive. The phrase “shaman” really comes from Siberia, the place it describes a holy one who interacts with deities and spirits via 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 believe in skinwalkers—shape-shifters who can take the type of animals. Turning into a skinwalker entails violent rituals, and people initiated are thought-about “pure evil.” These legends are deeply rooted in Native American tradition and are as actual to them as some other myths are to different cultures.
12. A warfare bonnet (feathered headdress) isn’t a dressing up or ornament, it’s an honor reserved for the best of Native folks.
War 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 group acknowledges by gifting you the warfare bonnet. This will take a lifetime to realize. For sure, if a Native group didn’t present you a warfare bonnet, you shouldn’t be sporting one, nor sporting imitation warfare bonnets—each are disrespectful.
13. Not all Native People lived in teepees.
One of many most iconic symbols associated with Native Americans is the teepee. That is largely due to their depiction in Hollywood movies, but additionally due to the shortage of correct Native American historical past taught in our college techniques. The reality is Native housing/dwellings had been simply as various as our language and tradition. Every geographic area provided its personal particular pure assets, which had 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 couple of of the various number of properties Natives lived in.
14. Sure, Native People must pay taxes.
Federally acknowledged Indian tribal governments don’t pay federal revenue tax however should pay employment taxes for his or her staff. Nevertheless, individual members of these tribes must pay federal income and employment taxes, identical to different U.S. residents.
15. Alaska Natives choose to be known as “Inuit” for plural or “Inuk” for singular.
The phrase “Eskimo” is virtually a racial slur and has nothing to do with arctic tribal culture.
16. The Inuit phrase “igloo” isn’t used strictly for a shelter comprised of snow and ice.
“Igloo” refers to any dwelling where someone lives. Due to this fact, the home you reside in now could be an “igloo.”
Arduous-To-Face Native American Info
17. Many tribes in the present day 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 still fighting for federal recognition.
18. A whole lot of tribes nonetheless don’t have any rights to their ancestral land.
Though there are over 500 federally acknowledged tribes in the US, more than 200 of them are without land rights. This quantity doesn’t issue within the tribes which are 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. More than 10,000 Native people died during the forced journey.
20. U.S. and Canadian boarding colleges stole Native kids.
Throughout the period of the boarding colleges, Native children as young as 4 years of age were stolen from their families and placed in boarding schools. The U.S. coverage was “kill the Indian, save the person.” 1000’s upon 1000’s of Native kids had been systematically taught to overlook their tradition, their language, and their id. They had been abused bodily and sexually, and lots of by no means made it residence. Mass grave websites are being found round boarding colleges in each the US and Canada in the present day, 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 people in the United States have died because of the lasting effects of colonialism and ongoing racism. It’s laborious to know the precise variety of Native deaths throughout a lot of the twentieth century as a result of there isn’t sufficient info accessible. Nevertheless, it’s estimated that round 200,000 Native deaths might have occurred because of these issues since 1900.
22. The buffalo had been nearly hunted to extinction in an try and subdue the Plains tribes.
As soon as upon a time, you may look over the Nice Plains and spot a thunderous herd of buffalo roaming the tall grasslands. Their numbers had been estimated to be greater than 60 million. The U.S. military strategically wiped out the buffalo as a way to weaken the tribes that relied on the buffalo for his or her livelihood. The horrific marketing campaign of slaughter labored, because the buffalo had been practically hunted to extinction.
Inspiring Native American Info
23. A 22-year-old Tarahumara lady gained an ultramarathon whereas sporting sandals and a skirt.
Maria Lorena Ramirez of the Tarahumara tribe beat 500 other competitors from 12 completely different nations in a 50-kilometer (31-mile) ultramarathon race … all whereas sporting her conventional clothes and Tarahumara-style sandals comprised of 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. Army personnel, plus 3,000 Mexican troopers, and about 1,000 volunteers to carry them in for give up.
25. Native dogsled mushers helped save Nome, Alaska, from a diphtheria outbreak.
Throughout the 1925 diphtheria outbreak in Nome, harsh winter weather made it impossible for any plane or vehicle to make it to the villages to ship the serum wanted to struggle the illness. Nevertheless, a group of sled canine racers was put collectively to ship the remedy. A few of these mushers had been Native People. This actual occasion impressed the movie “Balto.”
26. John Herrington was the primary Native American to journey to house.
Herrington completed three space walks. He’s an enrolled member of the Chickasaw Nation. He additionally introduced alongside cultural artifacts and objects reminiscent of eagle feathers, sweetgrass, arrowheads, and wood flutes on his journey via house!
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 somebody decided to steal Jim Thorpe’s shoes proper earlier than his Olympic race. Properly, that didn’t cease Jim. He pulled two observe sneakers out of the trash … they usually had been from two completely different pairs of sneakers. In reality, one of many sneakers was so large, he needed to placed on further socks to maintain them on his ft. Did that cease Jim? Nope—Thorpe went on to win two gold medals!
28. As soon as forbidden in the US, the Navajo Code Talkers’ language was used throughout WWII to assist win the warfare.
Their language was as soon as forbidden by this nation, however throughout World Battle II, the Navajo Code Talkers used their language to help win the war. Though the Japanese had 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 woman to win a Golden Globe for best actress. This isn’t solely a win for her and any Native youngster with a dream, but additionally an indication that Hollywood is making an attempt to diversify the panorama of performing.
30. The Apache Dawn Ceremony requires ladies to quick, dance, and pray for 4 days as they transition into womanhood.
The Apache coming-of-age ceremony known as the Sunrise Ceremony is a particular time to honor the transition of Apache ladies into womanhood. The women quick, run, and dance all evening and day. Every lady’s household and group collect to encourage her via 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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