A Brief Summary of Native American History

Native Americans refer to the indigenous people who inhabited the Americas for thousands of years before the first European settlers arrived. There were almost a million indigenous inhabitants with over 300 different languages by the time European settlers arrived on the North American continent at the end of the fifteenth century.  Subsequent immigration that created the United States, Native Americans can be considered the first North American immigrants. Unfortunately, Native Americans have been greatly reduced in both number and prominence despite being the nation's indigenous population, becoming nearly invisible. Unfortunately, history records many atrocities that have been committed against Native American, only to be justified as progress.  Yet, there are many aspects of mainstream culture that have been adapted from Native American cultures.

Native American culture is steeped in tradition and history. Their customs, values, and beliefs are interconnected with their spirituality and closely tied with Mother Nature. In Native American culture, everything is considered to have a spirit. Plant, animals, land, housing, weather, are all thought to possess some form of spirituality and nothing is wasted or taken for granted.

Native Americans have given significant contributions to society, including a respect for ecology, the distribution of powers in government, and a strong value system. Their values include respect for fellow man, generosity, bravery, respect for the aged, and no major wars. They developed sign language and used a secret Navajo code to help the war effort during World War II. Some words we use today that came from Native Americans include barbecue, hammock, chipmunk, skunk, chocolate and hurricane and some of the sports they developed include canoeing, tobogganing and snowshoeing. Many foods we eat today were first grown by Native Americans, including potatoes, beans, corn, peanuts, pumpkins, tomatoes, and sunflower seeds. Johnny Cash and Will Rogers are two of the most famous Native American entertainers. Charles Curtis, a perhaps not as well-known Native American, served as a vice president of the United States.

There are many unique characteristics of Native American culture. Native Americans still honor their heritage through traditional feast day celebrations. They wear bright, colorful attire and perform sacred rituals and perform corn, deer and buffalo dances. Every dance has significant meaning and tells a story about their people. The ceremonial dress worn by dances serves the purpose of storytelling. Moreover, the dances are considered a prayer more so than a performance. It is common to find the use of drums and smoke at these types of ceremonies as well.
Respect is an important theme in Native American culture. They honor family members who have passed away through wooden carvings on totem poles represented by various animals. The dreamcatcher in the Ojibwe tribe is symbolic of “holding onto good things in life, while the holes in the catcher are there to filter out bad thoughts and feelings.”  Also important to Native American culture are smoke signals that serve as a source of communication over long distances.

While the history of Native Americans has been rife with pain and disenfranchisement, the ability to endure hardship and still maintain a strong sense of tribal identity and preservation of the past is characteristic of this minority group.