By Theresa Ficazzola
American Indians are the foundation of life in the U.S., but how often do we think about them – aside from maybe Thanksgiving?
In 1990, President George W. Bush approved a joint resolution designating November National American Indian Heritage Month to call attention to the culture, traditions and achievements of the nation’s original inhabitants and their descendants.
Did You Know?
- Indians got their name from Christopher Columbus. Upon his arrival in the New World, Columbus thought he landed in “the Indies” (part of Asia), which was his intended destination. So, when he came upon the inhabitants, he called them Indians.
- There are currently 574 federally recorded Indian tribes.
- Historians believe the U.S. Constitution was modeled after “the Great Law of Peace”, the constitution that governed the Iroquois Confederacy. Benjamin Franklin studied this document for inspiration in drafting the U.S. Constitution.
- Back in the day, Native Americans spoke more than 300 languages. Today, 175 Indigenous languages are spoken.
- There are over 9 million Native Americans and Native Alaskans living in the U.S.
- There are 326 Indian land areas in the U.S. administered as federal Indian reservations covering more than 56 million acres.
Indian Tribes
The biggest Native American tribes are:
- Navajo: 14.6%
- Cherokee: 10.0%
- Choctaw: 3.2%
- Lumbee: 2.5%
The largest Alaskan Native groups are:
- Yup’ik
- Inupiat
- Tlingit-Haida
Over half of American Indians live in only 5 states:
- Oklahoma
- Arizona
- California
- New Mexico
- Texas
Indians vs. Settlers
There were many brave Indians throughout history, including Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull. One of the most famous battles between the Indians and Americans took place in June 1876 as the Indians tried to maintain their land, their customs, and their heritage.
The Battle of the Little Bighorn, and commonly referred to as Custer’s Last Stand, was an armed engagement between combined forces of the Lakota Sioux, Northern Cheyenne, and Arapaho tribes and the 7th Cavalry Regiment of the United States Army, consisting of 700 men and commanded by Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer.
The Indians defeated the U.S. forces and was the most significant action of the Great Sioux War. The fight was an overwhelming victory for the Lakota, Northern Cheyenne, and Arapaho, who were led by several major war leaders, including Crazy Horse and Chief Gall and had been inspired by the visions of Sitting Bull.
Indians and the Sun
In North America, the tribes of the Great Plains saw the sun as a manifestation of the Great Spirit. They participated in the Sun Dance to celebrate the life-giving abundance of the sun, its warmth, healing power and peace.
In the pre-Columbian civilizations of Mexico and Peru, the sun was extremely important, not only for growing food, but also for heat, and took prominence in both mythical stories and rituals.
To protect themselves from the sun, North American Indians mixed certain ground plants with water to create products that protected their skin from the sun, including sunflower oil, wallflower, sap from aloe plants, animal fat, and oils from fish.
Historians credit Anasazis, Mogollons, and Hohokams as the first farmers in America. Corn, the first crop the Ancestral Pueblos cultivated, permeates many creation stories of the Pueblo people. Corn was not only considered food, it was also looked at as a spiritual gift.
In the arid climate of the Southwest, Ancestral Pueblos developed one of the first complex irrigation systems, which helped to maintain crops in the hot sun. This new system allowed the Pueblos to begin planting other food, such as beans and squash.
You Can Also Take Advantage of the Sun
Today, more and more people are recognizing the benefits of the sun, just like the Indians did. The proliferation of solar energy shows us how we can use the natural power of the sun to power our homes and businesses.
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Listen to Chief Seattle and help save our planet from global warming with your very own solar system. “All things are connected. Whatever befalls the earth, befalls the children of the earth.”
