As I began my initial research on Native Americans, I saw how complex their history has been. It was appalling to read of the ways in which these tribes were pushed further and further West. What especially shocked me was the fact that many Native Americans supported the American cause during the revolution, but once America was established as a free land, they were pushed off of their homeland. This nation, founded on the prospects of social equality and religious freedom, forcibly tried to take much of their land and resources and erase many aspects of their culture and religious beliefs. However, aside from the many sad, violent parts of the Native American’s history, there are many facets of it that remain overlooked. These people made invaluable contributions to our culture and society that have shaped what America is today. If it were not for their generous instructions on farming for the newly arrived settlers, many of the Europeans would not have survived here and today’s farming industry would not be the same. They introduced corn, which would eventually bloom into one of America’s biggest crops. Influences from their languages can be attributed to many words and expressions in American English as well as the names of numerous geographic locations. Their culture and knowledge base gave us many of the sports Americans are still fond of, over 200 important pharmaceutical drugs, as well as a number of tools and crafts. Their guidance helped settlers plan the blueprint for America’s growing infrastructure. They were early models of a society that included women’s rights and the Iroquois especially played an important role in that movement. It is so important to for all Americans to recognize the important, lasting contributions these individuals made to America.
Key Terms and people:
o Pan-Indian Organizations
o Gertrude Bonnin
o Reservations
o Environmental Issues
o Derogatory use of images and mascots
o Diseases and epidemics
o Treaties
o Christian Missionaries
o Proclamation of 1763
o War of 1812
o Worchester vs. Georgia (1832)
o Trail of Tears
o Mexican-American War (1848)
o California Gold Rush
o Sand Creek (1864)
o Homestead Act (1862)
Our research will be divided into three categories:
® The 18th Century
® The 19th century
® The 20th and 21st centuries
Within each of these categories we will explore the subcategories of:
® Social and Cultural Issues (i.e. contributions, relationships)
® Politics (i.e. relations with settlers, treaties, territories, wars, lawsuits)
® Tribal Issues (i.e. important leaders, diseases, reservations, farming)
They way that you've divided the topics (chronologically and then into categories) seems to work well. Let us know if you have further questions about how it might break down.
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