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There's a long history of U.S. schools failing Indigenous peoples, cultures and histories. In this story, Native parents and educators share examples of how educators and schools still get it wrong-and the steps they can take to fix their mistakes.

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November Is Native American Heritage Month

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Teach students an accurate and more complete history of Native and Indigenous peoples in celebration of Native American Heritage Month-and all year long! Including information from experts at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian, these LFJ resources can help.

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This list is by Debbie Reese of American Indians in Children's Literature (AICL). AICL provides critical perspectives and analysis of indigenous peoples in children's and young adult books, the school curriculum, popular culture, and society.

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Read, watch, and explore the resources on this Padlet! 

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Read, watch, and explore the resources on this Padlet! 

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If you would like to add something, please click on a plus sign and share! One of the moderators will approve your posts after reviewing it.

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Easily create surveys and polls to collect customer feedback, measure employee satisfaction, and organize team events.

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Half of Oklahoma Ruled to be Native American land

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Half of Oklahoma Ruled to be Native American land

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US Supreme Court rules half of Oklahoma is Native American land

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The justices decide an eastern swathe of the state should be recognised as part of a reservation.

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Native American tribes make new bid to shut down Dakota pipeline

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Native American tribes make new bid to shut down Dakota pipeline

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Native American tribes have asked a judge to stop the flow of oil while the legal battle over pipeline's future plays out.

Prolonged protests in 2016 and 2017 drew thousands of people who argued potential harm to their water supply outweighed any economic effects of shutting down the pipeline [File: Terray Sylvester/Reuters]

Native American tribes opposed to the Dakota Access Pipeline once again have asked a federal judge to stop the flow of oil while the legal battle over the line's future plays out.

The Standing Rock Sioux and other tribes succeeded on their first attempt, only to have an appeals court overturn United States District Judge James Boasberg's shutdown order earlier this year. Now, they are asking the judge to clarify his earlier ruling to satisfy the appellate judges and then to again order the line to cease operations, the Bismarck Tribune reported.

The tribes argue that potential harm to their water supply outweighs any economic impacts of shutting down the line, which has been moving North Dakota oil to Illinois for more than three years.

"The Tribes are irreparably harmed by the ongoing operation of the pipeline, through the exposure to catastrophic risk, through the ongoing trauma of the government's refusal to comply with the law, and through undermining the Tribes' sovereign governmental role to protect their members and respond to potential disasters," lawyers Jan Hasselman and Nicole Ducheneaux wrote in a Friday filing.

Tribes fear a spill into the Missouri River just north of the Standing Rock Reservation would pollute their water supply. Pipeline operator Energy Transfer and the Army Corps of Engineers both maintain the pipeline is safe. Prolonged protests in 2016 and 2017 drew thousands of people to camps near the river crossing and resulted in hundreds of arrests.

US Department of Justice spokeswoman Danielle Nichols declined to comment on Monday on the tribes' filing. The Army Corps and Energy Transfer have until November 20 to file a formal response.

Boasberg, who is overseeing the four-year-old lawsuit filed by the tribes, ordered an extensive environmental study last spring because he felt previous, less-extensive environmental analysis by the Corps left lingering questions.

Boasberg in July revoked the easement that allows for the river crossing and ordered the pipeline shut down until its environmental soundness was proven. A federal appeals court allowed oil to keep flowing, however, ruling that Boasberg had not justified a shutdown. That same appeals court is now determining whether to uphold his decision regarding the study.

Tribes are asking Boasberg to issue an injunction to shut down the pipeline while the legal fight plays out.

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Native American tribes make new bid to shut down Dakota pipeline

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Native American tribes have asked a judge to stop the flow of oil while the legal battle over pipeline's future plays out. Native American tribes opposed to the Dakota Access Pipeline once again have asked a federal judge to stop the flow of oil while the legal battle over the line's future plays out.

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Native Americans battle COVID-19 and other voting obstacles as Election Day nears

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Native Americans battle COVID-19 and other voting obstacles as Election Day nears

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Patricia Whitefoot lives in the heart of the windswept Yakima Nation in central Washingtonstate. To collect her mail-in voter ballot, the 70-something grandmother recently drove 25 miles each way on pitted roads. But nothing would stop her.

"As the first peoples of this country, we're inherently invested in taking care of this land," says Whitefoot, who, when not babysitting her 5-year-old grandson, stays busy dispensing voting information to other Native American voters by phone and computer.

"It's harder now because of the pandemic," Whitefoot says. "But we're helping each other to get the vote out."

COVID-19 has disproportionately sickened or killed Native Americans across the U.S., creating another Election Day challenge for a poor and geographically isolated population already fighting to overcome steep voting barriers ranging from discriminatory election laws to distant polling stations.

Though this election has seen many Americans turn to voting by mail to avoid COVID-19 exposure, someIndigenous Americans risk having their votes ignored given the limited and inefficient nature of postal service on many rural reservations. Spotty internet access also makes it challenging to access information on how to vote in a pandemic.

Tribes struggle to get out the vote as it is. Only 1.8 million Native Americans voted in 2016, about half the eligible voters among the nation's 5.2 million Indigenous peoples scattered across nearly 600 tribes, 30% of whom live on reservations.

Despite a perennially low voter turnout, which Native American voting rights activists are working hard to boost, those who do come out on Election Day could prove critical as President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden vie for votes in tightly contested states such as Wisconsin, Michigan and Arizona.

In 2016, Trump won Wisconsin's 10 Electoral College votes after beating Hillary Clinton by just 22,177 votes.

"Right now, we have 80,000 registered voters in Wisconsin, and we will make a difference there and in other states where the margins were tight," says Kevin Allis, CEO of the National Congress of American Indians.
More:'An unbelievable chain of oppression': America's history of racism was a preexisting condition for COVID-19
As Nov. 3 nears, activists are focusing in particular on the 40% of Native Americans younger than 25. They emphasize pressing environmental and federal funding issues and stress the need to have a say in who takes the White House given that federal, not state, law holds great sway over those living on reservations.

"People like to say Indians are statistically insignificant since there are only a few million of us," says Judith Le Blanc, director of the Native Organizers Alliance activist group and a member of Oklahoma's Caddo tribe, whose group helped launch a Native American get-out-the-vote resource website called Natives Vote. "But we are politically significant."

Despite many hurdles, Native American power is growing. In 2018, Congress welcomed the first two Native American women to its ranks, Reps. Deb Haaland, D-N.M., of the Laguna Pueblo and Sharice Davids, D-Kan., of the Ho-Chunk Nation. That same year, Washington state Democrat Debra Lekanoff of the Coast Salish Peoples was the first Native American woman to be elected to the state assembly.

"We have a lot of advocates helping to register people, from military veterans making calls to nieces and nephews sitting at the kitchen with an auntie with the ballot who can barely read," Lekanoff says. "Our goal is to broaden the tables that we sit at through the vote. Meanwhile, it's up to officials like myself to remove barriers that might come up."

A history of Native American voter suppression

The fraught history of Native Americans is filled with horrific bloodshed and broken promises. After moving most tribes onto reservations, U.S. officials granted Native Americans citizenship in 1924. But it took another half-century before all states recognized their right to vote.

That delay has had a lasting impact. Of an estimated 3.6 million voting-age Native Americans, a third remain unregistered. Activists point to ongoing voter suppression efforts, many of which have faced court challenges, as a reason many Native Americans have yet to exercise their constitutional right.
Spotlight on Native Americans and COVID:'Still killing us': The federal government underfunded health care for Indigenous people for centuries. Now they're dying of COVID-19
In Alaska, where 120,000 Indigenous Americans live scattered across a state nearly three times the size of Texas, the state's Supreme Court upheld on Oct. 12 a lower court decision eliminating the need for a witness signature on absentee ballots, a rule that saw many ballots rejected in recent elections.

The court noted that the signature requirement particularly burdens the voting process during a pandemic, especially when residents of such a vast geographic area must lean on absentee voting. Native American legal activists say the signature requirement was inherently racist and could be traced back to an 1831 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that described a parental relationship between the government and native peoples.

"It's a relic from a time when Native Americans were seen as wards of the state," says Natalie Landreth, staff attorney with the Anchorage-based Native American Rights Fund.

In Montana last month, Landreth's organization, along with the American Civil Liberties Union, succeeded in getting the Yellowstone County District Court to strike down a state law that hampered Native American voting. The Ballot Interference Prevention Act, which passed by a wide margin in 2018, restricted who could collect how many voter ballots and levied fines for anyone delivering ballots of friends and relatives to the post office.

The law was seen as discriminatory by activists, given that car ownership is not a given for many Native Americans and post offices can be hours away on rutted roads.

And in February, Native American activists favorably settled a lawsuit brought against North Dakota, which years ago had ruled that an ID with a residential street address was required to register to vote. Many Native Americans live in remote areas where only P.O. box numbers are issued.

Not all such legal challenges have been met with success. On Oct. 16, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals refused to grant members of the Navajo Nation their request to have votes coming from the Arizona part of the nation counted up to 10 days after the election.

The court argued that granting that request would burden election officials who would not necessarily know if a ballot was from a Navajo voter and risked granting the extension to others by accident. Activists who filed the legal challenge argued that poor postal service on the reservation - which sprawls across Arizona, New Mexico and Utah - risked delays that would invalidate Navajo votes.

Four Directions, a voting rights group that backed the lawsuit, recently tested mail services on the Navajo Nation and found first-class mail took 18 hours to arrive at a county recorder's office from urban Scottsdale, Arizona, compared with six days for letters traveling from Navajo country.

"If middle-class white people had to go through the barriers Navajos do, white voter turnout would plummet," says O.J. Semans, co-executive director of Four Directions, headquartered at the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation in Mission, South Dakota. "The pandemic scares me. The closing of polling stations scares me. But Native Americans are ready to cast their ballots."

COVID-19 another of many Native American voting hurdles

Traditional election year challenges have been further agitated this year by the coronavirus pandemic, particularly for Native Americans.

Fear of the virus is high given that longtime health and economic inequities mean Native Americans are 5.3 times more likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19 than white Americans, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

That means people are more inclined to stay locked indoors and are no longer reachable by the door-to-door, get-out-the-vote campaigns common to reservations, where the digital divide looms large. Only half of Native Americans report having high-speed internet access compared with 82% of the U.S. population at large, according to the U.S. Census. That connectivity factor looms large when you're trying to register to vote online or when voting rights groups have switched from in-person visits to social media blasts.

In some states, the pandemic may already have depressed Native American voter turnout. In New Mexico, home to Navajos as well as members of 19 Pueblo Indian tribes, there was a 1% decline in Native American absentee ballots in this spring's presidential primary, a recent Common Cause report noted. Overall turnout statewide, however, saw an 8% jump in participation via absentee ballots.

Another obstacle to Native American voting is anchored to geography. Vast Native American reservations means stations and ballot drop boxes often are far away.

In Fort Peck, Montana, Native Americans often must travel up to 35 miles each way to their closest post office, which typically operates on a limited schedule, according to the Native American Rights Fund. In Arizona, Navajos have just one polling location per 306 square miles compared with one per 13 square miles for Scottsdale residents, according to the Four Directions advocacy group.

Efforts to add polling locations have been hard-fought. In Nevada, it took a 2016 lawsuit against the state by the Pyramid Lake Paiute and Walker River Paiute tribes to bring early-voting locations to the area reservations.

"Fighting for voting rights has been part of our mandate since we were founded in 1944," says Allis of the National Congress of American Indians. "Beyond outright suppression tactics through laws, we face natural barriers like bad roads. Not only are you likely facing a long wait if you make it to a polling location in Indian country, it's likely a dangerous drive just to get there."

That transportation disincentive aside, Allis says a variety of groups have stepped up voter registration efforts in the run-up to the election.

"It's all about educating people about the importance of having your voice heard," Allis says.

Activists push to register Native Americans

Online initiatives such as Natives Vote 2020 and Every Native Vote Counts are but a few ways activists hope to register more Native Americans in the final days of the 2020 campaign. They remain optimistic that between successful court victories and an energized electorate, voter turnout could reach an all-time high among Indigenous Americans.

"There's been so much engagement work in the community, and people are using everything from phone trees to social media to Zoom conversations to connect with voters," says Elizabeth Day, community engagement project manager for the Native American Community Development Institute, whose efforts have been focused on those living in the Native American Cultural Corridor in Minneapolis.

Those tactics include everything from voter registration drive-through events, where the lure includes homemade fried-bread tacos, to employing artists to inspire through their works.

Over the past months, Jeremy Fields, an artist of Pawnee, Apsaalooké and Chickasaw ancestry, has with the help of his artist wife, Collins Provost-Fields, painted 14 murals in Native American community centers across Minnesota and the Dakotas.

To emphasize the importance of voting to the next generation of Native American voters, some murals feature children running while holding pieces of paper with the word "vote."

"It's all about making sure our families and homes are adequately represented," Fields says.

Wisconsin Oneida Nation tribal member Brandon Yellowbird-Stevens says he will work throughout October to register new voters. He spends hours each day making calls and sending texts about drop boxes in and around nearby Green Bay.

Yellowbird-Stevens says the tribe is "usually nonpartisan" and prefers to work with politicians on both sides of the aisle. But, he says, this is "a pivotal election," noting that the Trump administration disappointed some Native Americans last year when it proposed a 14% cut in funding to the Department of the Interior, which oversees both the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Bureau of Indian Education.

Although hardly a monolithic voting bloc, Native Americans largely skew liberal, with 51% registered as Democrats, 26% Independent, 9% Democratic Socialists and 7% Republican, says Crystal Echo Hawk, founder of IllumiNative, a Tulsa, Oklahoma, nonprofit that focuses on challenging negative stereotypes.

"Our message to our voters is 'mask up or mail in,'" says Echo Hawk, who is from the Pawnee Nation.

Echo Hawk says many Native Americans are eager to cast their ballot this year in part because the pandemic's powerful effect on tribes has put a spotlight on the failure of the federal government to keep Indigenous peoples healthy. Treaties dating back to the 19th century between tribes and the U.S. government often traded land for services such as education and health care.

"The federal government has a responsibility of trust and responsibility to tribes around health care," she says. "We had to cede our land in exchange for that and education, and frankly this administration has not lived up to that commitment. And in terms of COVID-19, their response has been nothing short of scandalous."

In New Mexico, Amber Carillo is helping members of the state's various tribes get information on the best way to register ahead of the Oct. 31 deadline. A member of the Laguna Pueblo tribe with relatives in the Acoma Pueblo, Carillo is particularly distressed whenever she gets word of another elder who has died from complications of COVID-19.

"These are people that carry our cultural wisdom and language," says Carillo, a Native American voting rights organizer with the activist group Common Cause New Mexico. "For us, when they die, it's like the Library of Congress burning down."

Yakima Nation elder Whitefoot is one such repository of tribal wisdom and lore. She is also a dedicated soldier in the campaign to get out the Native American vote.
Follow USA TODAY national correspondent Marco della Cava: @marcodellacava
Although she remains largely at home because of the pandemic, the former Washington state director for Indian education remains ever the educator, using social media and phone calls to reach out to those on reservations across the West and disseminate information.

"One elder - she's 85 and a great-grandmother - asked me where to get mail-in ballots, so I'll help with things like that all time," she says. "We have an obligation to vote. My grandson recently asked me, 'What is a president?' And I said it is someone who represents us. So, we need to have a say in who that is."

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Native Americans battle COVID-19 and other voting obstacles as Election Day nears

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Patricia Whitefoot lives in the heart of the windswept Yakima Nation in central Washingtonstate. To collect her mail-in voter ballot, the 70-something grandmother recently drove 25 miles each way on pitted roads. But nothing would stop her.

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Indian tribes are the first Americans to feel the effects of climate change yet we are rarely represented in government

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Indian tribes are the first Americans to feel the effects of climate change yet we are rarely represented in government

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Indian tribes are the first Americans to feel the effects of climate change yet we are rarely represented in government
By Shannon Holsey, President of the Stockbridge-Munsee Tribe, and Leonard Forsman, Chairman of the Suquamish Tribe
The United States plays an enormous role in setting climate, natural resource, and environmental policies that impact the entire planet. Perhaps no federal agency has a greater share of that role than the Department of the Interior.

The Department of the Interior manages nearly one-fifth of the land in the United States, regulates oil and gas extraction across the country and off our coasts, manages the delivery of water for farmers and ranchers across the country, and is the home of the U.S. Geological Survey - which gathers and analyzes data related to climate change.

Interior manages our National Parks, National Monuments, wildlife refuges, and extends protections to threatened and endangered species. These multifaceted environmental, cultural, and natural resource responsibilities impact the entire planet.

The Department of the Interior's mandate also includes the implementation of many federal laws and policies regarding Native people. Nearly one-quarter of the Department's annual budget is dedicated to its responsibilities to manage government-to-government relations with 578 federally recognized Indian tribes and millions of their citizens.

The Department performs functions in every aspect of tribal affairs except health care - from education to law enforcement, social services, economic development, and natural resources. Yet, the Department of the Interior has never been led by a Native American and it is long past time for that to change.

Representation in government matters, and it is important that the people who live with the direct consequences of government decisions must be represented in the room where those decisions happen.

From melting permafrost in Alaska and rising sea levels in coastal tribal communities in Maine and the Pacific Northwest, to droughts and deadly wildfires across the West, Indian tribes have been the first Americans to feel the effects of climate change. We have been living with the consequences of federal climate and environmental policy for decades. Yet, we have rarely been represented at the table when federal officials have decided our fate.

Far too often, Indian Country's voices are not heard within the Department in land management and environmental policy discussions. Indian country has so much to offer the entire Nation when it comes to collaborative resource management, climate policy, and environmental policy.

Traditional tribal forest management practices are now discussed broadly as a way to prevent catastrophic wildfires. Tribal agricultural practices show how to grow and harvest food in a sustainable way. Tribes have successfully managed ocean and freshwater fisheries for centuries, with principles that ensure habitat protection and sustainable commercial harvest.

As sovereign governments, Indian tribes are well-practiced in land management and environmental policy.

For centuries, Native American have been under a glass ceiling in our Federal Government - including at the Department of the Interior. In 2020, it is time to break through that ceiling.

There is no shortage of qualified Native Americans who are capable of doing this important job and bringing a new perspective to setting America's climate and environmental policies.

We have Native American people serving in Congress, and at the highest levels of State government. We've had Native Americans appointed as Ambassadors, and who have served in Assistant Secretary or Deputy Secretary positions in the Federal Government.

Rep. Deb Haaland is a citizen of the Laguna Pueblo in New Mexico, and presently serves as the Chairwoman of the United States House of Representatives Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests, and Lands, which has oversight authority of the Department of the Interior. Rep. Haaland is the type of candidate who would have a deep understanding of all of the responsibilities of the Secretary of the Interior from day one. We are certain there are other Native Americans who are up to the task as well.

Given its unique responsibilities, it is disconcerting that the Department has never been led by a Native American. The events of 2020 have once again highlighted the work we must do to uphold civil rights and work toward justice. Secretary Sally Jewell and Secretary Ken Salazar ensured that Native voices were included and heard at the table.

Now, it's time for the table to be hosted by a Native Secretary.

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It is time for a Native American to run the Interior Department

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By Shannon Holsey, President of the Stockbridge-Munsee Tribe, and Leonard Forsman, Chairman of the Suquamish Tribe The United States plays an enormous role in setting climate, natural resource, and environmental policies that impact the entire planet. Perhaps no federal agency has a greater share of that role than the Department of the Interior.

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1st Native American in Space! He wrote a book called Mission to Space - check it out in the book recommendations column.

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Herrington has spent his life as a proud Chickasaw member serving as a U.S. Naval Aviator and an astronaut for NASA.

John Herrington, First Enrolled Native American in Space Unconquerable with Lisa Billy

From his beginnings as a little boy with a cardboard box and a dream, to walking in the footsteps of his heroes three decades later, John Herrington's role as flight engineer aboard the Endeavour wasn't just a major contributor to a successful NASA mission. It was one giant leap for Native Americans everywhere.

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Chickasaw.tv | John Herrington, First Enrolled Native American in Space

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From his beginnings as a little boy with a cardboard box and a dream, to walking in the footsteps of his heroes three decades later, John Herrington's role as flight engineer aboard the Endeavour wasn't just a major contributor to a successful NASA mission. It was one giant leap for Native Americans everywhere.

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Have you ever wondered What is the correct terminology: American Indian, Indian, Native American, or Native?

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Have you ever wondered What is the correct terminology: American Indian, Indian, Native American, or Native?

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Look here for that answer and more!

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Policy and Laws

What is the Allotment Act?

The General Allotment Act of 1887 (The Dawes Act) provided that the president, at his discretion, could allot (divide up) reservation land to Indians, with the title to be held in trust by the United States for twenty-five years. This law mandated the conversion of Indian lands that tribes previously held in common into small parcels open to individual ownership. It granted that full citizenship for Indians would accompany the allotment, and conferred citizenship upon two classes of Indians born within the limits of the United States: Indians to whom land allotments were made and Indians who had voluntarily taken up residence separate from any Indian tribe and who adopted the "habits of civilized life." Besides these two categories of Indians, Indian women who married citizens could become citizens beginning in 1880, and under the Act of November 1919, Congress made all Indian veterans who served in World War I U.S. citizens.

When were Native Americans granted U.S. citizenship?

Under the Indian Citizen Act (1924), all Indians born in the United States were declared citizens of the United States. By then, two-thirds of Indian people (women who married U.S. citizens, for example) had gained citizenship through laws enacted during the previous fifty years, such as the Allotment Act.

What is the Indian Reorganization Act?

In 1934, Congress passed the Wheeler-Howard Act (Indian Reorganization Act) to secure rights for Native Americans on reservations, ending the policy of allotment. Its main provisions were to restore to Native Americans management of their assets (mostly land), to prevent further depletion of reservations' resources, to build a sound economic foundation for Indian people on reservations, and to return local self-government to Native American tribes.

What is the American Indian Religious Freedom Act of 1978?

This act states the policy of the United States to "protect and preserve for American Indians their inherent right of freedom to believe, express, and exercise the traditional religions of the American Indian, Eskimo, Aleut, and Native Hawaiians, including but not limited to access to sites, use and possession of sacred objects, and the freedom to worship through ceremonial and traditional rites." The American Indian Religious Freedom Act is an important legal protection for Native rights to religious expression.

What is the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA)?

The Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (1990), or NAGPRA, is a federal law that provides a process for museums and federal agencies to return certain Native American cultural items, human remains, funerary objects, sacred objects, and objects of cultural patrimony to lineal descendants, culturally affiliated Indian tribes, and Native Hawaiian organizations. It empowers tribes to claim their human remains and cultural items from federal collections and non-Smithsonian museums.

How and why are Native arts protected?

The Indian Arts and Crafts Act of 1990 is a truth-in-advertising law that prohibits misrepresentation in the marketing of Indian arts and craft products within the United States. It makes it illegal to offer, display for sale, or sell any art or craft product "in a manner that falsely suggests it is Indian produced, an Indian product, or the product of a particular Indian or Indian tribe or Indian arts and craft organization, resident within the United States."

What is the Canadian Indian Act of 1876?

This is the Canadian federal legislation, first passed in 1876, that sets out certain federal government obligations and regulates the management of Indian reserved lands. The act has been amended several times, most recently in 1985. The Canadian constitution recognizes three groups of aboriginal people-Indian, Métis, and Inuit.

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Native Knowledge 360° | Frequently Asked Questions

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Native Knowledge 360° is the National Museum of the American Indian's national initiative to inspire and promote improvement of teaching and learning about American Indians. Check out the answers to some of the most frequently asked questions by educators and students at the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian.

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Check out this virtual Smithsonian tour! Explore exhibits about Native American Women, Navajo Code Talkers, and more!

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Check out this virtual Smithsonian tour! Explore exhibits about Native American Women, Navajo Code Talkers, and more!

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Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian, Washington, DC, and New York, NY, United States - Google Arts & Culture

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*Mission* In partnership with Native peoples and their allies, the National Museum of the American Indian fosters a richer shared human experience through ...

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NORTHEAST GEORGIA MOUNTAINS
INDIAN NAMES OF PLACES

Amicalola (Falls) - Cherokee word meaning "tumbling waters". The falls at Amicalola are Georgia's highest at 729 feet. Amicalola Falls State Park is located about 8 miles from Springer Mountain, the southern terminus of the 2,144-mile Appalachian Trail.

Anaguluskee - Indian meaning flower of the branch.

Appalachian - In Creek, Apalachee means "people on the other side" or highland farmer. The name was first used to designate the mountain range, probably in South Carolina, by a French explorer in 1567. The Appalachian Trail is a 2,144-mile footpath stretching from Springer Mountain, Georgia to Mount Katahdin, Maine.

Arkaquah - Cherokee for crooked creek, pertaining to the long winding creek that flows through Union County. It is also the name of an Indian. It is also spelled Akaguah or Arkaqua.

Brasstown Bald - Georgia's highest mountain (4,784 feet) is named for a Cherokee town on the Hiawassee River in Towns County. The actual Cherokee name for the town was "It-se-yi" or "New Green Place" or green valley, but the white settlers confused this with "unt-sa-yi" or "place of brass". The whites applied this name to the mountain.

Chattahoochee (River) - From "Chatu-huchi", a name for the Lower Creek dialect originally applied to a Creek town on the river. The name means "marked rock" or "picture rocks", referring to the picture writing found on the rocks at that site. The Chattahoochee River forms in White County above Helen, flowing south through Georgia to Alabama and Florida where it joins the Apalachicola, which then flows into the Gulf of Mexico.

Chattooga (River) - From the Cherokee "Tsatu-gi", although some say the meaning is not clear and appears to be of non-Cherokee origin. Others say it is Cherokee and means "has crossed the river" and "drank by sips" or "he sips". There is some indication of an ancient settlement named "Tsatu-gi" that was on the Chattooga River, a head-stream of the Savannah River, forming the Georgia & South Carolina border.

Cherokee - Corruption of the Lower-dialect Cherokee term "Tsa-la-gi". Cherokees also called themselves "ani-uni-wa" or "principal people". Cherokee County, Georgia was the parent county of numerous other North Georgia counties. It was formed in 1831 by Georgia legislature to include what was then the Cherokee nation. It was subdivided in 1832 into 11 counties.

Chestatee (River) - Corruption of the Cherokee word "atsun-stati-yi" meaning "fire light place". This was the name by which the Cherokee called the present-day Chestatee River, which flows through Lumpkin County and empties into Lake Lanier. This river was the eastern boundary of the Cherokee Nation under the Treaty of February 27, 1819.

Chicopee - "Swift water" or "violent waters". This name is believed to have originally designated falls in the Chicopee River in Massachusetts.

Choestoe - It is probably from the Cherokee word "Tsistu-yi" meaning "land of the dancing rabbits" or "the rabbit place". This is the name of the southernmost district in present day Union County. Until 1845, it had been part of Lumpkin County.

Cohutta - A Cherokee Indian name that translates into "Mountains that Hold the Sky."

Coosa - Cherokee word for creek meaning cane break.

Coosawatee (River) - Corruption of the Cherokee word "Ku-sa-weti-yi", which literally means "old Creek place". It was an important Cherokee settlement on the lower part of the river in present-day Gordon County.

Currahee (Mountain) - Some say it is a Cherokee word, meaning "it stands alone". Others believe that this mountain in present-day Stephens County is apparently the site where the Cherokee found a popular salad green they called "gula-hi-yi" and that Currahee is a corruption of this Cherokee word.

Dahlonega - Some say it is from "Tahlonega" meaning "golden". Others interpret the name as "place of yellow money". Still others say it is a corruption of the Cherokee word "da-lon-ni-ge-i", the Cherokee term for the color yellow. Dahlonega is the county seat of Lumpkin County and was incorporated December 21, 1833. It is the site of America's first gold rush.

Eastonallee - From the Cherokee word "U-stana-li" denoting a natural barrier of rocks across a stream. A community in present-day Stephens County on Eastonallee Creek, near which was an old Cherokee settlement by the same name. Others say it means "rocky bridge across the waters". The crossing at Eastonallee Creek lay along an ancient footpath that grew into a road at an early date.

Enotah - Bare or bald

Ellijay - From the Cherokee word "Elatse-yi" or the abbreviated "Elatse". Means "Green Earth". It is the Gilmer county seat.

Etowah - A widely used name throughout the territory formerly inhabited by the Cherokee. It is the name of a river, which originates in Lumpkin County and flows southwest to Rome, Georgia where it joins the Oostanaula River to form the Coosa River. It is not believed to be a Cherokee word, but used to designate a Cherokee settlement on the river in Forsyth County. White settlers corrupted the name to "Hightower". The early plat maps of Lumpkin County show the river's name as "Hightower".

Frogtown - This is the translation of the Cherokee word "Wali-si-yi", or literally "place of the frog" or giant frog. It names a district in northern Lumpkin County on the Chestatee River where the old Coosa-Tugaloo trading path crossed. It is also a community in Forsyth County on the Etowah.

Hemp Top - Translation of Cherokee word "gatun-lti-yiy", or literally "hemp place". This community in Fannin County was probably so named because of wild hemp (Apocyunum cannabinum) which apparently grew there. this species of hemp was used for bow strings.

Hiawassee - Corruption of the Cherokee word "ayu-hwa-si", meaning "meadow" or "savannah". Today, Hiawassee is the county seat of Towns County. It is also the name of the river, which rises on the North side of the Blue Ridge in Towns County and flows northward to form Lake Chatuge. This name also appears (with slightly different spellings) in North Carolina and Virginia.

Moccasin (Creek) - It means "it wraps around" in Powhatan (Virginia), or moccasin (or Micmac, m'kussin). This name was recorded by colonists in Virginia as early as 1612. According to one Native American source in Virginia, the name for soft wraparound shoes used by Indians and the name for a snake, come from the same meaning. The term MOCCASIN was used by Virginia's Pamunkey Tribe to describe all snakes.

Nacoochee - Comes from the Cherokee name "Na-gu-tsi", a prominent old Cherokee settlement in White County on the Chattahoochee River. This site has mounds from the Mississippian period (800 A.D. - 1254 A.D.)

Nottely (River) - Named for "Na-du-li", an old Cherokee settlement on the Nottely River in Cherokee County, NC. Does not appear to be of Cherokee origin and has no meaning in Cherokee.

Sautee - From the Cherokee "Itsa-ti", the meaning of which is unknown. This Cherokee term appears to have been applied to prominent towns in the Nation. Corruptions of this word are found on old maps as "Chota", "New Echota" and "Great Echota".

Soquee (River) - From the Cherokee "sakwi-yi", the name of an old Cherokee settlement on the Soquee River in Habersham County. The Soquee originates in Habersham County from the tributaries in or near the Tray Mountain Wilderness Area and flows south to join the Chattahoochee River below Clarkesville.

Talking Rock - Translation of the Cherokee word "Nunyu-gunwani-ski" or "rock that talks". It is said to refer to a particular "echo" rock in the creek by the same name in Pickens County.

Tallulah (Falls) - It is a corruption of the Cherokee "Ta-lu-lu". There is no clear translation, although it is thought to denote the distinctive sound of a certain species of frog in that area, the "Du-lu-si".

Toccoa - From the Cherokee "Tag-wa-hi" or "Catawba place" implying the former presence of that tribe. Toccoa, Georgia is the county seat of present day Stephens County. It is also the name of a river, which originates on the north slope of the Blue Ridge in Union County and flows through Fannin County to form Lake Blue Ridge in Union County, then into the Ocoee River.

Track Rock Gap - Located 5 miles East of Blairsville in Union County. Cherokees called it "Datsu-nalas-gun-yi" meaning "where there are tracks". Several large soapstone rocks are covered with petroglyphs depicting human and animal tracks. They were in place when the Cherokee arrived some 250 years ago. They remain of uncertain origin. Most popular theory is that they are graffiti carved by ancient hunters resting at the gap while awaiting game to pass through.

Waleska - The name of a prominent Indian who lived in Cherokee County and distinguished himself by the feathers he wore from eagles he killed. A community in northeast Cherokee County is named for him.

War Woman - It is also known as "Pretty Woman". The exact Cherokee term is unknown, however it is claimed that the Long-Hair Clan (Ani-Gila-hi) was sometimes referred to as "Pretty Woman Clan" and that the office of War Woman may have been a hereditary position, which passed through that clan. A War Woman was a powerful woman who decided the fate of prisoners taken in war. A district of present day Rabun County is named "Warwoman".

Yahoola (Valley) - It is from the Cherokee word "Yahula-i" or place of Yahula", a Cherokee trader who was taken away by the Nunne-hi or spirit people. It is said the name may be derived from "yahu-lu" meaning "hickory". Yahoola Creek & the Yahoola Valley in Lumpkin County were both named for this mythical character.

Yonah (Mountain) - Cherokee word "yo-nuh" meaning bear. This is the name given by the white settlers to the mountain in White County, but the Cherokees called it "Gada-lulu", an untranslatable name. Prior to the establishment of White County in 1857, a town near the base of the mountain was called "Mt. Yonah". It was later called "Cleveland" and is the county seat of White County.

Submitted by G.F.

Genealogy Trails

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NORTHEAST GEORGIA MOUNTAINSINDIAN NAMES OF PLACES Amicalola (Falls) - Cherokee word meaning "tumbling waters". The falls at Amicalola are Georgia's highest at 729 feet. Amicalola Falls State Park is located about 8 miles from Springer Mountain, the southern terminus of the 2,144-mile Appalachian Trail. Anaguluskee - Indian meaning flower of the branch.

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Diversity

It's important to acknowledge the diversity of Indigenous Peoples' cultures, traditions, and languages throughout the Western Hemisphere. When teaching about a particular tribe or nation, learning and using accurate terms specific to the community can prevent stereotypes and encourage cultural understanding and sensitivity among your students.

American Indian or Native American?

American Indian, Indian, Native American, or Native are acceptable and often used interchangeably in the United States; however, Native Peoples often have individual preferences on how they would like to be addressed. To find out which term is best, ask the person or group which term they prefer. When talking about Native groups or people, use the terminology the members of the community use to describe themselves collectively. There are also several terms used to refer to Native Peoples in other regions of the Western Hemisphere. The Inuit, Yup'ik, and Aleut Peoples in the Arctic see themselves as culturally separate from Indians. In Canada, people refer to themselves as First Nations, First Peoples, or Aboriginal. In Mexico, Central America, and South America,the direct translation for Indian can have negative connotations. As a result, they prefer the Spanish word indígena (Indigenous), comunidad (community), and pueblo (people).

Tribe or Nation, and Why So Many Names?

American Indian people describe their own cultures and the places they come from in many ways. The word tribe and nation are used interchangeably but hold very different meanings for many Native people. Tribes often have more than one name because when Europeans arrived in the Americas, they used inaccurate pronunciations of the tribal names or renamed the tribes with European names. Many tribal groups are known officially by names that include nation. Every community has a distinct perspective on how they describe themselves. Not all individuals from one community many agree on terminology. There is no single American Indian culture or language.

The best term is always what an individual person or tribal community uses to describe themselves. Replicate the terminology they use or ask what terms they prefer.

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Native Knowledge 360°-The Impact of Words and Tips for Using Appropriate Terminology: Am I Using the Right Word?

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NK360° Helpful Handouts: Guidance on Common Questions provide a brief introduction to teachers about important topics regarding Native American life, cultures, and communities. The Impact of Words and Tips for Using Appropriate Terminology offers insight about terminology that is most appropriate to use when referring to Native Peoples. #NK360

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Do American Indians celebrate Thanksgiving?

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Do American Indians celebrate Thanksgiving?

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This essay was originally published in 2011. It is updated every few years to add new comments from Native American readers.
When I think back about my earliest memories of elementary school, I remember being asked to bring a brown paper sack to class so that it could be decorated and worn as part of the Indian costume used to celebrate Thanksgiving. I was also instructed to make a less-than-authentic headband with Indian designs and feathers to complete this outfit. Looking back, I now know this was wrong.

The Thanksgiving Indian costume that all the other children and I made in my elementary classroom trivialized and degraded the descendants of the proud Wampanoags, whose ancestors attended the first Thanksgiving popularized in American culture. The costumes we wore bore no resemblance to Wampanoag clothing of that time period. Among the Wampanoag, and other American Indians, the wearing of feathers has significance. The feathers we wore were simply mockery, an educator's interpretation of what an American Indian is supposed to look like.

The Thanksgiving myth has done so much damage and harm to the cultural self-esteem of generations of Indian people, including myself, by perpetuating negative and harmful images to both young Indian and non-Indian minds. There are so many things wrong with the happy celebration that takes place in elementary schools and its association to American Indian culture; compromised integrity, stereotyping, and cultural misappropriation are three examples.

When children are young, they are often exposed to antiquated images of American Indians through cartoons, books, and movies. But Thanksgiving re-enactments may be their most active personal encounter with Indian America, however poorly imagined, and many American children associate Thanksgiving actions and images with Indian culture for the rest of their lives. These cultural misunderstandings and stereotypical images perpetuate historical inaccuracy.

Tolerance of mockery by teachers is a great concern to Native parents. Much harm has been done to generations of Indian people by perpetuating negative and harmful images in young minds. Presenting Thanksgiving to children as primarily a happy time trivializes our shared history and teaches a half-truth. And while I agree that elementary-school children who celebrate the first Thanksgiving in their classrooms are too young to hear the truth, educators need to share Thanksgiving facts in all American schools sometime before high school graduation.

Let's begin with Squanto (aka Tisquantum), a Patuxet, one of more than 50 tribes who formed the Wampanoag Confederacy. Around 1614, when he was perhaps 30, Squanto was kidnapped along with others of his people and taken across the Atlantic Ocean to Malaga, Spain, where they were sold into slavery. Monks in Spain bought Squanto, shared their faith with him, and made it possible for him to find his way to England in 1615. In England he worked for shipbuilder John Slany and became proficient in English. In 1619 Squanto returned to his homeland by joining an exploring expedition along the New England coast. When he arrived at the village where he has been raised, all his family and the rest of his tribe had been exterminated by a devastating plague.

What about the Pilgrims? Separatists who fled from England to Holland seeking to escape religious persecution by English authorities, and who later booked passage to North America, are now called "Pilgrims," though Americans did not widely use the term until the 1870s. In November, 1620, the Mayflower dropped anchor in present-day Provincetown Harbor. After exploring the coast for a few weeks, the Pilgrims landed and began building a permanent settlement on the ruins of Squanto's Patuxet village, now renamed New Plymouth. Within the first year, half of the 102 Pilgrims who set out from Europe on the Mayflower had perished. In desperation the Pilgrims initially survived by eating corn from abandoned fields, raiding villages for stored food and seed, and robbing graves at Corn Hill.

Squanto was introduced to the Pilgrims in the spring of 1621, became friends with them, and taught them how to hunt and fish in order to survive in New England. He taught the Pilgrims how to plant corn by using fish as fertilizer and how to plant gourds around the corn so that the vines could climb the cornstalks. Due to his knowledge of English, the Pilgrims made Squanto an interpreter and emissary between the English and Wampanoag Confederacy.

What really happened at the first Thanksgiving in 1621? The Pilgrims did not introduce the concept of thanksgiving; the New England tribes already had autumn harvest feasts of thanksgiving. To the original people of this continent, each day is a day of thanksgiving to the Creator. In the fall of 1621, William Bradford, the governor of the Plymouth Colony, decided to have a Plymouth harvest feast of thanksgiving and invited Massasoit, the Grand Sachem of the Wampanoag Federation, to join the Pilgrims. Massasoit came with approximately 90 warriors and brought food to add to the feast, including venison, lobster, fish, wild fowl, clams, oysters, eel, corn, squash and maple syrup. Massasoit and the ninety warriors stayed in Plymouth for three days. These original Thanksgiving foods are far different from the meals prepared in modern Thanksgiving celebrations.

Squanto died in 1622, but Massasoit outlived the era of relative peace in colonial New England. On May 26, 1637, near the present-day Mystic River in Connecticut, while their warriors were away, an estimated 400 to 700 Pequot women, children, and old men were massacred and burned by combined forces of the Plymouth, Massachusetts Bay, and Saybrook (Connecticut) colonies and Narragansett and Mohegan allies. Colonial authorities found justification to kill most of the Pequot men and enslave the captured women and their children. Pequot slaves were sent to Bermuda and the West Indies. In 1975 the official number of Pequot people living in Connecticut was 21. Similar declines in Native population took place throughout New England as an estimated three hundred thousand Indians died by violence, and even more were displaced, in New England over the next few decades.

In this video sidebar, Paul Chaat Smith (Comanche), co-curator of the award-winning exhibition Americans, looks at why the Thanksgiving story is so important to the United States' image of itself as a nation. (National Museum of the American Indian)

This history raises the question, Why should Native people celebrate Thanksgiving? Many Natives particularly in the New England area remember this attempted genocide as a factual part of their history and are reminded each year during the modern Thanksgiving. The United American Indians of New England meet each year at Plymouth Rock on Cole's Hill for a Day of Mourning. They gather at the feet of a statue of Grand Sachem Massasoit of the Wampanoag to remember and reflect in the hope that America will never forget.

Do I celebrate Thanksgiving? No, I don't celebrate. But I do take advantage of the holiday and get together with family and friends to share a large meal without once thinking of the Thanksgiving in 1621. I think it is the same in many Native households. It is ironic that Thanksgiving takes place during American Indian and Alaskan Native Heritage Month. An even greater irony is that more Americans today identify the day after Thanksgiving as Black Friday than as National American Indian Heritage Day.

Again this year, I turned to the Internet to find out what Native people are thinking about Thanksgiving. Here are a few of the responses I have received, beginning with the most recent and ending with comments from 2011 (when I unfortunately didn't make notes about where people were writing from):

Mashantucket, Connecticut: Celebrating seasonal food gathering and production with a feast leans more toward local northeast Native traditions than it does to the English idea of a thanksgiving, which involved fasting and prayer, not food. The modern holiday is the 19th-century creation of Sarah Josepha Hale as a way to bring the United States together after the Civil War. Hale has been written out of history by the fictitious First Thanksgiving narrative, which also writes out a lot of Native history. So for me, it's fine to enjoy the day off with family, have a feast and give thanks for it, but we need to stick with the real history of colonization, in contrast to the friendly story of Pilgrims and Indians that is still taught in America's schools as fact.

Arlee, Montana: Personally I do not celebrate Thanksgiving. I live the idea of giving thanks, but I do that every day and don't need a holiday for it. I feel like the holiday has evolved a lot over time, and I believe it's a great activity to bring family and friends together. But with the ugly history in reference to our Native ancestors, I don't acknowledge the idea of Pilgrims and Indians. It would be great if the education system used it as an opportunity to teach the real history of what happened.

Tama, Iowa: I enjoy family on this day. On some level I agree with the idea that it is a Pilgrim holiday that exploits Native, people but those thoughts are hidden to the children who love to come to the homestead, eat, talk, laugh, and oftentimes, when a family has a drum, sing together. All that outweighs the idea of canceling it due to anticolonial political views.

St. Louis, Missouri: We give thanks for our family and friends, give thanks for the meal. Our foods, which we grew on our lands, fed the starving Pilgrims, who had no clue about our foods, lands, etc.

York, Pennsylvania: My family and I don't celebrate the traditional holiday and have not for many years. We attend Poarch Creek powwow or family dances in Oklahoma. We take advantage of time off and school closing to travel away from home to be with powwow family or relatives.

Mandaree, North Dakota: Hell, yes, from a veteran. I have a lot to be thankful for.

Saraland, Alabama: My family likes to gather, share food, and give thanks without it being an actual holiday. It's just what we enjoying doing as Native people. On the last Thursday in November, you will find us at some type of powwow or Native social gathering. I like to think that publicly displaying the things that "real Indians" do helps to debunk some of the myths that are out there about us. So we do have our traditions for Thanksgiving , but I am not sure that they would be considered celebrating the holiday.

Minneapolis, Minnesota: Maybe we celebrate, after all that has happened to our Native people, that we are still here. We still have our songs and dances, our ceremonies that make us who we are.

Naples, Florida: My perspective has changed over the years. At one time, I thought, "How could a day of thanksgiving hurt anyone?" Now I equate Thanksgiving Day to Columbus Day. That may have been precipitated by the Interior Department's decision to reverse the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe's efforts to have their lands secured in trust. I believe it's time that America comes to terms with the truth about Thanksgiving.

Santa Fe, New Mexico: This was the first year in 20-some years of teaching that I've actually had students who are six and seven years old say that they're not going to celebrate Thanksgiving because all it is is a celebration of death. These children are woke. I haven't even done my "Thanksgiving what?" lesson yet.

Carnegie, Oklahoma: Every day is Thanksgiving Day for me, but especially in Vietnam in 1966 and when I got home in 1967. No mater why the holiday was created, or who celebrates it, it's an American Holiday of thanks and feasting. At the Carnegie Red Buffalo Hall, an Elder Thanksgiving Meal is available to those 60 and over at the Kiowa Complex. It is a time for prayer, singing, and reflecting on those who have gone on and those far off who can't come home.

Wisconsin Dells: My family is full of gratitude for all our Heavenly Father blesses us with. I remember when I was a young girl traveling to be together with all the relatives. Deer hunting was a huge family event, and the meal was prepared with prayers and love. I learned the history of Thanksgiving. I acknowledge the negative events surrounding that time in history. However, Thanksgiving continues to be a time of family, prayers, and love. We must move forward. We continue to teach the entire story of our Indigenous people of this continent. Speak truth. The day and all days are about togetherness and heartfelt gratitude for all that our Heavenly Father blesses us with: spirituality, health, love, and compassion.

Webster, Massachusetts: The fall harvest feast, which we call harvest moon feast, is something our Eastern tribes have done since the beginning of time. Getting together and giving thanks for the harvest, family, and friends is certainly something all should enjoy. The Thanksgiving narrative, however, is problematic on many fronts and can be justifiably referred to as a day of mourning.

Pine Ridge, South Dakota: We celebrate having a family feast. It's never mentioned during or after about Pilgrims or any kind of history. It's a time for food, football, and pumpkin pie. We never think, "Should we?" We just do. It's all part of the holidays and Christmas right around the corner.

Gulfport, Mississippi: If you look at the true reason for Thanksgiving, it was the Natives' having their harvest ceremony and then sharing with the Pilgrims. So for us to say it's a racist holiday is wrong. Most of the Natives who say that don't even practice any type of greencorn celebration. The Pilgrims were having a feast, so there were traditional European foods there. That is, till the Natives pitied them and brought the foods only found on this continent that we all now associate with Thanksgiving. We can celebrate the Native side of it, or the part that we gave hospitality to a people who didn't appreciate it. Either way, it's ours, not theirs.

Auburn, Washington: "Thanksgiving" was derived from Indigenous ceremony. That's where settlers got the idea from-seeing Native tribes of the eastern woodlands celebrating the Green Corn Ceremony where we gave thanks to Creator for all the many blessings. Why should we give up what is ours because someone else tries to paint a different image on it. We just keep the meaning as it originally was and journey on.

Fort Washakie, Wyoming: Well ,here in Newee Sosoree Sogope (the Shoshone people's territory Warm Valley, Wyoming) we celebrate Thanks Giving like many people, giving thanks for the good and even the bad that we have been given by the Creator. We have a feast for the people and feed all who show up. Then we may have a traditional dance in the evening. One of our elders will pray for the food and our people. It's more about the sharing and bringing together of the people, family, and relatives near and far. For my family, if we are not traveling to the in-laws in Arizona, we spend time with who is around, my brother or sister, and have dinner and eat together and share and spend time with each other as a family. We don't really celebrate the Pilgrims' and Natives' gathering of history. But we would welcome any Pilgrims, non-Natives, undocumented aliens, etc., to the table to share and eat. We pray and give thanks for all that we have received, and watch football and basketball or do something outside, weather permitting. We try to spend some time with each other's relatives, friends, and visitors. We pray and be thankful for all the Creator has provided.

Chicago, Illinois: Absolutely not. The original thanksgiving holidays were celebratory feasts after eradicating or relocating tribes from the East Coast. I do not celebrate genocide with a feast. It has nothing to do with a harvest festival.

Wellington, Kansas: Thanksgiving was a blending of two different cultures, one culture helping another to survive. The historical knowledge we have now of what was actually taking place may not be the same as what was being experienced in those days. Our assessment now may not be fair because of all that the Native people have endured.

Exeter, California: Being the only Native American classroom teacher at a public school, raised mostly in an urban setting steeped heavy in traditional American holidays, and around many other native people on weekends while traveling to dance, this has always been a challenging question for me that I cannot claim to know the answer for. I see many other teachers I work with who are not native struggle with knowing how to address the issue comfortably. I have to say, I have fear that if we avoid the issue altogether, Native people will be forgotten about. I have seen some teachers decide to stop teaching about Native Americans for fear of offending. I personally get sad when I see that happen. I know Thanksgiving is a controversial subject, and there are so many viewpoints. I share the modern theme of Thanksgiving, which I think has good intentions-family and community. I have also chosen to teach about Native American culture, even more heavily in November because of Thanksgiving, even though it is no longer a part of the curriculum. I have found ways to integrate it while teaching something that I think is important. I do an assembly for the students in which we dance, and I emphasize how it is not possible to teach everything there is to know about Native Americans in just one assembly. I emphasize the diversity among native people.

Sevierville, Tennessee: Regardless of all the political views of Thanksgiving, we can all find something to be thankful for!

San Antonio, Texas: Except for the last four years, the twenty years before that I spent 95 percent of my Thanksgivings at the table of my brother-in-law. Our gatherings were about giving thanks for what we had. As for Native American history being left out of teaching, it is an outrage. Educate our fellow educators on how to teach it. It would be a great way to help others teach courses and show how to respect the culture.

Edmonton, Alberta: We have family members with addiction issues. The kids get to eat, which my mom loves. And we are thankful not only to survive colonization, but also grateful to feed family.

Norman, Oklahoma: We celebrate and give thanks for our loved ones' being able to be together again. But when my daughter was young and the realization hit, as it does all young American Indians, she said to me , "Do you think we should have helped them?" There will be extra prayers for Standing Rock at our table.

Hydro, Oklahoma: Could we just start over and go forward? We can't change the past, but we can work for peace and unity in the future. History needs to be taught correctly in our schools-that is what needs to happen. My daughter had to write a paper about Big Tree, Satank, and Satanta. She interviewed Satanta's great-grandson, who was in his 90s, and told the story as he told it to her, including their transport from Fort Sill and how the feather was turned into a knife as they passed the giant tree, causing the soldiers to shoot and kill Satank. She got an AAA+ from her teacher.

Ecuador via Bozeman, Montana: It's important to share the whole, true story of the first Thanksgiving. Many of us were told a fairytale lie that led us to believe the same old story: Colonization was good for everyone and colonization was relatively peaceful (the violence was necessary, the ends justify the means). Now, a lot of us are learning more, and that comes from educating ourselves with the help from those who do know. I will say this, the generic idea of thanksgiving, or taking the time to be with family and friends and give thanks for all the blessings in our lives, the big and small, is a great practice and should happen more often. I wonder how we can turn a negative into a positive? Can we have an honest Thanksgiving? Can we move forward and, if so, where do we begin?

Santa Fe, New Mexico: My family and I celebrate Thanksgiving, not so much in the way that the Pilgrims may have done with the Indians. We give pause, and acknowledge all of the blessings that we received in the past year. We think of family and friends; of the homeless; of those away from family in hospitals, elders in nursing homes, those incarcerated, the soldier men and women overseas, around the world, standing watch and guarding our freedom. We think of those in mourning, whose family have gone ahead of them. We also think of those in school, no matter what age. And, finally, we pray for traveling mercies said for folks traveling home. We are thankful each day for Creator's gifts, but on Thanksgiving it seems we focus and are concentrated in our thoughts about these blessings.

Fairfax, Oklahoma: Our folks and ancestors left a good road to follow and prayed for gifts or successes for us that they may not have achieved. We have opportunities even more than them in these days and days to come. Long time ago we sat down in thanksgiving and had a great day. That's what Thanksgiving is to me, to enjoy and continue to achieve for yourself and them. They are smiling when we achieve. Aho.

Lawton, Oklahoma, with gentle humor: Do we have to feed the Pilgrims? Again?

Aylett, Virginia: It is good to celebrate the concept of gratitude and thankfulness. When the holiday story is based on a lie that covers up the national moral atrocity of genocide, the statement about the people who celebrate is not good. Shining light on the truth will always bring about healing.

Montville, Connecticut: Thanksgiving was celebrated for murder and slavery rather than friendship and harvest.

Greenbelt, Maryland: I don't necessarily look at the holiday as Pilgrims-meet-Indians-and-chow-down. I celebrate it as the time the cycle of alcoholism was broken in our family, and we have a feast to celebrate that.

Norman, Oklahoma: It's pretty much a family reunion for me, and there is eating, visiting, being thankful, and having a good time. Because of that, there is no reason to worry about the history. Similar to the idea that our dances fall on the 4th of July and instead of celebrating independence, it is more like a homecoming to our Kiowa people.

California: When I went to school there was two Indians in our class me and a Hopi girl neither one of us had to endure any of this because her mother and my mother both raised hell with the principal no fake headbands or feathers for us.

Pala, California: When my kids were in pre-school is when I decided I needed to represent our people at this time of year more than any other. I would be damned if my kids were gonna wear paper bags like the other students. I wasn't having that. I learned to get the story across at their age level and show them the beauty and generosity of our people. I remember growing up and my mom getting upset with me because on Thanksgiving day I would come to the dinner table in my PJs and hair unbrushed, knowing the day was not a celebration. But now that I'm a mother of three and a grandmother of one, I understand that as Native people we give thanks to the Creator every day. On Thanksgiving Day I'm just grateful our people are still here and still stand strong.

Salt Lake City, Utah: Thanksgiving, to me, is to be grateful for all the good blessings that came my way. Good health. Gift of family. Regardless of history, there are still many Natives in the land, and that shows how resilient we are. To honor those who went before us, let us share our culture and stories, teach the youth to learn from the past and to make our lives so our ancestors are proud of us. Example is a great educator.

Alberta, Canada: It is an opportunity for those who do take note. . . . There will be those who roll their eyes, and others who may gain deeper appreciation, to honor (maybe even emulate) a more giving nature, . . . that of their Creator.

Crow Agency, Montana: My Dad used to say, "We give thanks everyday, so if they want to give us a holiday to give thanks, I'll take it."

I was infuriated when my daughter's school had a mock feast complete with paper mache headdresses and Pilgrim hats!

When they did that to my kids in elementary, I TORE those items up and signed my kids out of school for that day.

For Thanksgiving I was the Indian. Umm Go figure. . . .

Someone took a picture of me in front of the class, and to this day . . . it bothers me.

Tonight I have to lead a children's Bible class, and they want me to theme it around Thanksgiving. I will, but it's not going to be about the happy Pilgrims and all that stuff. Thankfulness to God is one thing, but elevating Pilgrims to hero status is out of the question.

When my daughter Victoria was in grade school, she had a teacher give them the assignment to write a report on Thanksgiving dinner, and Victoria wrote hers on why our family doesn't celebrate Thanksgiving. Victoria got an F on the paper, and I threatened to go to the school board if the principal didn't get it changed. Victoria got an A, and the class got a lesson on Native American heritage.

Ignorance and not near enough education in the school systems! It is very sad that a majority of what is taught is very superficial and the dark aspects of our history are neatly tucked away. Very sad!

Considered a day of mourning in our house.

For skins [American Indians], Thanksgiving should be the Last Supper.

To read more on Thanksgiving, see Everyone's history matters. The Wampanoag Indian Thanksgiving story deserves to be known on this site and the essay The Invention of Thanksgiving, by historian and National Museum of the American Indian trustee Philip Deloria (Standing Rock Sioux Tribe), in The New Yorker.

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Do American Indians Celebrate Thanksgiving?

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How do Native Americans make peace with a national holiday that romanticizes the 1621 encounter between their ancestors and English settlers, and erases the deadly conflicts that followed?

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"The non-Native concept of "spirit animals" has seen a recent rise in popularity, in and out of the classroom. Finding animals they connect with can be fun activity for many students. However, using the concept of a "spirit animal" while teaching Native American culture trivializes Native relationships to the animal world."

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Indigenous peoples' relationships with animals are the result of tens of thousands of years of connections to their environments. The non-Native concept of "spirit animals" has seen a recent rise in popularity, in and out of the classroom. Finding animals they connect with can be a fun activity for many students. However, using the concept of a "spirit animal" while teaching Native American culture trivializes Native relationships to the animal world.

In Native American traditions, animals are sometimes used to communicate the values and spiritual beliefs of Native communities. Animals' importance is also evident in the creation stories of many tribes. Animal imagery is often used to share family, clan, and personal stories. We ask that you do not copy such imagery from totem poles, pictographs, etc.

Clan and kinship systems within many American Indian tribal communities reflect relationships to animals. Each animal carries history and meaning. Clan and kinship systems are specific to each tribal community and may vary widely from one another. We ask that you do not adopt clans into your classroom.

The story of American Indians in the Western Hemisphere is intricately intertwined with places and environments. Indigenous Peoples strive to be respectful of their environments. Many believe in thoughtfully honoring the lives of animals by only taking what is needed. To respect Native Americans and animal life, we suggest that your classrooms work to support your local environments through advocating for animals and their natural habitats.

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Native Knowledge 360°-Native American Relationships to Animals: Not Your Spirit Animal

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NK360° Helpful Handouts: Guidance on Common Questions provide a brief introduction to teachers about important topics regarding Native American life, cultures, and communities. Native American Relationships to Animals: Not Your Spirit Animal explores some Native cultural practices connected to animal life and kinship. #NK360

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Children's Books from the National Museum of American Indians

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Children's Books from the National Museum of American Indians

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The counting rope is a metaphor for the passage of time and for a boy's emerging confidence facing his greatest challenges: blindness and the approaching death of his beloved grandfather.

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The counting rope is a metaphor for the passage of time and for a boy's emerging confidence facing his greatest challenges: blindness and the approaching death of his beloved grandfather.

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Knots on a Counting Rope read by Bonnie Bartlett & William Daniels

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The counting rope is a metaphor for the passage of time and for a boy's emerging confidence facing his greatest challenges: blindness and the approaching death of his beloved grandfather.

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Check out American Indian Art from the National Gallery of Art

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Check out American Indian Art from the National Gallery of Art

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Listen to: Frogs in Love: A Kumeyaay Story and Song

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Listen to: Frogs in Love: A Kumeyaay Story and Song

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Many ancient cultures tell tales of why the sun shines during the day and the moon at night. In some stories the sun and the moon are siblings, in others they are lovers. According to a traditional narrative from the Kumeyaay, a Native community in Southern California and Baja California, they were nearly spouses before taking advice from two frogs.

Kumeyaay educator Stan Rodriguez shared this story-or a shortened "Kmart Bluelight Special" version of it, he said-during a Folklife Festival session on preserving language through music. He sang the accompanying song as an example of vocal repetition, a key element to teaching language to children.

A long time ago, the Sun and the Moon were going to get married. All the animals were going to the top of Kuuchamaa Mountain. There were these two frogs that were in love, and they waited for all the other animals to get out of sight. Then they came together and did what... people in love do.

After they were done, they were getting ready, and the woman, the female frog, she said her stomach was getting bigger and bigger and bigger. She didn't know what to do, so she jumped into the water, and then she had all these pollywogs!

They said, "Oh no! Look what happened when we fell in love. We need to warn the Sun and the Moon."

So they hopped up to the top of the mountain, and they told the Sun and the Moon, "You cannot get married!"

The Sun and Moon said, "Why not?"

They said, "Sun, you are sacred. Moon, you are sacred. There is only one of you. But if you two come together, look what happened when we did it!" And they saw all those baby frogs swimming around in the pond.

They said, "Okay, you are right. If the sky is filled with Suns and Moons, it will be off balance."

So the Sun and Moon, they decided that when the Sun is awake, the Moon will be asleep, and when the Moon wakes up, the Sun will go to sleep. And that's why things are the way they are today. Except during the eclipses!
Does your culture have a sun and moon story? Elisa Hough is the editor for the Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage. Audio recording by the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives documentation team.
The 2016 Sounds of California Smithsonian Folklife Festival program was co-produced with the Alliance for California Traditional Arts, Radio Bilingüe, the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center, and the Smithsonian Latino Center.

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Frogs in Love: A Kumeyaay Story and Song

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Many ancient cultures tell tales of why the sun shines during the day and the moon at night. In some stories the sun and the moon are siblings, in others they are lovers. According to a traditional narrative from the Kumeyaay, a Native community in Southern California and Baja California, they were nearly spouses before taking advice from two frogs.

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Many of these performances feature traditional music and dancing while others feature contemporary music by Native American artists.

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Performance Videos | Smithsonian Institution

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Many of these performances feature traditional music and dancing while others feature contemporary music by Native American artists. ... Learn more

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Learn about the first people Christopher Columbus encountered

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Try building your own suspension bridge at home!

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Try building your own suspension bridge at home!

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After reading about Inka engineering, read the directions about trying these building concepts yourself.

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The National Congress of American Indians, founded in 1944, is the oldest, largest and most representative American Indian and Alaska Native organization serving the broad interests of tribal governments and communities.

More About NCAI

The NCAI PRC supports Indian Country in shaping its own future as the leading center for tribally driven policy research.

The Tribal Supreme Court Project-a collaboration between NCAI and the Native American Rights Fund- monitors litigation in which Native people have a significant stake and coordinates strategy among a network of over 250 tribal leaders, attorneys, and law professors.

Established in 2009, the Partnership for Tribal Governance creates, coordinates, and makes accessible the knowledge, tools, and resources that tribal nations and leaders need in order to strengthen their governance systems and more effectively exercise their sovereignty.

President Obama declared his commitment to fulfilling the consultation requirements of Executive Order 13175, NCAI supports tribes in this process with resources.

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About the 501(c)(3) NCAI Fund: The National Congress of American Indians Fund (NCAI Fund) is the 501(c)(3) nonprofit public-education arm of the National Congress of American Indians, the Nation's oldest and largest organization made up of American Indian and Alaska Native tribal governments and their citizens. The NCAI Fund's mission is to educate the general public, and tribal, federal, and state government officials about tribal self-government, treaty rights, and policy issues affecting Indian tribes, including the interpretation of Indian statutes. Donations to the NCAI Fund are tax deductible as charitable contributions.

About the NCAI 501(c)(4): The National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit social welfare organization, and the oldest and largest organization made up of American Indian and Alaska Native tribal governments and their citizens to advocate on their behalf. NCAI's mission is to advocate for the protection of treaty rights, inherent rights, and other rights guaranteed to tribes through agreements with the United States and under federal law; to promote the common welfare of American Indians and Alaska Natives; and to promote a better understanding of Indian peoples. Donations to NCAI are not tax deductible as charitable contributions for Federal income tax purposes.

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Tribal Nations and the United States: An Introduction
Developed by NCAI, this guide seeks to provide a basic overview of the history and underlying principles of tribal governance.
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The National Congress of American Indians, founded in 1944, is the oldest, largest and most representative American Indian and Alaska Native organization serving the broad interests of tribal governments and communities. More About NCAI The NCAI PRC supports Indian Country in shaping its own future as the leading center for tribally driven policy research.

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Paying tribute to the rich ancestry and traditions of Native Americans.

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Home Page | National Museum of the American Indian

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The NMAI fosters a richer shared human experience through a more informed understanding of Native peoples.