Spring and summer are just around the corner, which means it's almost time to break out the sunblock. Did you know that Native tribes of the Northeast used sunflower oil for protection against harmful UV rays?

In the Southwest, American Indians used a mixture of western wallflower and water. Others fought burns with the sap of the aloe plant. Today, aloe is grown commercially to produce aloe vera.

Both the Mayans and the Aztecs found ways to extract resin from the Central American sapodilla tree, subsequently cooking and drying it to create a chewable latex. They used it for the same things we do today: alleviating hunger, thirst and of course bad breath.

When Native hunters throughout the Americas stalked game, they dressed with style and purpose—wearing the hides of animals they sought.

Some were especially creative: hunters in California and the Great Basin built blinds in which they could hide when tracked birds. These techniques were integral to both hunting and warfare