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American Indians 350 Years Ago, 1669

In 1669, the impact of the European invasion was being felt by Indian nations throughout North America. The European explorers were attempting to discover what they viewed as a wilderness, following Indian trails with Indian guides, and ignoring any possibility of Indian claims to the land. European missionaries sought to convert Indians to Christianity, ignoring … Continued

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Mni Wiconi, Water is Life: wisdom from LaDonna Brave Bull Allard

LaDonna Brave Bull Allard: A Rebel with a Cause LaDonna Brave Bull Allard established the Sacred Stone camp on her own property near the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation in order to oppose the Dakota Access Pipeline. On May 24, I had the privilege of hearing her speak when she was recognized by Conservation Colorado as … Continued

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Pat Courtney Gold’s Baskets (Photo Diary)

Basketry is probably the oldest art form, although the archaeological record is devoid of the earliest basketry. In his 1904 book American Indian Basketry, Otis Mason writes: “In ultimate structure, basketry is free-hand mosaic or, in the finest materials, like pen-drawings or beadwork, the surface being composed of any number of small parts—technically decussations, stitches, … Continued

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Arctic Clothing and Adornment (Photo Diary)

The Artic Culture Area includes the Aleutian Islands, most of the Alaska Coast, the Canadian Artic, and parts of Greenland. It is an area which can be described as a “cold” desert. Geographer W. Gillies Ross, in his chapter in North American Exploration. Volume 3: A Continent Comprehended, writes: “The North American Arctic is usually … Continued

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The Cherokee in 1817

When the Europeans began their invasion of the Americas, the Cherokee were an agricultural people whose villages could be found throughout the American Southeast. By the first part of the nineteenth century, the Cherokees had had enough experience in dealing with the American government that they understood that they needed to have a unified government. … Continued