We don’t know for sure how many distinct Indian languages were spoken in North America at the beginning of the European invasion. The estimates range from as few as 350 to as many as 750. American Indian language extinction over the past five centuries has been fairly rapid. While it is common to speak of … Continued
The Yuma-speaking tribes live in the desert and semi-desert area along the Colorado and Gila Rivers in what is now Arizona, California, Sonora, and Baja California Norte. This is an area that is nearly all desert or semi-desert, but the annual flooding along the Colorado River and along the Gila River made agriculture possible. Thus, … Continued
The concept of a generation is often seen as a period of twenty years. With this in mind, let’s look back at some of the events which were impacting American Indians in 1991. Repatriation: In 1990, the United States government, in its infinite wisdom, passed the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAPGRA) … Continued
I’ve been searching a very long time for the identity of a remarkable female that lived during the “years of relocation” (your pardon, I’m trying for unoffensive terminology). The only description or clue I have for her identity is “…the nude girl with the laughing yellow hair.” -She wasn’t nude exactly, she was wearing a … Continued
Mississippian is a cultural complex whose hearth appears to be in the American Bottom area near the Mississippi River in Illinois. The most spectacular characteristic of Mississippian material culture was the construction of earthen pyramids. The pyramids, usually called mounds, have a flat top which provided a space for a ceremonial building or a chiefly … Continued
The independent documentary “The Voice of the Mapuche”, about the vision of the world and the struggle of the Mapuche people on both sides of the Andes Mountains, is participating in the Green Unplugged Festival and can be watched on-line at the following link: http://www.cultureunplugged.co… Please continue participating and resending to your friends and contacts. … Continued
The debate over marriage in American society and the fears expressed by some conservatives that allowing diversity will somehow destroy the institution of marriage has been interesting (at some times amusing) to watch. While there appear to be some who feel that there is only one kind of marriage, in reality there are many options … Continued
Once again an American Indian writer’s work is among the top ten most “challenged” (i.e. banned) books in the United States. Sherman Alexie’s The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is ranked as number 2. According to the news report: Published in 2007, the book remained relatively under the censorship radar until 2010, debuting … Continued
When the Dutch first travelled up New York’s Hudson River to establish trading posts with the Indians they encountered one of the largest and most powerful Indian confederations in North America: the League of Five Nations, also known as the Iroquois Confederacy. The Iroquois were an agricultural people who lived in permanent villages. They used … Continued
Fifty years after Eisenhower’s famous warning to beware the growing power of the military-industrial complex, speaker after speaker at a public hearing in Santa Fe, NM, suggested that Cannon Air Force Base has committed acts of war against rural tribes and counties in New Mexico and should be shut down. At issue was Cannon’s plan … Continued
