While the Plains Indian feathered headdress has become the stereotypical image of American Indian headgear, there is little awareness of the headgear worn by Indian women. In the far west—in the Northwest Coast, Plateau, and California culture areas—Indian women wore basketry caps. The Maryhill Museum of Art near Goldendale, Washington, has a collection of California … Continued
The Aleutian Islands are a chain which extend into the Pacific Ocean from the tip of the Alaska Peninsula. This is an area which is cold and damp, with few trees. In spite of this seemingly inhospitable environment, people have been living on the islands for at least 9,000 years. The Native people who inhabit … Continued
It is your honor, Mr. President I have a short story. In my late twenties, I worked a few summers at a now-defunct hardware chain on the east coast. I was married with two children wanting to finish an advanced degree and stuck in a dead-end job. The son of one of the company executives … Continued
Not only are rivers, towns and tanks named after those who committed crimes against humanity against American Indians, they are honored. We’ll see. But hate crimes against Native Americans often don’t often make headlines, which they say is part of a pattern of discrimination and violence dating back generations. They worry they may also see … Continued
During the nineteenth century there were many conflicts between Indian nations and the Americans (settlers, militia, miners, military) which are called “wars” by historians and others even though most were not formal wars from a military perspective. In general, the United States laid the foundation for these “wars” or conflicts in a number of ways, … Continued
Today, the Columbia River marks the boundary between Oregon and Washington. The river was named for the ship Columbia Rediviva whose captain, John Gray, sailed into the area in 1792. Gray was the first of many Euroamerican fur traders who would invade the area over the next half century. American Indians had lived along the … Continued
Sealth was born about 1786. His father, Schweabe, was Suquamish and his mother, Scholitza, was Duwamish. As a young boy in 1792, he witnessed the arrival of the first Europeans: British Captain George Vancouver entered Puget Sound and traded with the Suquamish. Among the Salish-speaking tribes of the Northwest Coast, children often seek spiritual helpers … Continued
The Northwest Coast culture is located geographically along the Pacific Coast north of California and between the Cascade Mountains and the ocean. This area is the home to many Indian nations who traditionally based their economy on the use of sea coast and river ecological resources. The Haida are located in the northern portion of … Continued
Among the tribes of the western portion of the Northeastern Woodlands, tobacco was an important ceremonial and trade plant. Tobacco smoking is a symbolic way of enhancing the communication between individuals, between groups, and between the people and the supernatural. Tobacco smoke rose from the pipe for the use and comfort of the spirits. All … Continued
Nez Perce captives in 1877. On June 16, 1873, President Ulysses S. Grant issued an executive order barring white settlers from claiming title to northeast Oregon’s Wallowa Valley. This was the traditional turf of one band of the Nez Perce (Nimi’ipuu) tribe. The executive order was needed because Nez Perce bands who didn’t live in … Continued
