History
Federal Indian Policies in 1890
Throughout the first century of its existence, the United States had carried out policies intended to decimate the First Nations that had occupied the lands […]
History
The Ghost Dance After Wounded Knee
When describing the Wounded Knee massacre of 1890, many history books make two major errors: (1) they claim that this was the end of the […]
Bear Butte and the Struggle for Religious Freedom
Bear Butte in South Dakota is a sacred site which is used as a vision quest site for the Sioux, Arapaho and Cheyenne. The Sioux […]
Suppressing Dissent on the Crow Reservation
The Crow Reservation in Montana was first defined by the United States government at the Fort Laramie Treaty Council of 1851. Subsequently, the Indian Office […]
The Hopi and the Spanish
The Spanish entrada (entrance) into the American Southwest began during the sixteenth century with explorers who were driven by greed. The Spanish hunger for gold […]
President James Monroe and the Indians
In 1817, James Monroe became the fifth President of the United States. He was the last Revolutionary War veteran and founding father to assume the […]
Apache Prisoners of War
While the idea of “indefinite detention” of people determined to be “enemies” of the United States is currently being debated, for American Indians this is […]
Indian Words in English
English really isn’t a Native American language, but virtually all of today’s Indians speak this as their first and primary language. During the past several […]
Navajo Sandpaintings
Most Navajo ceremonies are focused on health: on healing someone who is ill or on maintaining health. Navajo ceremonies, often referred to as “sings” or […]
The Black HIlls, 1950 to 1985
Following World War II, the United States decided that it wanted to sever its relationships with American Indian tribes. In order to do this, it […]