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Forced Christianity 150 Years Ago, 1869

In 1869, the Peace Policy of President Grant forcibly mixed religion and the federal government’s policies regarding Indian reservations. Disregarding any possible religious views of Indians, services to Indian reservations were given to Christian missionary groups. These services included schools, health care, and the distribu­tion of rations. As a result, young Indians were required to … Continued

Forced Christianity

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Disease and Indians in the 16th Century

The European conquest of North America was made possible by the epidemic diseases the first explorers, missionaries and traders brought with them. During the sixteenth century the Indian death toll from European diseases was in the millions. There were an estimated 18 million Native Americans living north of Mexico at the beginning of the sixteenth … Continued

American Indians and European Diseases

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The Indian Shaker Church

In 1881, the Squaxin of the Puget Sound area in Washington would have described John Slocum has having a bit of an inclination toward alcohol and a well-known fondness for gambling. One day he became ill and died. Upon dying, he went to heaven where he was met by angels who told him that because … Continued

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Before the Inkas (Photo Diary)

In major museums, only a small fraction of the artifacts held by the museum are on display and interpreted for the public. Most of the museum’s artifacts are in vaults where they are available only to researchers. The Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History maintains a Visible Vault in which visitors can view hundreds … Continued

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American Indian Art 100 Years Ago (1918)

The concept of a discrete category called American Indian Art is a western concept which was refined during the twentieth century. Traditionally, American Indians had improved the aesthetics of the things they made, but they did not conceptualize art as something separate from function. In his book Native Arts of North America, Christian Feest writes: … Continued

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The Grand Ronde Reservation

The Grand Ronde Reservation was established in the Willamette Valley in Oregon by executive order in 1857. The year before, in 1856, the final battle of the Rogue River Wars in southern Oregon had been fought and the newly created reservation was to be used for the Indian peoples who were to be removed from … Continued

the Rogue River

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Three Centuries Ago (1718)

At the beginning of the eighteenth century, Indian nations were interacting with many European nations which had invaded the Americas and had claimed for themselves Indian land. These European nations included England, France, Spain, Holland, and Sweden. The century was characterized by European exploration to establish their ownership claims and to search for riches, the … Continued

Native American-European fur trade exchange

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Plateau Indians as Cowboys (Photo Diary)

The Plateau Culture Area is the area between the Cascade Mountains and the Rocky Mountains in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, British Columbia, and Western Montana. From north to south it runs from the Fraser River in the north to the Blue Mountains in the south. Much of the area is classified as semi-arid. Part of it … Continued

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The Northern Pacific Railroad and the Sioux

Almost since the foundation of the United States, the westward expansion of the country was guided by Manifest Destiny, the idea that it was the country’s destiny to span the continent from the Atlantic to the Pacific. By the middle of the nineteenth century, it was clearly evident that the way of westward expansion would … Continued

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Indian Territory: All Tribes Experienced Their Trail of Tears

https://www.google.com/search?q=oklahoma+state+centennial&safe=strict&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj9m5PGj4HSAhUO_WMKHbKDBCYQ_AUICSgC&biw=1600&bih=721#safe=strict&tbm=isch&q=indian+territory&imgrc=Dn4VdnZsaJkE_M: Regardless of the Dominant Culture’s Genocide Denial — “Claim that current peace and reconciliation are more important than blaming past perpetrators for genocide”- all tribes experienced a Trail of Tears due to forced relocations, though some were more or less severe. Oscar Hammerstein – Oklahoma Lyrics “Brand new state, Brand new state, gonna treat … Continued