The Indian nations living west of the Rocky Mountains in what would become northwestern Montana, started to become a part of the European economic system in the first part of the nineteenth century through the fur trade. From 1800 to about 1835, beaver was of primary importance, driven in large part by European fashion. By … Continued
What would the population of indigenous people be now, approximately three generations after the forced sterilizations? The Forced Sterilizations of indigenous women were covert means of the continuation of extermination policy against Indian Nations. At least three indigenous generations from 3,406 women are not in existence now as the result. The sterilizations were not unintentional … Continued
As a Christian nation, the United States has never been comfortable with the idea that American Indians might have their own non-Christian religions or that Indian spiritual leaders could provide role-models for other Indians. Under the European notion of the Discovery Doctrine, the United States felt that it had a legal right to rule over … Continued
“Does the word land refer to only the area of North America”? Have you ever heard of Diana Ortiz? She was tortured in Guatemala for educating Mayan children at one of those CIA black sites T*ump wants reopened. Have you heard “The federal government has repeatedly acknowledged and even lamented its failure to provide adequate … Continued
Washington’s Sacajawea State Park is located at the confluence of the Snake and Columbia Rivers. In explaining the cultural and historical significance of this place, many historic photographs of Indians are on display in the park and in the Sacajawea Museum which is located in the park. The Museum is shown above. According to one … Continued
By 1617, four European nations—Spain, France, England, and the Netherlands—were staking their claims in North America through exploration and colonization. Archaeologist Jerald Milanich, in his book The Timucua, describes the reasons for the European expansion into North America: “The driving force behind these initiatives was a desire for wealth: precious stones or metals, fertile lands … Continued
Since the very beginning of the European invasion of North America, Europeans have been guided by an arrogant worldview in which they considered themselves superior to all other peoples and they therefore had the right, given to them by their god, to impose their way of life on other people. In the nineteenth century, this … Continued
One of the displays in the San Bernardino County Museum in Redlands, California, is entitled Sacred Earth and subtitled Understanding our past and honoring cultures that thrive today. One section of this display looks at some of the technological changes from 8,000 years ago until 3,000 years ago and from 3,000 years ago until 1,000 … Continued
Under the Constitution, Indian tribes are considered to be nations and thus all dealings with the tribes were to be conducted by the federal government, not the states. Administratively, the relationships between the United States and the various Indian nations should have been a foreign policy matter. However, from the very beginning Indian affairs were … Continued
By 1719, many Indian nations had had direct or indirect contact with the European invaders from Britain, France, Spain and the Netherlands. Direct contact had initially come through the European explorers, traders, and missionaries. European manufactured trade goods and horses could be found among tribes who had had no direct contact with the Europeans. Along … Continued
