Yankton Sioux (Nakota) writer and activist Gertrude Simmons Bonnin was born in 1876 and grew up on the Yankton Agency in South Dakota. Her mother was Reaches for the Wind (Tate I Yohin Win, also known as Ellen). Her father abandoned his wife and Ellen married John Haysting Simmons. Gertrude Simmons grew up on the … Continued
The Flathead Indian Reservation in Western Montana was created in 1855 as a result of the Hell Gate Treaty Council with the Salish-speaking Pend d’Oreilles, the Salish-speaking Flathead (also known as the Bitterroot Salish), and the Kootenai. While Washington Territory Governor Isaac Stevens considered these tribes to be unimportant, the American government wanted to consolidate … Continued
The Discovery Historic Loop Trail in Vancouver, Washington, runs from historic Fort Vancouver National Historic Site across the Vancouver Land Bridge designed by architect Johnpaul Jones, in collaboration with artist Maya Lin, to the Old Apple Tree Park. Along the Vancouver Land Bridge there are several areas acknowledging the American Indian languages of the area. … Continued
During the first two decades of the twentieth century, several American Indian writers published books about American Indians. Briefly described below are some of these authors and their books. Charles A. Eastman One of the most prolific writers during this period was Dr. Charles A. Eastman (1858-1939) who was born on the Santee Dakota Reservation … Continued
In 1855, the Coast Reservation was established by executive order of President Franklin Pierce. The new reservation ran approximately 102 miles north and south along the Central Oregon coast. The establishment of this reservation set in motion the relocation of several different American Indian groups in Southern Oregon and Northern California. The new reservation was … Continued
The Franklin County Historical Society and Museum in Pasco, Washington, has a display relating to the Indians in the Franklin County area. This map shows the relationship of Franklin County with the Indian Nations of Washington. Shown above is a depiction of a Wanapan village. The lodges are made using tule mats—woven from dried reeds … Continued
Throughout the United States, private collectors for the past couple of centuries have been collecting “arrowheads” (many of these stone artifacts are not in fact arrowheads) and using them to make visually interesting displays. Such displays were part of Cabinets of Curiosities. In an article in The Indian Historian, Joan Lester writes: “They were chance … Continued
When the European explorers, soldiers, missionaries, and colonists arrived in the Americas, they viewed the world through the lens of Christianity. Encountering peoples who were not mentioned in the Bible, there were great debates about who these people were and, if they were truly human, how they travelled from the mythical Garden of Eden, which … Continued
The Maryhill Museum located near Goldendale, Washington, has a display of Plateau flat bags. 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 … Continued
During the first part of the seventeenth century, conflicts and potential conflicts between American Indians and the invading Europeans increased. Enamored with the idea of gaining personal wealth through the exploitation of Indian lands, four European countries—France, England, Netherlands, and Spain—established permanent colonies in the Americas. Archaeologist Jerald Milanich, in his book Laboring in the … Continued
