Native+American+History

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 __**Native American History**__ ====== The First Inhabitants of North America American Indians, the Native Americans, are indigenous to what is now the United States. The most prominent theory of their origin asserts that their ancestors crossed a land bridge across the Bering Strait from Siberia into North America as early as 40,000=10,000 B.C. When the first Europeans first came to the Americas, as many as 18 million Native Americans were living in North America. Anthropologists have attempted to group the Indian nations who resided in what is now the United States. The groupings include the following areas: Eastern Woodland, Great Lakes Woodland, Southeastern, North Central Plains, South Central Plains, Southwest, California, Northwestern Plateau, and Northwest Pacific Coast. Native Americans share many values and characteristics, including spirituality with a deep respect for the land, and living things. In early days Native Americans did not recognize ownership of land. They believed that the land could be used as long as you respect it, but people did not own the land.

Contributions to Civilization Native Americans have made important contributions to the U.S. and world cultures. Their contributions to agriculture, architecture, irrigation, and government are outstanding. As early as 10,000 BC the Native Americans had domesticated corn. In addition to corn, some of the more common foods developed by the Indians of North and South America are potatoes, peppers, tomatoes, peanuts, squash, maple sugar, and beans. Indians in the Southwest developed an elaborate irrigation system. Their concept of representative government, which was practiced by the Iroquois confederacy of Five Nations (Mohawks, Oneidas, Onondagas, Cayugas, Senecas, and later the Tuscaroras) had great influence on the establishment.

Movement West As Europeans settled to eastern portions of the United States, those people indigenous to the East were pushed westward. Indian tribes were placed on reservations with most of the reservations in the Midwestern and western parts of the United States. The treatment of the Native American is characterized by broken treaties, genocide, and persecution – an oppressive chapter of American history.

Resources: Parents as Partners in Education. 7th Edition. Eugenua Hepworth Berger. 2008. [] [] [] []

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