Native American Articles

In the late 1800s, Ponca, Omaha, and Osage, as well as straight dancers from other Southern Plains tribes, could be seen in old photos, (see examples below) carrying a feather fan made from the complete tail of a gold... Read more »

For a number of generations, it was common for Northern traditional men to wear white Angora goat anklets with long hair below their ankle bells. In the 1950’s they sometimes made these anklets from yarn. Recently oth... Read more »

St. Kateri Tekakwitha, known as the Lily of the Mohawks, holds a special place in the hearts of the faithful as the first Native American saint. Her life is a testament to unwavering faith, resilience, and devotion to... Read more »

Porcupine quills were used by Native people of the Great Lakes area as decorating materials long before the introduction of seed beads by the European traders. This seemed to be true where ever this animal was found i... Read more »

When someone says “traditional Thanksgiving foods,” what comes to mind? Probably turkey, mashed potatoes with gravy, stuffing, cranberry sauce, green bean casserole, mac and cheese, sweet potatoes, and of course p... Read more »

To any Native American who travels a great deal and attends and participates in a large number of cultural events, it would appear that everybody has an “Indian Princess” in the family. Usually, this person is a “C... Read more »

Long before White Contact to the “New World” the Native Americans had many kinds of celebrations for the four seasons.  One of the most celebrated for the Eastern Woodland Culture was that of Harvest Time.&nb... Read more »

  In the minds of many Americans, when asked the question, "When was the United States first settled?” invariably the response will be, "In 1620 when the Pilgrims landed." This so-called "origin myth" has f... Read more »

We have looked back over the years we have been doing this and can offer a few techniques and planning ideas. The use of small metal cones as a decorative piece goes back to the early trade period when metal items... Read more »

Before the term “powwow” became popular, various words were used to describe this cultural phenomenon.  Some of these included: Celebration, Doing, Fair, Feast, Festival Gathering, Happening, Indian Dance, Rode... Read more »

Why Study a Native American Language? For Native American people, tribal languages are important for keeping a strong sense of self-worth, community, identity, and for keeping their culture strong. For Native America... Read more »

The languages among the Native American tribes are many. Some are very similar to each other and some are very different. Together, the native languages of the Americas are among the most numerous and varied in the wo... Read more »