American Indians
American Indians is the term that applies to all Native Americans that once lived in North America. These were the men and women living on the continent long before white settlers from Europe arrived. They have a long and drawn out history, which only serves to make those settlers look bad. They were forced west and shuffled off of the land they owned for centuries. This term is sometimes known as indigenous people. This refers to anyone who was a native of an area.
The American Indians formed tribes based on their general location, though this sometimes led to confusion. There are many people who claim they have Cherokee ancestry when they actually have a different type of ancestry such as Blackfoot. This comes about because the two tribes lived in close proximity to each other, yet weren't the same tribe.
Resources on American Indians include:
- American Indians : gives photographs, resources and a history of these people.
- Virtual Library: provides resources to topics relating to Native Americans.
- Tribal Directory: lists different tribes and where they were located in the United States.
- Native Americans: offers legends and different types of historical information relating to Native Americans.
- American Indian History and Culture: gives a long history of these people and what happened to them.
These tribes survived by learning how to hunt, fish, and gather for food. They survived once the white man arrived by adapting and working with those people. They created beadwork and clothing made of fur, which they traded for other goods. They believed in using all parts of the animal because it led to harmony with nature. They used everything from the meat and fur to the bones and teeth.
The American Indians also believed in spirituality and that all people had a connection to nature. Their medicine often depended on this idea, with treatments taking the form of different herbal products. The real strength of these people really relied on their ability to adapt and work with changing conditions. When they needed to move, they did and when the animals died off, they hunted something else. It was the only way they could survive.
