Photo by Sami Aksu
From the tale of the murders of Osage tribal members to a story about the culture and the exploitation of Native Americans, the First Americans are finally getting their time under the sun.
While some might believe that the Puritans were the first people to ever set foot on the North American continent, that’s quite far from the truth. In fact, Native Americans, the indigenous peoples of the continent, had been living there for around 20,000 years before any Europeans sailed across the Atlantic and continue to do so (although in quite diminished numbers due to several unsavory factors).
The First Americans
Currently, there are nearly 600 Native American tribes that are recognized by the United States federal government, each with a unique culture, language, and traditions. Like any other cultural or ethnic group in the world, Native Americans possess a rich and dense cultural and anthropological history that spans thousands of years. While mention of their substantial role in American history has often been neglected, we are now seeing a resurgence and a newfound appreciation of their intimate ties with the country, from the recognition of their lands to the awareness of their modern plights. Their presence is also becoming more and more seen, most recently with Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon and Marvin Blake’s E. Pluribus Unum From Many, One, a story about the culture and the exploitation of Native Americans.
With their long ties to the land, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call Natives the First Americans.
How Natives Helped Shape the US
Owing to their primacy and their rich cultural backgrounds, the First Americans will find that there is no doubt that they have a proportionate hand in shaping the United States from its inception to now. In a lot of spheres, from language and cuisine to government, Native Americans can find their mark.
Agriculture
Native Americans were the first farmers in North America, and they developed many crops that are now staples of American agriculture, including corn, beans, and squash. When European settlers arrived, the First Americans taught them how to cultivate these crops and manage the land sustainably.
Cuisine
Many foods were introduced to the European diet by the Native Americans, including tomatoes, potatoes, and avocados. They also taught settlers how to prepare these foods in traditional ways. Today, Native American cuisine is an integral part of American culture, and many of the dishes we enjoy, such as succotash and frybread, have their roots in Native American traditions.
Language
Many English words come from Native American languages, such as “canoe,” “moccasin,” and “wigwam.” There are also well-founded claims that American Sign Language was heavily influenced by the sign languages already existing during and before the period of European contact.
During World War II, the Navajo tribe played a distinct role in fighting against the Japanese. Forming a group known as the Navajo Code Talkers, these First Americans used the relative complexity of their native language to create codes that the Japanese could not break.
Toponymy
A lot of places in the United States have Native American names, such as Mississippi, Michigan, and Potomac. These names reflect the deep connection that the First Americans have to the land.
Government
They say that it is the diversity of thought in the American political landscape that makes it robust and effective. That is all thanks to the Iroquois Confederacy, which the United States Constitution was partly influenced by. The Iroquois had a very democratic way of handling political affairs, which heavily relied on building consensus with one another instead of pushing through important decisions without deliberation. This novel method of governing proved very appealing to the Founding Fathers and their pursuit of establishing a new government for their new fledgling nation.
Culture
The rich and diverse culture of the Native Americans has had a profound impact on American culture as a whole. Native American art, music, and dance are all critical parts of American culture today, with the stories and myths of the First Americans shaping the popular American imagination.
