Native American Tribal Nations Map

Native American Tribal Nations Map: Our Original Names and Locations



This fantastic resource is best described by the words of its creator:

THE CONCEPT OF THE TRIBAL NATIONS MAP

These maps present every documented, known Native American and First Nations tribes that were here in the United States and Canada in Pre-Contact times. All of the tribal nations documented here are in their original locations before the European Invasion affected their movement and displacement. Most of the names of tribes are in their own language, and are  not the names given to them either by the invading Europeans or even other tribes. For example, we correctly use the name Numinu for what most Americans would call the Comanche Nation. The Sioux are referred to here in their own language as the Lakota. Unfortunately, many of the tribes here are indeed listed by their given name. Their original names were lost in the War against the Indians which left many tribes numberless, or forced remnant bands to amalgamate into larger, stronger tribes. We seek here to honor those hundreds of tribal nations who existed in their respective territories for millennia unscathed until the encroachment of Europeans. This is a tribute to all of those forgotten tribes whose names had been lost to the wind, but who live in the hearts and minds of modern-day Native Americans who managed to survive the largest full-scale holocaust in Man's history. We also honor the Indigenous Nations of this land by giving them ownership of their own names for themselves.

Clicking on the link (at the top of this post) takes you to the website where you can download a free PDF of the map or purchase a larger version, suitable for hanging in a classroom or cultural center.

Dreams and Schemes

Kennia and the Coquettes had enjoyed a truly magnificent meal and were catching-up on all the local gossip as they digested their repast.
“Are y’all going down to the Bath house?
“Gal, you know what that salt water does to my complexion.  And that beach sand! Gets all up in ma bloomies if ya know what I mean.” Carlotta winked.
“And her hair gets all frizzy too, no matter how much Macassar oil she puts on it!” said Sabrietta.
“You mean ole thing!” snapped Carlotta. “You are the last person who should be talking about frizzy hair.” She snapped her fan open in front of her face with a pop and glared over its lace edge at her companions.
“Now y’all, lets not get all upset and spoil my first evening back home,” interposed Kennia.
“Oh, she’s just jealous of me. Like always.”
“Y’all are such a cliché,” laughed said Ermengarde. “I’m off to the dance floor now. You two can have your catfight without me!”
“Well I intend to eat myself silly so I definitely am having pound cake. With ice cream.” said Kennia.  “And a fresh cup of tea.”
 “I’ll fetch if for you Miss Kennia. I know just how you like it, with just a splash of whiskey.”
“Thank you, cherie. I surely do appreciate it.”

                 

Meanwhile on the western side of the Appalachian Mountains, activities of an entirely different sort were underway. . .

 Two men stood in a small valley cutting into the mountainside. Both were dressed in fringed buckskin frontier gear that  somehow not fight entirely right on them.
“Ja, dokter hebben we gevonden wat we nodig hadden.”
“Speak English!” snapped the older man. “Ve do not vant to arouse the suspicions.”
The younger man shrugged since he knew better than to point-out that the older man’s heavily accented English would scarcely fool a small child.
“I am cautiously optimistic that we have found what we need. Now if we can only work in peace.”
“Excellent! Proceed according to plan. Ve need this endeavour to be successful as soon as possible. Much is dependent upon it! Soon the others will arrive und ve must be prepared.”
“Of course sir.” He hesitated before continuing. “There has been some trouble with the camp guards lately. They do not seem to understand the need for secrecy I’m afraid.”
“Then make them understand! I hafe no time for this!” He turned on his heel and walked away, signifying that the conversation was finished as at least as far as he was concerned. 

Charleston Rice Forum

Artist Jonathan Green launches an important forum on local culture

"Jonathan Green wants to start a conversation. It's a conversation about rice and a conversation about history. And more than anything, it's about a vibrant West African-based culture that flourished for over two centuries in the Lowcountry of South Carolina but is seldom discussed today.
The need for that discussion was the impetus for the Lowcountry Rice Forum, a three-day event that kicks off Thursday evening and brings together scholars, artists, educators, and cooks. The larger goal, as Green articulates it, is to get people together "to have a conversation about the landscape of the South and how it came to be."

Indian Child Welfare Act

RavenHawk Radio Presents: Stolen Children

"A conversation about ICWA (Indian Child Welfare Act) and how it effects Native American Children today."

For over 200 years the Settler governments of the US and Canada removed Indian children from their homes and families in an effort to destroy their cultures and force them to assimilate to Settler norms. The idea was that "you must kill the Indian to save the man." Colonized peoples all over this planet no doubt recognize this process and understand the devastation it has caused in Indigenous societies. 

Tall Tales and Southern Belles

The Coquettes consisted of Madeleine, Sabrietta, Antoinette, Ermengarde and Carlotta. All five shared a predilection for enormous, over-decorated fans, purses and other accessories as well as an appreciation for a truly well-told tale. They weren’t so particular about the veracity of the tale as long as it was well-told! They had been a fixture of the French Theatre for as long as anyone could remember. Naturally, they joined Kennia as soon as they saw her seated at the bar in hopes of hearing a good story.

“Wanta hit the dance floor,  Miss Kennia?”
“Not this evening, chérie. I am here to relax and rest my weary self. Besides, my last pair of fancy stockings got ruined on a mission and I haven’t had the chance to replace them.”
“How about a tale of daring escapades and risky ventures?” suggested Carlotta.
“Now y’all know that I can’t tell y’all about my missions. Not more than just small bits at least. Most of it is secret.”
“Were you chasing after some wicked miscreants, Miss Kennia?” Sabrietta peeked slyly over her fan.
Kennia laughed. “Just listen to y’all with all that ten dollar vocabulary!” If you must know, there was a fat, greasy ole German fella who did not understand that the word “no” means just that!”
“So what happened?” The assembled Coquettes leaned towards her in expectation.
“Nothing happened, y’all! He tried to lay hands on me and and gave him a good, hard kick. . . or two. Then he fell on the ground hollerin’ and tried to grab my ankle. That’s when my good, patterned stockings got snagged and tore. End of story, y’all! Now can I drink my drink in peace?
There was a collective sigh of disappointment from the assembled Coquettes as they sat up, realizing that no juicy details were forthcoming from Kennia.

The Maître d'hôtel approached Kennia as she sat at the bar, all smiles at seeing one of his favorite customers. “I have your favorite table available, if you are ready to order your dinner Madamoiselle?”
“Thank you, Andre, I would be delighted to have some of your wonderful food.”
“For you, Madamoiselle, I have a vertiable feast!”
Kennia almost purred with contentment. This was the life!
Shortly after she was seated, the waiter brought heaping plates of Boeuf Bourguignon, broiled sweet potatoes, fried mushrooms and gravy.

Out on the dance floor the band played while couples gyrated, lifted their skirts and kicked their legs with enthusiasm. The Cancan dance originated in the working-class dance halls of Paris and  was all the rage in the Francophile areas of the world.  

HAPPY JUNETEENTH 2013!

What is Juneteenth?

June 19th or Juneteenth is the day that we celebrate the de facto end of slavery in the United States of America. Click on the link above to read more about it. Meanwhile, I'll be fixin' my black-eyed peas and rice for my celebration dinner.

And if you wish to learn more about "Africa's Botanical Legacy" in North America, I highly recommend In the Shadow of Slavery: Africa's Botanical Legacy in the Atlantic World by Judith A. Carney and Richard Nicholas Rosomoff.

HAPPY JUNETEENTH, Y'ALL!

Harriet Tubman and the Combahee River Raid

Clicking on Harriet Tubman and the Combahee River Raid will take you to The Tracing Center's blog post about it. Below is an excerpt:

"First, the raid demonstrated very publicly that black troops were not merely fit as laborers or cannon fodder, but were every bit as capable as their white brethren at executing complex military operations under the most challenging circumstances."

Is anyone surprised that I did not learn about this raid in school? I did learn about Harriet Tubman, the Moses of Her People (as she was called by many), in the 4th grade. Mrs. Green, one of the very first African-American teachers at my elementary school, was the first teacher I had who celebrated Black History Week (now expanded to an entire month) and taught us school children about some of the other stories, the ones not involving straight, white dudes with money and power.