Great Lakes region

Nokomis and the spider: the story of the dreamcatcher

Picture of Ojibwe dreamcatcher

“I spent over 10 years traveling to Native American pow wows across the United States, visiting a different reservation almost every week. Dreamcatchers were everywhere, from grandmother-made heirlooms to commercial versions sold at gift shops. Understanding the difference matters. This article tells the real story.” — Raven SiJohn, AAANativeArts.com (Est. 1999) The dreamcatcher comes from the Ojibwe people, one of the largest Native American nations in North America, and the story behind it is more beautiful than most people realize.…

Read MoreNokomis and the spider: the story of the dreamcatcher

Mississippi Mound Builders

Picture of Mississippi Mound Builders

Mississippi Mound Builders were not limited to just the Mississippi River Valley. Ancient civilizations built mounds in a large area from the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico and from the Mississippi River to the Appalachian Mountains, but the greatest concentrations of mounds are found in the Mississippi and Ohio River valleys. These included societies in the Archaic, and Woodland period, and Mississippian period. These Pre-Columbian mounds have been dated from roughly 3000 BCE to the 1500s, and most…

Read MoreMississippi Mound Builders

3 Mohawk Kings and 1 Mahican Indian King in North America

Generally, native americans in what would become the United States and Canada didn't have royalty such as kings, but there were rare exceptions. There  were three Mohawk chiefs of the Iroquois Confederacy and a Mahican of the Algonquian peoples who were called Kings.

While these four Iroquois were not the first American Indians to visit England (Pocahontas had come in 1616), they were the first to be treated as heads of state. 

Read More3 Mohawk Kings and 1 Mahican Indian King in North America

Indian Tribes Involved in the French and Indian War

Indians who fought in the French and Indian War

The French and Indian War (called the Seven Years' War in Europe) was fought from 1754-1763.  The French and Indian War was the last of four major colonial wars between the British, the French, and their Native American allies for control of North America.

It was the first North American global war, fought in North America, India, Prussia, Austria and other European countries, Russia, and West Africa. During the fighting that occurred on North American soil, both sides often had Indian allies. Sometimes factions of one tribe fought on both sides. Here is a brief explanation of who fought on what side.

Read MoreIndian Tribes Involved in the French and Indian War