The indigenous people of America

Native Americans

The term "American" is associated with most of the inhabitants of our planet with a person of European appearance. Some, of course, can imagine a dark-skinned person. However, native Americans look a little different. And they are better known under the name of "Indians." Where did this concept come from?

Indians and Indians: why are these names similar? So, today, native Americans are often called Indians. The word is similar to the name of another nation: the Indians. Is this similarity accidental? Maybe Indians and Indians have common historical roots?

In fact, the native Americans got this name by mistake: Spanish navigators led by Christopher Columbus were looking for a short way from the Old World to India. They did not know about the existence of the American continent. Therefore, when they met the first inhabitants of the new world, they thought that they were residents of India. According to ethnologists, the first Indians are not an autochthonous population. 30 thousand years ago, they came here from Asia along the Bering isthmus.

Where did the name "Redskins"come from?

Native Americans often appear under the term "Redskins". It does not have the negative character that is attached to the word "black" in relation to the African-American population of the United States. Often the Indians called themselves Redskins, contrasting white colonizers. On the contrary, the term "white" in their eyes has a negative color. This term appeared due to the tribe beothuk. It was located on the canadian island of Newfoundland. It is believed that it was the beotuks who first began to contact not only the arriving Europeans, but even the Vikings, who, according to some sources, appeared in America long before Columbus. Beautyi didn't just have typical skin tone, but specially applied to the face, the bright red color contrasting itself with the white colonizers. It is believed that this is the reason why all the Indians received this nickname. Tribe beothuk ceased to exist in the first half of the 19th century.

Colonization

Native Americans (Indians) were not going to give up their territories so easily. From the time of Columbus to the 20th century, the continent was colonized. To be fair, let's say that both sides suffered losses before the Europeans fully settled in here. It is noteworthy that the first European settlers were able to somehow get along with the Indians. The situation changed when the development of these lands became a political goal. The French, English, Spanish, Portuguese, and Russians poured into America. Wars and land redistribution, by the way, occurred not only between Europeans and Indians.

Assimilation since the mid-19th century

Europeans considered the Indians barbarians, savages because of their peculiar way of life and individual culture. Various laws were often passed that prohibited native American language, religion, traditions, etc. The government was looking for ways to assimilate the indigenous people. Attempts were very successful to protect the Indians from the bulk of the population in separate reservations. Similar Autonomous villages still exist today. Of course, there are already many elements of modern life in people's lives: clothing, housing, transport. However, they are still true to many traditions and customs of their ancestors: they preserve the language, religion, customs, secrets of shamanism, etc. By the way, each tribe has its own language.

The first half of the 20th century marked the beginning of the struggle for the rights of indigenous people. In 1924, a law was passed that gave full citizenship to all Indians. Until then, they could not move freely around the country, participate in elections, or study in public schools or universities. In the same year, all laws that in any way oppressed their rights were repealed. There were activists fighting for the return of all illegally taken land from the Indians, as well as compensation for the damage caused to them. There was even a special Commission for Indian complaints. Since that time, it has been profitable for native residents in the United States: in the first 30 years of the Commission's work alone, the government has paid about $ 820 million in compensation, which is equal to several billion dollars in terms of the current exchange rate.

Before the arrival of European colonizers, there were up to 75 million Indians on the territory of the modern United States and Canada. Today, this figure is much more modest: just over 5 million people, which is about 1.6% of the total US population. Where did native Americans live? There was no single state. The tribes differed in their traditions, lifestyle, and level of development. Therefore, each ethnic group occupied its own land. For example, the Pueblo Indians occupied the territory of the modern States of new Mexico and Arizona. Navajo-territory of the southwestern United States, next to the Pueblo. The Iroquois lived on the lands of the modern States of Pennsylvania, Indiana, Ohio, and Illinois. Just North of the Iroquois lived the Hurons, who were the first to trade with the Europeans. The Mohican tribe lived in the territory of the modern States of new York and Vermont, the Cherokee inhabited modern North and South Carolina, Alabama, Georgia, and Virginia.

"Native Americans" - coins for collectors interest in the culture of the Indians was not extinguished today. Especially for collectors, coins of the "Native Americans" series were issued (photo below). These are one-dollar coins made of copper, covered with manganese brass. Such pollination is short-lived, with intensive treatment, the original appearance is completely erased, so they can only be found in numismatists. The original name of the coin series was "Sacagawea Dollars" in honor of a Shoshone girl.

She knew many different languages and dialects of Indian tribes, and helped the Lewis and Clark expedition. Some coins have her image on them. A 22-year – old girl from the same tribe, Randy Teton, was chosen as the prototype of Sakagaweya.

• Why are native Americans called Indians?

• Who discovered America?

• Where did the name "Redskins"come from?

• In what year were the Indians given full citizenship?

• What material were the "Sacagawea dollars" made of?