Native American Archives

Feb. 20, 1884: Indian Industrial School Opens in Nebraska

The Indian Industrial School of Genoa, Nebraska, the fourth non-reservation boarding school, was established by the Office of Indian Affairs.

Nov. 15, 1842: Slave Revolt at Webbers Falls

The Slave Revolt of 1842 — when dozens of enslaved Black people in Webbers Falls, Oklahoma fought back and briefly escaped from their Cherokee overseers — was the largest rebellion of enslaved people in Indian Territory history.

late April 1821: U.S. Attack on Maroon Community at Angola

After becoming governor of Florida in 1821, Andrew Jackson attacked the native and Black maroon community at Angola.

Protestors at the Fridays 4 Future protest inside COP 25 in 2019 holding a sign reading "Indigenous Justice is Climate Justice."

April 24, 2009: Indigenous Peoples’ Global Summit

Indigenous representatives from around the world met in Anchorage, Alaska, in April 2009, to share experiences and strategies for confronting environmental degradation. They issued a declaration that details their observations and demands from the front lines of the climate crisis.

July 7, 1912: Jim Thorpe Wins Olympic Gold for U.S.

Jim Thorpe was the first Native American to win Olympic gold for team U.S.A.

Nov. 9, 1912: Carlisle Indian School Beats the West Point Football Team

The undefeated Carlisle Indian School football team faced off against the Army football team at the West Point Academy campus in front of a crowd of 3,000 people. The Carlisle team defeated Army 27–6 in this game.

Outdoor portrait of Navajo Treaty signers at Fort Sumner, June 1868.

June 1, 1868: Navajo Treaty of 1868

Bringing an end to the Navajo Wars, the Navajo Treaty of 1868 created a sovereign nation for the Navajo peoples and returned those interned at Fort Sumner following the Long Walk.

Marker stone at the Little Bighorn Battlefield, Montana.

June 25, 1876: Battle of the Greasy Grass (Battle of Little Big Horn)

Lakota, Northern Cheyenne, and Arapaho defended their land in the battle of the Greasy Grass (Battle of Little Big Horn).

Indians at Mankato; they were found guilty for their actions during the Dakota Conflict. Public execution of 38 Dakota Illustration by W. H. Childs, 12/26/1862. Courtesy to Pioneer Press: Minnesota Historical Society

Dec. 26, 1862: Mass Execution of Dakota Indians

The mass execution of 38 Dakota Indians was ordered by President Abraham Lincoln.

June 10, 2018: Ancestral Land Returned to Ponca Tribe

Along the “Trail of Tears” in Neligh, Nebraska, a farmer signed a deed to return ancestral land to the Ponca Tribe.

July 9, 2020: Supreme Court Affirms Native Treaty Rights and Sovereignty

In a landmark decision, the Supreme Court ruled that the state did not have jurisdiction over crimes committed on Native reservations, affirming Indigenous treaty rights and sovereignty.

Indigenous delegate David Close meets with Pope Francis during the Long March to Rome and Delegation Lead to the Mission in Rome.

May 4, 2016: Indigenous People March to Demand Revocation of the Doctrine of Discovery

A delegation representing Native nations marched upon the Vatican and were successful in convincing the Vatican to revoke the Doctrine of Discovery.

Odawa Chief Pontiac Meets with Gladwin | Zinn Education Project

July 31, 1763: Chief Pontiac Wins Battle of Bloody Run at Fort Detroit

Fighting alongside Odawa Chief Pontiac, the unified Native warriors defeated 250 British soldiers during their siege at Fort Detroit during Pontiac’s War.

May 5, 2010: Red Dress Day Honoring Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women

A national day of awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and 2SLGBTQI+ people (MMIWG2S).

Nov. 29, 1864: Sand Creek Massacre

A Colorado Cavalry unit, on orders from Colorado’s governor and ignoring a surrender flag, brutally attacked Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes. White abolitionist Silas Soule was assassinated for reporting on the event.

A Peoples History of the United States Book | Zinn Education Project

A People’s History of the United States: 1492 – Present

Book — Non-fiction. By Howard Zinn. 2005, with a new introduction by Anthony Arnove in 2015. 784 pages.
Howard Zinn's groundbreaking work on U.S. history. This book details lives and facts rarely included in textbooks—an indispensable teacher and student resource.

Oct. 10, 1942: Petition from Aleut Women

Aleut women from the Pribilof Islands Program wrote a petition about the dangerous incarceration camp conditions during World War II.

Nov. 20, 1969: Alcatraz Occupation

Native Americans took over and held Alcatraz Island as Indian Land during the Alcatraz Occupation.

Elizabeth "Betsy" Brown Stephens, a Cherokee woman who walked the Trail of Tears.

May 23, 1838: The Trail of Tears Began

The forcible removal of Native American tribes, known as the Trail of Tears, began.

A Queer History of the United States for Young People

Book — Non-fiction. By Michael Bronski, adapted for by Richie Chevat. 2019. 336 pages.
A young adult readers edition of the original text explores the history of LGBTQ+ experiences in the U.S. since 1500.

A beautiful reworking of an iconic image from Elsipogtog, by artist Fanny Aishaa. The original photo was taken by Ossie Michelin, a reporter for APTN and the woman is Amanda Polchies.

Dec. 6, 2013: First Nations Water Warriors Block Fracking

A coalition of groups set up a series of road blockades preventing gas exploration in New Brunswick, Canada.

The Cherokee/Seminole Removal Role Play

Teaching Activity. By Bill Bigelow. 10 pages.
What led up to the Trail of Tears? In this lesson, students learn about the decision to remove the Cherokee and Seminole people from their lands.

Teaching Activity by Bill Bigelow

Indian Removal

Teaching Activity. By Gayle Olson-Raymer. 18 pages.
Questions and teaching ideas for Chapter 7 of Voices of a People's History of the United States on the American policy of "Manifest Destiny" and Native American resistance to their own displacement.

Discovering Columbus: Re-reading the Past

Teaching Activity. By Bill Bigelow. Rethinking Schools. 6 pages.
How to engage students in a critical analysis of the textbook version of "discovery."

Teaching Activity by Bill Bigelow

Thunderheart

Film. By Michael Apted. 1992. 118 minutes.
Captures some of the conflicts on the Pine Ridge Reservation in the 1970s relating to corporate/government collusion to exploit Native lands for profit.

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