What have you taught your kids about Native American history?
Even if you and your kids have learned about the real story of Thanksgiving and Columbus Day and the suffering and displacement of Indigenous people at the hands of European colonizers, you may not know that the fuller story of the Indigenous people in this country is actually one of resistance and resilience!
It may seem like Europeans came here and took all the land they wanted, driving out the native people and easily controlling the places they claimed. However, the reality is that the colonizers were pretty confined to the Eastern coast of the country at first, and the Indigenous tribes were actually really successful at resisting the occupation.
Collaboration across tribes helped them win so many battles and resist colonization in such creative ways. And even today Indigenous people are still fiercely protecting their culture and history for the generations to come.
Follow this script to teach your kids a little bit about the complexity of Native American history!
Introduce the topic of Native American history
“You may know that many Native Americans were killed or forced to move away from their homes by European settlers.
History books often make it sound like the Europeans were so advanced and powerful that once they arrived, they dominated the continent and the experiences of all the people living there.
What you may not know is that it wasn’t so easy for the Europeans to take over the land they wanted, because the Native Americans were determined to fight back. Can I share a cool story?”
Teach them the reality behind European maps
“In textbooks, early maps show much of the continent neatly divided up into territories claimed by Europeans. But did you know that, in reality, those areas were still controlled by Indigenous peoples?
On paper, they might have looked like they were in control, but for a long time the Europeans were only able to actually occupy the very edge of the country, along the Eastern coast of America!
That’s because Native tribes formed powerful alliances and used creative tactics to keep their land and protect their culture.”
Explain the different forms of resistance
“For example, many Native American cultures have complex political systems and kinship connections that helped them work together, so they were able to unite in their resistance.
They also had sophisticated systems of diplomacy (or dealing with people in a sensitive and effective way) that let them forge strategic relationships with Europeans — and play them off each other.
Other tribes used their vast knowledge of nature and the environment to avoid and evade colonists in swamps, deserts, and other areas that the English couldn’t navigate very easily.
Even battles that history books claim as victories for the European colonizers were often actually huge successes for the Indigenous peoples.
For example, in the 1670s the English claimed to win a King Philip’s War (or Metacom’s War, to the Native Americans) even though they lost 10 percent of their soldiers, more than 1,000 of their homes burned down, and over 20 entire English towns were destroyed.
Native tribes used their many strengths and deep kinship connections to push the English far back toward the coast. The English weren’t able to reclaim those borders for 30 more years.”
Expand their view of Indigenous history
“The fact is, North American history didn’t just start when Europeans arrived! America has a long and complex history of Indigenous peoples, with their own political systems, cultural traditions, and technological advancements.
Even today, the resilience of Indigenous people is an ongoing tradition. Despite massive casualties from disease and war brought by colonists, for the first time in centuries, American Indian births began surpassing American Indian deaths again in 1917.
Native Americans are still fiercely protecting their culture and history, as well as our natural environment, for the generations to come.”
Discussion questions for kids
- Why do you think many kids don’t learn as much about the history of Indigenous people that happened before the Europeans arrived?
- Who’s in charge of writing most of the history books we learn from?
- Why is it important to get other perspectives when we hear a story?
To continue learning about Indigenous cultures and history as a family, take our Native American Heritage Month quiz!
