Native American Encyclopedia Ross, John To Thanksgiving
4 Ross John Meet John Ross Ross John 1790-1866 of Scottish and Cherokee heritage served as the top Cherokee chief for nearly forty years After his education he became a wealthy businessman and property owner Cherokee leaders recognized that they needed an educated English speaker to defend against the loss of their land to the U S From 1816 up until the Cherokee removal to Indian Territory Ross fought for Cherokee land rights in the courts even the U S Supreme Court but failed to save the Cherokee from removal In Indian Territory he helped write a new constitution in 1839 and led his people through the Civil War Though the constitution has changed greatly over the years some of the original phrases can still be found in it 1816 1828 1830 1838 Founds town of Ross Landing later named Chattanooga Tennessee Cherokee elects him principal chief Indian Removal Act Ross argues before U S Supreme Court Cherokee removal to Indian Territory See also Trail of Tears Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples was formed in 1990 to find ways for all people in Canada to live together in peace The commission recommended that Canada and the First Nations Inuit and Métis peoples use all new and standing treaties in an atmosphere of respect sharing and responsibility Both nonnative and Aboriginal people served on the commission words to know constitution kahn-stih-TOO-shun a set of rules or ideas that form the foundation of a government Rubí Marqués de about 1725 unknown inspected Spanish forts along the northern frontier in Texas and New Mexico starting in 1765 Spain’s king wanted a report about how to strengthen defenses there Rubí kept a diary during a trip that lasted almost two years He recommended a string of fifteen forts to be placed near the present-day border between the U S and Mexico He urged Spain to cement its ties to native peoples and to abandon East Texas His report heavily influenced Spain’s new frontier policy
Rugs made by different tribes provided not only a warm comfortable floor covering but developed into an art Many tribes used animal furs as rugs and bedding especially in cold weather Tribes that grew cotton spun it into yarn colored it with plant dyes and wove it into patterned rugs Tribes that raised sheep especially in the Southwest spun the wool into yarn for weaving The Navajo in particular raised this practical skill to an art form Traditionally they used wild carrot roots to make a gold dye Other plants such as sunflowers goldenrod nuts and green leaves made other colors Tribes in different areas had their own traditional patterns and color combinations Marilou Schultz a Navajo weaver and schoolteacher uses traditional methods to create art rugs She comes from five generations of weavers and museums collect her work Sac 5 Running Eagle birth and death dates uncertain in the mid-1800s became the only female war chief of the Blackfeet people She went on her first raid at age 20 She proved her bravery by stealing the enemy’s horses and returning safely She participated in many more raids later becoming a war chief She died in battle Rush Spring flowed at a site on Rush Creek in Oklahoma where in 1858 the Battle of Wichita Village took place The U S Cavalry followed a band of Comanche north from Texas to their camp outside a Wichita village They destroyed the village in the attack Remaining Wichita fled to Fort Arbuckle Sac or Sauk from Asakiwaki meaning yellow earth people lived in today’s Wisconsin in the 1600s In the late 1700s they moved into Illinois They lived near both prairie and forest In summer they built oval wigwams covered with reeds and farmed the river valleys In winter they hunted bison moving their camps as needed to follow the herds Settlers pressured them to leave U S troops forced a fight against the Sac led by Black Hawk After the Black Hawk War remaining Sac moved west and today are part of the Sac and Fox Nation with reservations in Iowa Kansas Nebraska and Oklahoma
6 Sacajawea Meet Sacajawea Sacajawea about 1788-1812 also known as Sacagawea meaning Bird Woman helped the Lewis and Clark expedition succeed Hidatsa raiders stole young Sacajawea from her Shoshone tribe They sold her to a French fur trader who took her as a wife Lewis and Clark hired her husband as an interpreter He spoke Hidatsa and French while Sacajawea spoke Hidatsa and Shoshone A member of the expedition spoke French and English so among the three of them they could translate discussions into English for the rest of the group During that winter Sacajawea gave birth to her first child She brought her baby along too Sacajawea’s presence eased the fears of the native peoples they met Tribes did not believe a war party would include a woman and baby When they reached the Shoshone in eastern Idaho she learned that her brother had become chief Through her the expedition bought horses from the tribe She acted as a guide here too After her death Clark adopted her children No records tell of her daughter’s life but her son became a guide trapper and interpreter 1804 Meets Lewis and Clark at Hidatsa Mandan villages August 1805 Reunites with the Shoshone January 1806 Sees Pacific Ocean for first time 1806 Leaves expedition at Mandan villages Sachem or tribal chief served as the leader of a band or village When tribes allied themselves with other tribes to form a confederacy they sometimes selected a grand sachem The grand sachem could simply help bring unity to meetings between the tribal chiefs or could rule as a powerful king might The Powhatan an Algonquian tribe had a grand sachem that acted like a king Sacred sites carry historical or spiritual meaning to the native peoples of North America They may be naturally occurring or man-made They include burial sites of ancestors places where a vision battle or treaty took place places that figure into native legends or ancient ceremonial sites These places continue to hold importance to tribes or bands over centuries
Salinas 7 Teaching Project develops teaching materials based on First Nations cultural viewpoints Salinas also called Salinan lived along the Salinas River in central California They spoke three dialects of Salinan They survived by hunting fishing and gathering They participated in the Kuksu Cult a secret organization among most central California Indians Cult members wore masks to imitate gods In this way they hoped to gain the gods power Cult members also hoped the cult’s rituals would ensure plentiful food Spanish missionaries brought not only Christianity but also disease forced labor and loss of native culture and spiritual practices The Salinas population decreased steadily and today only a small number of people claim Salinas ancestry Before the arrival of nonnatives the Salinas lived along the Salinas River in California The Snoqualmie people consider Snoqualmie Falls in Washington State sacred They have buried their dead here They believe the Creator made the first man and woman here They also believe the waterfalls mists carry their prayers to the Creator Sagamore refers to the chief of a village or band of Native American people Sagamores or sachems sometimes reported to one grand sachem the top leader of all the tribes of one nation or confederacy of nations The Narragansett Abenaki and other Algonquian tribes had sagamores See also sachem Sainte-Marie Buffy 1941 of Cree heritage enjoys fame as a singer songwriter musician artist actress and teacher She received an Academy Award in 1982 for writing the song Up Where We Belong The First Americans in the Arts awarded her the Award for Lifetime Musical Achievement Her Cradleboard
