NewNativeSpirit Message Board

Peregrin - 30.08.2007, 23:08
History of the Native Americans
I like the history most, so I like to talk about it, but it is a little hard to find the real sources and the infos that are true.
The Native American historical figures, like Sitting Bull or Geronimo etc, were my childhood heros and they always will be.
The tragic historical events of the last 500 years led to the First Nations present.
And that is a fact that the Native Americans came to the American continent many thousand years ago.

evenstar - 31.08.2007, 05:29

Thanks, I always enjoy learning about history, especially Native American history.

A quote I once heard that really resonated with me is that "the 'winners' write the history books", so I'm careful to take certain things with a pinch of salt. There are always two sides to every story, and the truth is usually somewhere inbetween.

Peregrin - 31.08.2007, 23:08

you're welcome :)

yes, sometimes the winners say what to write in the books, but nowadays I think it is changed, at least in my country, Hungary,
and in America too.

yes, there are the winners' and the loosers' side of the story, but if we
are lucky, we have other sources, for example items, which we could use, to retell the story.
And as historians, we have to research for these other sources, and have to look both sides to decide what is the truth.

Because the loss of the written history of Native America, is that why so hard to talk about the ancient times or the middle ages of the American continent. We just have some building, items from excavations, but we still
do not know for example why the Anasazi people disappeared so quickly.
And as I see, it is hard to find what is really happened in the 1500s, 1600s years.
The story of the real Pocahontas is the example.
Maybe she was not even the daughter of the chief. But she did not married to John Smith is the truth.
Did you hear about this?

newnativspirit - 01.09.2007, 08:16

I remember something like that as well, but the details are gone ... please, go on! Tell us about it !

When Virgil Ortiz had his exhibition in Holland a professor from a galery in New York was telling us about the history of the Cochiti Pueblo people and their pottery - that was soooooooooooooooooooo interesting (although it was in English - lol) I learned a lot and decided that whenever I will be in New York City IŽll go to this museum for sure. There are so many things we donŽt know and to be a historian must be a wonderful job. That would have been a job for me as well - I love history and each culture does truly has a great one. You just need to take your time and learn about it.

Now back to Pocahontas ...

Peregrin - 02.09.2007, 22:23

I've just read an article one year ago about a book about Pocahontas.
The author is: Paula Gunn Allen, and the book's title:
Pocahontas: Medicine Woman, Spy, Entrepreneur, Diplomat
Unfortunately, I did not read the book, because it is not available here
in Hungary.
But I read the article, and some reviews of the book.
There was a presentation, a lecture about it, and this is why the article was written.
The author said, John Smith lied about a lot of things.
Pocahontas maybe was not Powhatan's daughter, but I have not much info about it. She was a youth, this is why she wore a thong, told by a document. But she was very intelligent, good in languages and in diplomacy.
But she did not married to John Smith, rather John Rolfe, and became Mrs. Rebecca Rolfe when she moved to England.
The reviews says the author tells the story from the Native American perspective, which I think would be good.
So, if someone really research something could find what is not expected.
And I just read, that the 'indians' did not captured John Smith, they treated him as a friend, and then put him as the leader of Jamestown.
I hope I could do some further research of this story later.
I have to wait some more years to become an official historian, and then... :)

evenstar - 03.09.2007, 04:00

newnativspirit wrote: I remember something like that as well, but the details are gone ... please, go on! Tell us about it !

When Virgil Ortiz had his exhibition in Holland a professor from a galery in New York was telling us about the history of the Cochiti Pueblo people and their pottery - that was soooooooooooooooooooo interesting (although it was in English - lol) I learned a lot and decided that whenever I will be in New York City IŽll go to this museum for sure. There are so many things we donŽt know and to be a historian must be a wonderful job. That would have been a job for me as well - I love history and each culture does truly has a great one. You just need to take your time and learn about it.

Now back to Pocahontas ...

Which museum is this? I'm actually thinking of museums/galleries I would like to visit while in New York at the moment...

evenstar - 06.09.2007, 13:07

Thanks! Let's hope I don't forget now (I'm a total space cadet these days)...