- "Native Americans, sometimes called First Americans or Indigenous Americans, are the Indigenous peoples of the United States or portions thereof, such as American Indians from the contiguous United States and Alaska Natives."
A study of the historical experience of Native American societies including their migration, interactions with colonizers and contemporary issues.
Pre-Columbian Civilizations: The study of native cultures before the arrival of Christopher Columbus in 1492, including the Olmec, Maya, and Aztec civilizations.
Native American Creation Stories: Stories that offer varying perspectives on the origins and meaning of life, the universe and human existence.
Native Languages: The linguistic study of Native American languages, its connection to cultural practices and the impact of assimilation policies.
Native American Religion and Spirituality: The exploration of traditional Indigenous beliefs and practices, as well as their evolution in modern times.
Encounters with Europeans: The study of the first meetings between Native American groups and Europeans and the lasting impacts on culture, society, and spirituality.
Native American Economy and Trade: The study of Native American trade and economics, including trade patterns and exchanges, indigenous markets, and changes over time.
Indigenous Resistance Movements: The examination of Native responses to colonization, including armed resistance, cultural reforms, and activism.
Federal Indian Policy: The impact of U.S. federal Indian policies on Native American communities, such as the Dawes Act, the Indian Reorganization Act, and the Indian Self-Determination Act.
Indigenous Education: The exploration of Native American educational practices, such as communal learning, spiritual education, and language preservation.
Native American Art and Literature: The study of Native American artistic and literary traditions, including contemporary indigenous art, film, and music.
Traditional Medicine and Healing Practices: Exploration of Native healing practices, traditional medicine, and modern health care struggles across different cultures.
Environmental Conservation and Land Rights: The exploration of Indigenous environmental concerns in North America, including access to natural resources, modern land use strategies, and cultural connections to nature.
Native American Gender and Sexuality: Exploration of traditional in-betweenness or fluidity in Native Gender and sexuality roles and how these concepts have evolved or been impacted by European colonization.
Oral History and Storytelling: The exploration of the role of the storytellers in native American communities, how stories help preserve cultural traditions, and how these traditions are accessed through contemporary forms such as multimedia platforms.
Tribal Sovereignty and Nation Building: The examination of Native American empowerment through self-sufficient legal sovereign nations, their histories, and current relevance in various cultures.
Archaeology: The study of ancient Native American societies through the examination of artifacts and material culture.
Linguistics: The study of Native American languages and the relationship between language and culture.
Oral History: The study of Native American traditions, legends, and stories through the recollection and analysis of oral accounts.
Ethnography: The study of contemporary Native American societies and cultures, focusing on social organization, beliefs, and practices.
Political History: The study of Native American political systems, governance, and interactions with colonial powers and the United States government.
Environmental History: The study of Native American relationships with and impact on the natural environment, including how these interactions have changed over time.
Gender History: The study of Native American gender roles, relations, and identities, including the impact of colonization on these dynamics.
Economic History: The study of Native American economies, including subsistence practices, trade, and economic relations with European and American colonizers.
Religious History: The study of Native American spiritual beliefs and practices, including the impact of colonialism on traditional religious practices.
Health and Medicine: The study of traditional Native American healing practices, traditional medicine practices, and the impact of Western medicine on Native American communities.
Education: The study of Native American education, including traditional forms of education and the impact of Western education systems on Native American communities.
Literature: The study of Native American literary traditions, including traditional oral narratives, contemporary Native American writing, and the role of literature in shaping Native American identity and representation.
Art and Material Culture: The study of Native American art, including traditional visual and material culture, contemporary Native American artists, and the role of art in Native American cultural expression and resistance.
- "The United States Census Bureau defines Native American as 'all people indigenous to the United States and its territories, including Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islanders.'"
- "The European colonization of the Americas that began in 1492 resulted in a precipitous decline in Native American population because of newly introduced diseases (including weaponized diseases and biological warfare by European colonizers), wars, ethnic cleansing, and enslavement."
- "The United States... continued to wage war and perpetrated massacres against many Native American peoples, removed them from their ancestral lands, and subjected them to one-sided treaties and to discriminatory government policies."
- "When the United States was created, established Native American tribes were generally considered semi-independent nations, as they generally lived in communities separate from white settlers."
- "The Indian Appropriations Act of 1871 ended recognition of independent Native nations and started treating them as 'domestic dependent nations' subject to applicable federal laws."
- "The Indian Citizenship Act of 1924 granted U.S. citizenship to all Native Americans born in the United States who had not yet obtained it."
- "However, some states continued to deny Native Americans voting rights for several decades."
- "Titles II through VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 comprise the Indian Civil Rights Act, which applies to the Native American tribes of the United States and makes many but not all of the guarantees of the U.S. Bill of Rights applicable within the tribes."
- "Since the 1960s, Native American self-determination movements have resulted in positive changes to the lives of many Native Americans."
- "Today, there are over five million Native Americans in the United States."
- "78% of whom live outside reservations."
- "The states with the highest percentage of Native Americans in the U.S. are Alaska, Oklahoma, New Mexico, South Dakota, Montana, and North Dakota."
- "This law did preserve the rights and privileges agreed to under the treaties, including a large degree of tribal sovereignty."
- "The actions of tribal citizens on these reservations are subject only to tribal courts and federal law."
- "That Act appears today in Title 25, sections 1301 to 1303 of the United States Code."
- "When the United States was created, established Native American tribes were generally considered semi-independent nations."
- "The European colonization of the Americas... resulted in a precipitous decline in Native American population because of newly introduced diseases (including weaponized diseases and biological warfare by European colonizers), wars, ethnic cleansing, and enslavement."
- "The United States... subjected them to one-sided treaties and to discriminatory government policies."
- "Though there are still many contemporary issues faced by them."