Thousands of Plains Indians died from smallpox. Native American contact with Whites turned out to be deadly, especially for the Plains tribes. One...
A Deadly Plague
read more
Native Americans
The Long Walk
The forced relocation of the Navajo. In 1861, the United States was in a virtual war with the Indians of New Mexico. Plans called for them to be...
Shaman or Medicine Men
I’ve been asked a number of times, “Where would Geronimo or Sitting Bull have learned their trade as a medicine man. How did they get this position?...
A Revolt in New Mexico
Indians rise up against U.S. occupiers. The Taos Revolt was an uprising by Hispano and Puebloan groups against the United States during the Mexican...
The Last Battle of the Indian Wars
One of those post-Indian Wars gunfights, almost lost in history, occurred in northern Arizona on November 11th, 1899, long after the Indian Wars had...
Native History Celebrated Large
Only months old, the First Americans Museum in Oklahoma City is dedicated to truth-telling. It was once called Indian Territory, a dumping ground as...
The Indian Civil War
For the Cherokee, the conflict pitted brother against brother. The Civil War not only split the United States, but it also tore apart various Indian...
Taking a Stand
Cherokee leader Watie signed an unpopular treaty. Stand Watie was a controversial Cherokee leader. He and several members of his family signed a...
Bringing out the Big Guns
The first time the army used howitzers against Indians In 1862, a Union army force was making its way across Arizona Territory. They had entered...
Braves and Badges
Early American Indian Police played a strong role in the settlement of the West. Before recorded history, American Indians practiced some form of...
Yucca Roots for Shampoo
What did Indians use for soap, if anything? Or, was it not part of their culture? Usually the natives used plants to provide soap. For example, many...
Arizona’s Yavapai-Apache War
A tour of the conflict’s historic sites is a poignant reminder of how unmerciful war was meted out against the state’s Native people. ...