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Many people believe racial and ethnic groups in North America have always lived as separately as they do now. However, segregation was neither practical nor preferable when people who were not native to this continent began arriving here. Europeans needed Indians as guides, trade partners and military allies. They needed Africans to tend their crops and to build an infrastructure.
Later, as the new American government began to thrive, laws were drafted to protect the land and property the colonists had acquired. These laws strengthened the powers of slave owners, limited the rights of free Africans and barred most Indian rights altogether. Today, black, white and red Americans still feel the aftershock of those laws. Read more...
The first slaves in the "New World" were Indians. However, colonists found them difficult to contain -- they knew the surrounding countryside and those who had not been captured often organized successful rescue efforts. For a time, slave merchants continued to raid Native American communities along the central and southern shores of the Eastern Seaboard and to encourage local warriors to barter captives they would otherwise kill for European trade goods. The women and children the merchants acquired were sold alongside Africans to buyers in the north while the men were shipped to plantations in the Caribbean.
In 1988, Congress passed the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act which recognized the right of Indian tribes in the United States to establish gambling and gaming facilities on their reservations as long as the states in which they are located have some form of legalized gambling. Two cases in the 1980's led up to this act: Seminole Tribe of Florida v. Butterworth and California v. Cabazon Band of Mission Indians.
The Seminole case opened the doors to high-stakes bingo on reservations all over the country. Florida tried to close the Seminole tribe's high-stakes bingo parlor (opened in 1979), but the court ruled that bingo fell under statutes classed as regulatory rather than prohibitory.
The Cabazon case established that once a state has legalized any form of gambling, Indian tribes within that state can offer the same game on trust land without any state interference or restrictions. [Trust land is reserved for and owned by Indians but held "in trust" by federal government for the benefit of the Indian owners.] This case brought up concerns about tribal regulation of Indian gaming among many groups (i.e. Nevada and New Jersey where gambling is legal, the National Association of Attorney Generals, the National Sheriffs' Association).
In response to the concerns arising, Congress passed the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA). This act went into effect on October 17, 1988:
The act is intended to 1) promote tribal economic development, self-sufficiency, and strong tribal government; 2) provide for a regulatory base to protect Indian gaming from organized crime; and 3) establish the National Indian Gaming Commission.
Native Americans in the United States (also known as Indians, American Indians, Amerindians, Amerinds, or Indigenous, Aboriginal or Original peoples or Americans) are the indigenous peoples within the territory that is now encompassed by the continental United States, including parts of Alaska down to their descendants in modern times.
Aleut and Inuit peoples can be organized into four groupings at the time of European contact. Moving west to east these groups included, first, the peoples of the Aleutian Islands off Alaska, with the Atka Aleut occupying the western Aleutians and the Unalaska Aleut the eastern islands. Second were Alaskan Inuit peoples, including the North Alaska Inuit, West Alaska Inuit, South Alaska Inuit, and Saint Lawrence Island Inuit, with the Mackenzie Inuit of the Yukon and Yuit of Siberia sharing similar ways of life. Third were the Central Inuit, including the Netsilik Inuit, Iglulik Inuit, Copper Inuit, Caribou Inuit, Southampton Inuit, Baffinland Inuit, and Labrador Inuit. A fourth group beyond North America was the Greenland Inuit, including the Polar Inuit, West Greenland Inuit, and East Greenland Inuit. All these groups consisted of numerous bands with distinct identities.
Many people are interested in giving their babies American Indian names. They may be of Indian heritage or they may just like the sounds of American Indian names. If you are not of Indian heritage and looking for a name, be careful when using the Internet. Many web sites out there contain lists of so-called American Indian names for babies that are not actually accurate.
If you truly want a traditional Native American name for your child, it would be best to seek advice from an elder leader in a tribal community. In some tribes, the child is not actually named until it is born. Other babies are given a true name once they reach adulthood (puberty). Some babies are given names that are spiritual and unique to each child.
If you do not live in an area where you can access an Indian reservation to speak with an elder, you can still use American Indian names for your child. Many people like to use the Native American version of a Christian name. For example, Kateri is the Indian version of Catharine.
Some people believe they are giving their children American Indian names when actually they are not. Native Americans often consider the use of names such as Dakota and Cheyenne disrespectful for cultural and religious reasons. Just as a Christian would not find it appropriate to name their child Christ, Native Americans find it spiritually unacceptable to name children after tribe names.
In an attempt to help those truly looking for American Indian names for their babies, there are web sites that will take information from you and make name suggestions. They will help you find a more appropriate name for you baby rather than your just looking at an Internet name dictionary.
To see a listing of Native American Baby Names click on “Read more…”
There are many symbols that represent the United States of America. Some of the most popular ones are the Stars and Stripes (the US flag), and the bald eagle (our national bird).The bald eagle is truly an all-American bird -- it is the only eagle unique to North America. It ranges over most of the continent, from the northern reaches of Alaska and Canada down to northern Mexico. The bald eagle, our national symbol, is listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act in 43 of the lower 48 states and listed as threatened in Michigan, Minnesota, Oregon, Washington, and Wisconsin.The bald eagle, American flag symbol, captivates the freedom in flight. When the Great Seal of the United States was adopted on June 20, 1782, this dignified and proud bird was recognized as the national symbol.
When seeking your Native roots, there is an old saying amongst the Natives. It is “Each one must take his or her own journey”.This is a very wise saying. It testifies to the fact that each person who is searching for his or her Native American roots is on a personal journey. No one can take the trip for you. They can assist you, but not take the journey for you.
The three questions you must ask yourself are:
Why am I interested in searching for my Native American roots?
Why am I searching NOW? What in my life has brought me to this point?
What do I hope to gain or loose in this search?
Many people answer the first question by responding they have heard their family tree consisted of “Indians” and they want to find out if it is true.
Many people answer the second question by responding, ‘I just feel a calling or yearning to know the truth’ or they reply, ‘it is important to me to fill my family history gaps’.
Many people answer the third question by responding, ‘You know Native Americans are opening up those casinos, maybe I can be a part of that’, or ‘I have nothing to gain or loose. I am just curious’.
Well, whatever the reason, know that misguided or selfish motives will extend your personal journey to learn about your Native American roots. Selfishness will always guide you in the wrong direction.
To begin your journey purchase the "Black Red Roots" how-to-manual.
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