Lesson 5: We Are the Land

North America has been home to Native American tribes for thousands of years, since long before Christopher Columbus first sailed to the New World. Today, we know much more about Native Americans than Columbus did, but some stereotypes still exist. Native Americans are much more than just the tipi tents, smoke signals and feathered headbands we see in films. Each one of the tribes – almost 600 of them – is different, especially in their lifestyle and language.
What they have in common, though, is their special connection with nature. In the past, their way of life depended completely on farming and hunting. Some tribes, such as the Mohicans, lived in small, round houses called wigwams. They were fishermen and farmers who dried food to preserve it for winter. Other tribes, such as the Cheyenne, Lakota and Comanche, lived in tipis. They hunted American bison across the great plains. They were also skilled warriors who scared their enemies by wearing feathered headdresses, painting their faces, and yelling an intimidating war cry.
Even Native American art shows us that all these tribes had a special relationship with nature. Many tribes carved and painted their spirit animals on wooden totem poles. Tribe members would place them in front of their houses to show their family’s history and identity. Many Native Americans believed that everything on Earth – or Turtle Island, as some of them still call it – has a soul and must be treated with respect. Honouring the spirit of the land – every animal, plant, rock, hill and lake – is the legacy that Native Americans still pass on to their children.
Today there are around 5 million Native Americans in the USA, which is a much smaller number than the 60 million at the time of Columbus. They live in urban areas and on reservations. They still keep their culture and history alive, showing pride in their heritage, despite all the hardships their ancestors have been through.