American Indian Experience

In this presentation the audience will learn about the diversity of American Indian cultures in what is today North Carolina prior to European contact. The presentation provides an overview of an extensive period of cultural change, from earliest Paleo-Indians in 14000BP to 1750 AD. This scholar takes a broad approach to explore several cultural elements including language families, social interactions, population size, and the concept of Pimadaziwin (the Good and Balanced Life) in Eastern NC.

This presentation examines the relationship between health and traditional American Indian diets. The scholar draws on the connections among three elements of pre-Colonial American Indian society – diet, sassafras, and isolation – to showcase their impact on American Indian health past and present. The discussion will look at the connections between these cultural elements and diabetes, which was absent among American Indians in early time and is remarkably frequent in modern American Indian communities.

At dawn on September 22, 1711, over five hundred Tuscarora, Core, Neuse, Pamlico, Weetock, Machapunga, and Bear River Indian warriors swept down on the unsuspecting settlers living along Neuse and Pamlico Rivers of North Carolina. Over the next few days, they destroyed hundreds of farms and plantations and killed at least 140 men, women, children, slaves as well, and took about forty captives. And so began the Tuscarora War, North Carolina’s bloodiest colonial war and surely one of the most brutal.

“Cherokee Traditions” begins with a brief overview of Cherokee crafts, focusing on the key material traditions of basketry, pottery, and carving. The highly visual program then recognizes early 20^th century artisans, the Elders who have kept these traditions alive. These Cherokee elders join thousands of unnamed makers who created and maintained traditions during centuries past.

Long before the English ever arrived at Roanoke in 1584, the Indian peoples of NC had ancient, sophisticated societies expertly adapted to the land. This program examines NC Indian societies and cultures, particularly those living in the eastern part of the state before the English arrived at Roanoke. Topics discussed include pre-Columbian history of NC, the roles of Indian men and women, how they lived, their societies and economics. Dr. David LaVere illustrates the program with John White’s 1586 images of North Carolinian Indians.

Too often, whether it is in movies, novels, or even history books, when it comes to American history, Indians are viewed merely as interesting sideshows or as menacing nuisances, which must be pushed aside for the nation to achieve its destiny. In reality, American Indians were integral to the development of the United States, its institutions, and its history. This compelling program Dr.

Many interwoven issues face Native Americans today. Although these are contemporary issues, they have grown out of the long and often bitter history of contact between Native Americans and the newer Americans. Dr. Stanley Knick addresses the following issues from a cultural and historical perspective: cultural diversity, stereotypes, state and federal government regulation, religious freedom, health and substance abuse, and the Pan-Indian movement.

Why is there such a large group of Cherokees in western North Carolina? Why weren’t they removed with the over 16,000 Cherokees that were moved to Indian Territory in the 1830s? This program looks at the origin and legal basis of the Eastern Band of Cherokees and the problems they have had since, including additional threats of removal, the repeated loss of the lands they now occupy, the quest for citizenship, and the right to vote (which they did not get uncontested right to until 1945.)

Although most people are familiar with how the Native Americans adopted white man’s culture and became Americanized, many are not aware of what we borrowed from the Indians. Native Americans affected virtually every aspect of our lives today, including language, government, literature, recreation, medicine, hygiene, and food. Europeans influenced Cherokee politics and society and threatened their entire belief system. Their influence also brought dramatic changes in population size, settlement patterns and men’s and women’s traditional roles.

The removal of the Cherokee Nation from its homeland in the Southeast to a new territory beyond the Mississippi remains a compelling and controversial event in United States history. The Cherokee, more than any other Native American people, tried to adopt Anglo American culture. In a remarkably short time, they transformed their society and modified their traditional culture in order to conform to United States policy, to fulfill the expectations of white politicians and philanthropists, and most importantly, to preserve tribal integrity.