Everything you wanted to know about Indians but were afraid to ask
Introduction: Ambassador -- Terminology: -- What terms are most appropriate for talking about North America's first people? -- What terms are not appropriate for talking about North American's first people? -- What terms are most appropriate for talking about each tribe? -- How do I know how to spell all these complicated terms? -- What term is most appropriate-nation, band, tribe, or reservation? -- What does the word powwow mean? -- How can I find out the meaning of the place names around me that come from indigenous languages? -- History: -- How many Indians were in North and South America before contact? -- When did Indians really get to North America? -- Why does it matter when Indians got here? -- What do Indians say about their origins? -- Who else made it here before Columbus? -- Did Native Americans scalp? -- Did Indians practice polygamy?-do they now? -- What are native views about homosexuality? -- How was gender configured in native communities? -- Do indigenous people in Canada get treated more fairly by their government than those in the United States? -- What is the real story of Columbus? -- Why does getting the Columbus story right matter? -- What is the real story of Thanksgiving? -- What is the real story of Pocahontas? -- When did the US government stop making treaties with Indians and why? -- Why do some people use the word genocide in discussing the treatment of Indians? -- Religion, Culture & Identity: -- Why do Indians have long hair? -- Do Indians live in teepees? -- What is fasting and why do Indians do it? -- What are clans and do all Indians have them? -- Where are the real Indians? -- What does traditional mean? -- Aren't all Indians traditional? -- Why is it called a "traditional Indian fry bread taco"? -- What is Indian time? -- What are Indian cars? -- I thought that Indians have a strong sense of ecological stewardship, so why do I also see a lot of trash in some yards? -- Do Indians have a stronger sense of community than non-Indians? -- What is Indian religion? -- Why do Indians use tobacco for ceremonies? -- It seems like Indians have a deeper spiritual connection than in many religious traditions. Is that true? -- What are some of the customs around pregnancy and childbirth? -- What are naming ceremonies? -- Can a nonnative person get an Indian name? -- What are coming-of-age ceremonies? -- How come everyone's laughing at a traditional Indian funeral? -- Do they charge for participation in native ceremonies? -- What is a sweat lodge? -- Do Indians still get persecuted for their religious beliefs? -- Powwow: -- What is a powwow? -- What do the different styles of dance mean? -- Why are "49" songs sung in English? -- How come they have a prize purse at powwows? -- Can white people dance at powwows? -- Do women sing at powwows? -- What is the protocol for gifts at powwows? -- Tribal Languages: -- How many tribal languages are spoken in North America? -- Which ones have a chance to be here a hundred years from now? -- Why are fluency rates higher in Canada? -- It seems like tribal languages won't give native people a leg up in the modern world-why are tribal languages important to Indians? -- Why should tribal languages be important to everyone else? -- What are the challenges to successfully revitalizing tribal languages? -- When were tribal languages first written down? -- Many tribal languages were never written-why do they write them now? -- Why is it funnier in Indian? -- How do tribal languages encapsulate a different world view?