History 1492: Columbus enters San Salvador 1607: The „roundheads“ found the first English colony near Jamestown in what is Virginia today 1615: Iroquian villages are being attacked by the English 1620: The pilgrims land on the rock of Plymouth, New England 1754: The Ottawa ( a tribe from the north ) fight on the side of the French in the British-French war 1776: Declaration of Independence of the USA

1790: Declaration of George Washington concerning protecting rights for Native Americans : Militaristic actions against the six Iroquian Nations who are repeatedly forced to give up land 1824: Bureau for Indian Affairs is founded as a department of the ministry of war 1830: Removal Act: 97,000 Native Americans are being resettled from the eastern-Mississippi areas to the so- called Indian Territory in Oklahoma 1838/39: „Trail of Tears“: deportation of the Cherokee from North Carolina to Oklahoma 1876: The battle at Little Bighorn River takes place 1877: The Native American population decreases to 44,000

Some weapons the Indians used

1887: The Dawes- or Allotment-Act is being adopted, leading to a reduction of Native American land from 140 to 50 million acres within few decades 1924: All Native Americans obtain Civil Rights 1934: Wheeler -Howard-Act: partial self-government for the reservations 1949: The Hoover-Commission recommends certain tribes to be released from state guardianship 1968: Foundation of the American Indian Movement Nov. 1972: The Bureau of Indian Affairs in Washington is occupied by participants of the „Trail of Broken Treaties“ Feb. 1973: Members of the AIM occupy the historical place „Wounded Knee“ in South Dakota, the armed conflict lasts until April

Locations of tribes in the USA

Culture The Cherokee lived in about 200 villages A town consisted of 30 to 60 houses and a council house used for general meetings and religious ceremonies „Three sisters“: corn, beans and squash Villages were largely independent Cherokee men enjoyed ball games, hunting and warfare Cherokee women made baskets Cherokee Tear Dress: traditional fashion for women Stomp Dance: traditional dance

The Sequoya alphabet

Repelling of the Indians Beginning of the Indians‘ fall was in 1492 when Columbus discovered America First settlers arrived at America‘s eastern coast in the 17th century and tried to convince the Indians of Christianity The Cherokee are one of the most famous tribes of the Indians They fought on the English side during the War of Independence ( ). The civilised tribes (Cherokee, Creek, Choctaw, Seminole, Chickasaw) Discovery of gold in Georgia

Law of Resettlement: from the south east to Oklahoma Soldiers forced the Cherokee into camps In summer 1838 the first trek started to Oklahoma In autumn 1838 the second trip started During this time more than 4,000 Cherokee died, nearly one quarter of the whole tribe During the civil war the Cherokee fought on the side of the southern states 300,000 settlers were sent to Oklahoma In 1907 Oklahoma became the 46th state

The Native Americans today Or: What happened to them after taking away their land and freedom ?! In the 1960s the government started their Termination- and Relocating policy Today 2% of the American population is Indian Only 3% of the original Indian land is today still owned by the Indians, distributed in 267 reservations Most reservations are in the North- and Southwest  The biggest and best-known is the „Navajo reservation“ 310 state-recognised tribes and 197 Alaska-groups Indians are living in the reservations and about 1 Mill. outside or in towns

Reservations across the USA

Reservations across Oklahoma

The living conditions in the USA Although the USA are one of the richest countries in the world, the residential areas of the Indians are ranking under the third-world-countries The Termination policy led to the ruin of many tribes They had to look for work in the towns, but then they stopped existing to the BIA Still today they belong to the disadvantaged people in the towns Problems like racism, alcohol, poverty, unemployment and isolation in social and cultural regards

The situation in the reservation is not better, it is a proof for the Indian hostile policy in the USA An unemployment rate of 80% in some reservations The income lies in some parts 20% under the subsistence level High infant mortality, illiteracy, alcohol problems and lawlessness Bad health-care system Hardly get fresh fruits or vegetables or they can‘t pay it

On the other hand you can find self-employed Indians Mohawks are specialists in high-construction-buildings Some tribes had the luck to be the owner of rich land where uranium or oil was found Today the Indians are still fighting for their territories and their land In case you visit a reservation think of this: the Native Americans expect politeness, respect and reserve

We know that the earth is not owned by men, men are owned by the earth but the white man does not understand this, for him one part of the land is like the other. He treats his mother, the earth and his father, the sky like something he can buy and sell cheaply like a sheap A aphorism or wisesaying by an Indian: