Native american History

09/25/2025

In the winter of 1805, a teenage Shoshone girl gave birth in a rugged fort, and just weeks later, began walking across a continent with her newborn strapped to her back to help forge a nation.

Her name was Sacagawea. She was the wife of Toussaint Charbonneau, a translator hired for the Lewis and Clark Expedition. While her husband was the one officially on the payroll, it was Sacagawea who would prove to be indispensable.

Carrying her infant son, Jean Baptiste, she was a symbol of peace. Her presence with the Corps of Discovery signaled to Native tribes that their mission was not a war party, opening doors that would have otherwise remained closed.

Her quiet competence was astounding. On May 14, 1805, when a sudden squall capsized one of their boats, it was Sacagawea who calmly reached into the water to rescue the expedition's priceless journals, maps, and instruments while the men panicked.

Months later, as the expedition faced starvation and was desperate for horses to cross the Rocky Mountains, they encountered a band of Shoshone. In a moment that feels like an act of providence, the chief of the tribe turned out to be her own brother, Cameahwait, whom she hadn't seen since she was captured as a child.

This miraculous reunion saved the expedition. Because of her, they got the horses and guides needed to survive the mountains.

Her knowledge of edible plants kept the men from starving, and her guidance through the wilderness was invaluable. She did all of this without being an official member of the party.

When the journey ended, her husband was paid $500.33 for his services. Sacagawea, the teenage mother who was the true key to their success, received nothing.

09/25/2025

Many people are thinking that Africa had no history. However, historical and archeological studies have proven that Africa has a richer and greater history than ancient historians have tried to have us believe. 1. The human race is African descent. The oldest known skeletal remains of anatomically modern humans (or homo sapiens) have been unearthed at sites in East Africa. Human remains were discovered in Omo, Ethiopia and date back to 195,000 years, the oldest known in the world. 2. Prehuman skeletons were discovered in Africa between 4 and 5 million years ago. The oldest known ancestral type of mankind is thought to be Australopithecus ramidus, which lived at least 4.4 million years ago. 3. Africans were the first to organize fishing expeditions 90,000 years ago. In Katanda, a region in the northeastern part of Zaire (now Congo), a series of finely crafted harpon tips were recovered, all thoroughly polished and barbed. A tool, equally well designed, was also discovered, it is believed to be a dagger. The findings suggest the existence of a first aquatic or fish-based culture. 4. Africans were the first to start mining 43,000 years ago. In 1964, a hematite mine was discovered in Swaziland on the Bomvu ridge in the Ngwenya mountain range. Eventually, 300,000 items were recovered, including thousands of stone mining tools. Adrian Boshier, one of the archaeologists present at the site, dated the mine to an astonishing 43,200 years old. 5. Africans pioneered basic arithmetic 25,000 years ago. The Ishango bone is a tool handle with engraved notches found in the Ishango region of Zaire (today called Congo) near Lake Edward. The bone tool was originally thought to be over 8,000 years old ......

09/24/2025

Apache girls - 1906

09/24/2025

09/24/2025

A Glimpse into Kiowa-Crow Life – 1890s South Dakota
The 1890s photograph by H.G. Perry captures a Kiowa-Crow Native American family—a mother, father, son, and daughter—offering a rare and intimate view of life for Indigenous peoples during a pivotal period in American history. Taken in South Dakota, this image represents both the resilience and cultural richness of the Kiowa-Crow people, who were deeply rooted in the Great Plains region.
The Kiowa and Crow tribes are both distinct Native American nations, with their own unique histories, languages, and traditions. The Kiowa people, originally from the Great Basin area, were known for their warrior culture and affiliation with the Plains Indians. They later moved eastward, along with their allies, to parts of South Dakota, where they interacted with other tribes like the Crow. The Crow, known for their nomadic lifestyle and reliance on the buffalo, played a major role in the culture and social dynamics of the plains.
By the 1890s, Native American families like this one were navigating an era of profound change. Following decades of displacement, violence, and forced assimilation policies, many Indigenous peoples had already been moved to reservations, where their traditional ways of life were severely disrupted. The Indian Removal Act of 1830, the Battle of Little Bighorn (1876), and later boarding schools were attempts by the U.S. government to strip Native Americans of their culture, yet despite these efforts, Indigenous families like the one photographed here continued to retain elements of their cultural identity.
This portrait, taken at a time when the Indigenous population faced immense challenges, serves as a testament to the strength, perseverance, and deep-rooted cultural identity of Native American families. The resilience of the Kiowa-Crow people, as well as other tribes, remains a vital part of America’s historical narrative.

09/24/2025

Tzi-Kal-Tza, son of Captain William Clark, seated in field holding rifle, Montana, probably between 1866 and 1867
"The date of this man's birth was either about June, 1806, or March, 1807... He was engaged in the Nez Perce Indian War in Idaho and Montana, and was made prisoner with Chief Joseph at the Battle of Bear Paw Mountain. He was sent with Joseph and other prisoners to Indian Territory, where he died in 1878 or 1879, aged about 72 years old...During my residence in Montana I often met this half blood son of Captain Clark...With an appreciation of the historical interest which I would some day attach to this man, I persuaded him to have his photograph taken...The Hon. Granville Stuart, the first Secretary of the Historical Society of Montana, who was well acquainted with Captain Clark's son, has confirmed my declaration that this is his picture, and none other,..." -- Nathaniel Pitt Langford, St. Paul, Minnesota.

09/23/2025

As Native people, I understand that our lives are not bound only to distant memories. We do not live to be trapped in the past, but we honor it—for within every story, every song, and every footprint of our ancestors lies the strength that carries us forward.

We have witnessed loss: lands taken, voices silenced, and futures denied. Yet our very existence today is proof that we have not been erased. Our traditions endure, our languages still echo, and the spirit of our ancestors continues to guide us.

To protect the present means to care for our communities, nurture our children, and preserve the lifeblood that Earth and Sky have entrusted to us. To reclaim the future means to ensure that the promises of our ancestors are not forgotten, and that no one else decides our path for us.

Being Native is about continuity: the past gives us wisdom, the present gives us strength, and the future will stand as proof that we endure—proud, resilient, and unbroken.

09/23/2025

NORTHERN CHEYENNE MOTHER & CHILD, 1880 to perhaps as late as 1905. The rarely seen and superb portrait was made at L.A. Huffman's Miles City (Montana) studio. The view was likely posed outdoors in front of a backdrop, using sunlight and a reflector rather than a powder flash. The baby's cloth vest was decorated with cowry shells, not elk ivories. Text and Photoshop restoration of image by Gary Coffrin. PC users can click photo to better see details.

L.A. Huffman’s postcard with a different view of the same two subjects can be seen in the first comment on my page.

09/23/2025

SCORCHED LIGHTNING, circa 1880, photographed by L.A. Huffman at Fort Keogh in Eastern Montana. Scorched Lightning was said to be Miniconjou, a division of the Lakota (Sioux) people. He was with Spotted Eagle's band, and some suggest he may have been his son. He wore a necklace made from grizzly bear claws, an animal respected for strength and fearlessness. A metal medallion was on his head. The buckskin shirt displayed intricate quill or bead work, and its origins might not be Sioux.

L.A. Huffman's portraits of First People rank among the best in USA history. I cropped the view to match the version in "The Frontier Years." Jack Coffrin developed all the photos for that book and the second book on L.A. Huffman, "Before Barbed Wire," using Huffman's original negatives.

Authors Mark Brown and Bill Felton ignited Coffrin's love of Huffman photos. Later, he started Coffrin's Old West Gallery in Miles City, a business focused on Huffman photos. Click image to enlarge/clarify on a PC. Text and small-file Photoshop restoration of image by Gary Coffrin.

09/21/2025

This photograph captures a Shoshoni man in full regalia at Fort Washakie. 🪶📸 Every bead, feather, and stitch carries history and identity. These portraits are more than images—they are windows into strength and tradition. A legacy that continues to inspire generations. 🌿✨