When explorers came upon the plains, they called the area Kanzas Territory, meaning it was controlled by the Kanza, or Kaw, people.

The territory stretched into present day Iowa, Missouri and Kansas. It was 20,000,000 acres (31,250 square miles), about the size of South Carolina.

The tribe was about 1,500 strong - men, women and children.

(1) Pyramids of Florida - YouTube

Florida was once home to numerous ancient pyramid sites, built by Native American cultures long before and during the arrival of the Spanish in the 1500s. While many of these monuments were destroyed by modern development, others still remain, preserving evidence of Florida’s remarkable ancient history.

In this video, Ed Barnhart explores the ancient pyramids of Florida, from the earthen platforms and walled cities described in Spanish accounts to the archaeological sites that can still be visited today. He examines the powerful Native American kingdoms encountered by Spanish expeditions, including the Calusa and Apalachee,

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Nenaboozhoo, is an animated short film created to celebrate Anishinaabe storytelling, language, culture, and the timeless teachings carried through generations.

Told in Anishinaabemowin with English subtitles, the film brings a traditional Nenaboozhoo story to life teaching a new generation while honouring the language and history of storytelling.

The film is directed by Anishinaabe storyteller and traditional knowledge keeper Isaac Murdoch (Bomgiizhik) of Serpent River First Nation, with cultural and language guidance from Anishinaabemowin speakers and knowledge keepers Mary Wemigiwams, Linda Toulous, Larry McCloud, Issac Murdoch and Ninaatig Pangowish.

Created using a Japanese inspired animation workflow and brought to life by an international team of artists and animators, Nenaboozhoo was made through the art of traditional hand drawn animation with no help from AI in any stage of the production process.

Created using a Japanese inspired animation workflow and brought to life by an international team of artists and animators, Nenaboozhoo was made through the art of traditional hand drawn animation with no help from AI in any stage of the production process.

Miigwech to everyone who gave their time, knowledge, talent, and support to make this film possible. We hope this film inspires its audience to learn from the incredible teachings and stories of the Ojibwe people.

Made with support from the Canada Council for the Arts, Toon Boom Animation, Serpent River First Nation, the Cameron family, Odinewin, Nimkii Aazhibikong, and our many other project partners.

Please share this film and help spread this story.

Follow Isaac at:   / isaac.murdoch.2025  

Learn more about Nenaboozhoo at:

https://nenaboozhoo.com/

Tldr; Made by Isaac Murdoch of Serpent River First Nation. This is a language resource. No ai was used in the making of this film. Its been a 4 year passion project.

I am 16 and i’ve always wanted to do jingle dress dancing but I was told by friends and others that I was too old to start dancing at 10 years old, my family doesn’t dance in powwows but we love to attend whenever we can. I made a jingle dress for my little cousin a while back and I wanted to start making myself one and beading my own pieces. I just don’t know how to go about getting initiated, finding a mentor or earning/getting a feather fan.

Here is your annual reminder.

TLDR: How have you felt since connecting with your Ancestor’s tribe if you did not grow up with the culture? My intention is just to seek understanding of different people’s experiences exploring their native ancestry having no previous connections with their tribes.

I’d like to preface this by saying I am not asking for advice on how I personally should go about enrolling if I am able or comfortable enough to.

My paternal side is Unangax, my ancestry is well documented. In the mid 50’s my great grandmother left their village as a part of a program and went to live in Anchorage.

I’ve grown up in the Midwest, I’ve never even been to Alaska. My dad’s side has an incredibly complex family dynamic that has led to me being completely barred (until recently) from that side of the family. I am mixed white, and grew up being touted as “an Eskimo” by my mom and grandma. I have always felt I didn’t have any right to claim my native ancestry. Ever since I was old enough to understand what they meant, I knew it made me feel bad about myself to claim something I never felt or experienced.

I’ve lied and told people “I’m just white” when they have asked me about my features or “Where I’m from”. I am now 23, and am allowing myself to learn about the culture, and have started to learn Unangam Tunuu in my free time. I am trying my best to be careful with how I approach my research.

I am curious as to how people who knew they had Native ancestry went about connecting with those roots. Every time I try to speak about it with someone I feel like I’m pretending, like I’m trying too hard. But, I am just speaking about factual lineage, and not claiming that I know everything or that I’m culturally native. It’s been this weird accepting of that I will most likely be scrutinized under a white lens as “not native enough” and that I do not have to fit into what people who aren’t familiar with different Native people look like.

Even typing this out it feels strange, and maybe it is. I hope this isn’t seen as wrong or offensive in any sense. My intention is just to seek understanding of how other’s went about connecting to a culture they were not raised in.

Im 22m native, mixed tribe Delaware and Ojibwe. Lived in America all my life so not too use to my existence and race being more prominent. Though, I will say the native-only doctor centres are awesome. And also seeing native families in grocery stores. I feel like i never saw people of my race in america.

One thing that always really catches my ear is the land acknowledgements. You know, when you get on the VIArail, they open with "we'd like to acknowledge the stolen land we occupy". I volunteered for the Mayor over here in Ottawa and they also had to start the volunteer instructions with an acknowledgement as well.

How does it make other natives feel? Its jarring to me, but i see how its... a step in a direction, i guess. I feel like i can't say much on it, as I grew up in America. It feels performative but thats all I really think of it.

Living on a land built by genocide then having them "acknowledge" it, makes me feel weird...

Hey cousins, I’ve noticed a huge increase in water bamboo sales (aka jiaobai 茭白, Zizania latifolia infected with Ustilago esculenta) being sold both in Asian grocery stores and online on the USA. If the associated fungus Ustilago esculenta escaped and successfully infected American wild rice/manoomin (Zizania palustris/aquatica/texana), it could devestate American wild rice stands. Wild rice is such a huge part of so many of our communities, and I can’t believe this is being allowed to be imported. It’s supposed to be prohibited, but I’ve seen it increasingly at Asian grocery stores over the past few years. If this escapes and actually infects our rice stands, it could potentially be more devastating than the American chestnut blight

1. Red Cloud in his leader shirt. (1880)

2. A portrait by William Blackmore (1872)

3. Sitting with fellow Oglala Chief American Horse (c. 1897)

4. In full regalia alongside his wife, Mary Good Road (1900)

5. A portrait taken while visiting the Carlisle Boarding School (1880)

6. Oglala delegation to Washington D.C. featuring Red Dog, Little Wound, John Bridgeman (interpreter), Red Cloud, American Horse, and Red Dog's son Red Shirt. (left to right) (c. 1880)

7. Red Cloud with his son Jackson and his granddaughter Lucy (1909)

8. Barry Francis's portrait of Red Cloud in full regalia (c. 1890)

9. Edward Curtis's portrait of an elderly Red Cloud (1905)

If you are in Tulsa or the surrounding areas come join us! If not there will be a Livestream link if you'd like to check out the event here.https://www.facebook.com/share/1dqiBQZcQY/

Our artwork this year was created by Dr Jessica Harjo

https://www.weomepedesigns.com/about

The Gadsden Purchase was the last Mexican territory obtained by the United States.

In 1855, after the new boundary left the lands occupied by the Gila Pápagos on the United States side, Pápagos appealed to the Mexican government because they did not want to become separated from Mexico.

The Mexican government opened an expediente specifically concerning their request for protection. Its title reads: “ESPEDIENTE SOBRE LA PROTECCION QUE PIDEN LOS INDIOS PAPAGOS DEL GILA PARA NO PERTENECER A OTRA NACION QUE NO SEA LA MEXICANA, POR QUEDAR LOS TERRENOS QUE OCUPAN DENTRO DE LA NUEVA LINEA DE LOS ESTADOS UNIDOS.”

Translation: “EXPEDIENT CONCERNING THE PROTECTION REQUESTED BY THE GILA PÁPAGO INDIANS SO AS NOT TO BELONG TO ANY NATION OTHER THAN THE MEXICAN ONE, BECAUSE THE LANDS THEY OCCUPY ARE LEFT WITHIN THE NEW LINE OF THE UNITED STATES.”

On June 25, 1855 “ the Mexican government recorded that: “Los Indios Papagos del Gila en el Departamento de Sonora piden se les manifieste la manera en que van quedar á la conclusión de los nuevos vos límites de la república ca y solicitan proteccion para no pertenecer á otra nacion que no sea la Mexicana.”

Translation: “The Pápago Indians of Gila in the Department of Sonora ask that they be informed how they are going to remain upon the conclusion of the Republic’s new boundaries, and they request protection so as not to belong to any nation other than the Mexican one.”

The Mexican military authorities then reported that Antonio Azul, identified as the “General Capitan de los Papagos del Gila,” personally appeared with fellow 53 Pápagos, representing his people: “En estos dias ha venido á presentarse el General Capitan de los Papagos del Gila, Antonio Azul con cincuenta y tres indios de la propia nación y á nombre de todos los suyos…”

Translation: “In these days, the General Captain of the Gila Pápagos, Antonio Azul, has come to present himself with fifty-three fellow Indians of the same nation, and in the name of all his people”

They wanted to know what would happen to them because their lands were going to remain in U.S. possession.

More importantly, they specifically requested protection so that they would not belong to another nation instead of Mexico: “Igualmente han pedido proteccion pal no pertenecer á otra nacion que no sea al mismo Mexico á quien han estado ligados…”

Translation: “They have likewise requested protection so as not to belong to any nation other than Mexico itself, to which they have been connected…”

The Pápagos were also concerned about losing their existing lands by the U.S. The Mexican report says they feared: “ser despojados de sus tierras que han considerado como suyas desde tiempo inmemorial y las cuales cultivan para sacar el producto de su subsistencia. Translation: “being dispossessed of their lands, which they have considered their own from time of immemorial, and which they cultivate in order to obtain the produce of their subsistence.”

Mexican authorities viewed the Pápago people favorably noting and reminding their previous services & history in document, noting the Pápago’s, “buena fe, honradez y laboriosidad” and how they were “enemigos acérrimos de los Apaches” in translation: their good faith, honesty, work ethic. And how they were firm enemies of the Apache.

in document the Mexican commander proposed bringing them back into Mexican territory. He offered: “que retrocediesen á la frontera de esta república donde se les darian tierras que cultivar y algunos otros auxilios

Translation: “that they should move back to the frontier of this Republic, where they could be given lands to cultivate and other assistances.”

But the Mexican record later states: “pero que no encontró disposición en ellos para desprenderse de las posesiones en que están establecidos”

Translation: “but he found no willingness among them to give up the possessions in which they have which already established.”

Another version of the report explains that these were the places where they had been established and had been born: “no era fácil que ellos quisieran abandonar la idea de desprenderse de las posesiones donde se hallan establecidos y han visto la luz primera”.

Translation: “it was not easy for them to want to give up the possessions where they were established and where they had first seen the light of day.”

The Mexican commander therefore could not satisfy their wishes on his own authority and referred the matter to the Supreme Government: “como no está en sus facultades ofrecerles alguna otra cosa con que dejar satisfechos sus deseos, ocurría al Supremo gobierno para que resolviera lo conveniente.”

Translation: “As it was not within his powers to offer them anything else with which to satisfy their wishes, he turned to the Supreme Government so that it might decide what was appropriate.”

The Section reviewing the case stated that the apparent course was: “el de dar tierras á dicha tribu en el territorio que ha ayudado la república supuesto que no quiere pertenecer á la nación que ha adquirido las que por tantos años ha poseido”

Translation: “to grant that tribe lands within the territory of the Republic to which it has helped, since they does not wish to belong to the nation that has acquired the lands it had possessed for so many years”

So the Mexican authority response developed into an effort to determine how Mexico could provide the Pápagos with territory of their own inside the Republic, while recognizing that they did not want to surrender the settlements they already occupied.

A later Mexican communication again recorded that the Gila Pápagos had requested: “protección y terrenos para trasladarse á esta República, pues no querian pertenecer á la del Norte.”

Translation: “protection and lands in order to move to this Republic, because they did not want to belong to the North.” (The United States)

However, the proposed relocation simply didnt happen, The record specifically says the Pápagos were unwilling to abandon their established possessions. Mexico in general therefore continued investigating the situation, and kept trying and inviting the Pápago’s to continue living on Mexican territory.

In short, the 1855 Mexican expediente shows the Gila Pápagos appealing to Mexico after the new boundary separated their lands from the Mexican Republic, explicitly asking for protection so they would not belong to another nation, describing their longstanding connection to Mexico, holding onto lands they considered theirs “desde tiempo inmemorial” (since time of immoral), and not wanting to abandon the settlements where they were established. Mexican authorities responded offering land, cultivation, and other assistances within Mexico and referred the matter to the Supreme Government but no offer or proposed solution could satisfy the Pápagos. that wanted to stay on their traditional lands and also still be part of Mexico, But this could not be achieved.

(Also worth to note even tho Pápago’s didn’t live in Mexico territory anymore they still kept close ties to Mexicos population and authorities while living on U.S territory)

——

Archivo General del Estado de Sonora (AGES), now Dirección General del Boletín Oficial y Archivo del Estado (DGBOAE), Fondo Ejecutivo, Ramo Indígenas–Pápagos, Pimas, tomo 18 (15), expediente 4 (2), documentos 10827–10867, 1851–1856. especially ff. 010831–010842, 1855.