Native American Myths

Myth 1.  Obviously Native Americans never said "How" or anything like it, and there were several different Native American languages, in the more than 100 different tribes.

Myth 2.  Unlike television and the movies, not all Native Americans lived on the plains and rode horses.  Their cultures varied in a myriad of diversified religions and beliefs.  In some cultures, women controlled who sat on councils and who didn't.  Native American homes ranged from Tepees, Hogans, Wigwams, Long Houses, Grass House, Chickees, to Adobe Houses, and more.  Native Americans lived in every part of North America, including the desert. 

Myth 3.  All Native Americans look alike.  Not so.  We all know that according to what we have seen in the media, they all were bronze in color and dark skinned.  Actually some were very light skinned as were some tribes in Minnesota, so much so that some early settlers thought they were the lost tribe of Israel, and some tribes were naturally dark skinned.  If you look at some old western photos of Native Americans on the plains and southwest they seem very dark, compared to their ancestors now living; the reason, they spent most of their time outdoors.

Myth 4.  Unlike the movies, only on one or two occasions did pioneers circle the wagons during an attack, the reason for this was Native Americans knew this would be suicide. 

Myth 5.  All Native Americans were war like.  Many tribes especially along each coast and many other areas, were hunter gatherers.  They fished, hunted and farmed.  Some tribes were so peaceful that in the end it cost them their existence.  Most people don't realize that by the time Europeans had been in this country for over 100 years, more than 50 tribes were wiped out by either disease, or by slaughter.

Myth 6.  Native Americans always killed settlers.  Again, not so.  Were it not for many different tribes, many settlers to North America would not have survived in the wilderness.

Myth 7.  Native Americans started taking scalps on their own.  In truth, many now believe the practice started when the English and French during the "Indian Wars", paid those who fought on their side for scalps to prove that they actually killed an enemy; and thus it was passed on to other tribes.

Myth 8.  That the first contact with Native Americans was on the East Coast during the 1600's.  The Spanish had made contact with them in the southwest in the 1500's.  In actuality, contact with them was probably made a lot earlier than that.  We'll get in to that on our American History page.

Myth 9.  All our medicines were created by doctors and scientist.  Over 100 medicines we use today and it's derivates were passed on by Native Americans.

Myth 10.  Native Americans reached this country about 4,000 years ago across the Bering Strait.  We now know that they have been here for at least 10,000 years or more and some may have migrated from Europe across the northern ice according to recent discoveries in regards to the similarity and style of Clovis arrowheads found both in Southern Europe and the Chesapeake Bay area.