By Victor Block
In the 17th century, members of the Mahican Native American tribe migrated to Massachusetts. Today, there are two federally recognized tribes in the state, the Mashpee Wampanoag and Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah).
During the autumn of 1621, Wampanoag Indians joined English immigrants to celebrate a successful harvest. That is remembered as the “First Thanksgiving,” although no one used that term at the time.
The peaceful and friendly setting gave way to fighting and, eventually, the subjugation of Native Americans. Today, Thanksgiving for some tribes is marked not as a celebration but rather a reminder of the negative impact of European colonization on Indigenous people.
Visitors to some reservations may relive that historic pre-Thanksgiving story through dance, song, and other presentations. They also may delve into the diverse customs and cultures of Native American tribes, and recapture intriguing chapters of America’s past. While these places are well worth a visit at any time of year, they become significant during November, which is designed as American Indian Heritage Month.
Members of the Blackfeet tribe who inhabit its reservation in Montana are believed to be so named because of the color of their moccasins. Historical sites and a museum relate their story, and eight large lakes and Glacier National Park, which straddles the U.S.-Canada border, add to the magnificent landscape.
The Navajo Nation, which sprawls across three southwestern states, is the largest Native American reserve, covering an area about the size of West Virginia. It encompasses Monument Valley, a region of sandstone buttes that is sacred to the Navajo people, and other magnificent handiworks of Mother Nature.
Other attractions are smaller in size but not interest. The Blackwater Draw is a stream channel that runs from New Mexico to Texas. Early people visited the area to hunt for bison, wolves, and other animals whose remains have been excavated in archaeological digs. Generations of some of the earliest New World inhabitants hunted and camped along the waterway.
Ancient petroglyphs are the attraction at the Judaculla Rock in North Carolina. That boulder is decorated by some 1,550 carvings that have been dated back to 200 to 1400 A.D. The etchings include stick-like figures, ring designs, and claw-like imprints. Sculpted impressions indicate where extractions were made to fashion bowls and pipes.
By far the most momentous site is the Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado. Its 600 cliff dwellings and other structures comprise the largest archaeological preserve in the United States.
Beginning around 7500 B.C., Mesa Verde (Spanish for garden table mountain) was a seasonal habitat for Pueblonian Indians who lived by hunting, gathering, and subsistence farming. Around the end of the 12 century A.D., they began to construct the first cliff dwellings. Soon after, they left the area.
A popular time to engage in Native American culture is during periodic powwows that take place throughout the year. That word is derived from the Narragansett People’s term for “spiritual leader.”
These gatherings provide opportunities for Indigenous people to socialize, dance, sing, story tell and honor their cultures. A recent listing of these events taking place in Wisconsin includes art and craft displays, birchbark canoe building, basket weaving, and pottery making.
Tour operators provide a convenient way to experience Native American culture, with the added benefit of knowledgeable guides. Redwood Yurok Canoe Tours introduce participants to the Yurok tribe, the largest in California. They travel in dugout canoes through remote spots along the Klamath River, the second longest in the state whose abundant fish population has been a major source of food for the tribe for centuries.
The Kootenai in Idaho, Washington, Montana, and Canada are known as the Water People because of their skills related to lakes and rivers. A descendant of Native American royalty who leads Water People Tours introduces her charges to the tribe’s history and lifestyle.
If you’re planning to visit a Native American reservation, check first to learn if it welcomes guests and what, if any, rules or restrictions are in place. Remember that you are a guest in the tribal nation’s homeland, so enter it with a feeling of respect and a quest for learning.
About the Author: After gallivanting around the U.S. and more than 75 other countries, retiree Victor Block retains the travel bug. He believes travel offers a wonderful education, and says he still has a lot to learn. He loves experiencing new destinations and cultures, and his stories have won numerous writing awards.
