today’s holiday: Tekakwitha Feast Day

Tekakwitha Feast Day

The first Native American to be beatified, Kateri Tekakwitha (1656-1680) is a venerated figure among both Catholics and Native Americans. Catholic churches hold mass on her feast day, during which congregants may offer prayers to God through her intercession. Among the North American churches and shrines, sites that have noteworthy feast day celebrations are the National Kateri Shrine in Fonda, New York, where she first encountered Christianity, and the Kateri Center at the Saint Francis-Xavier Mission at Kahnawake, Quebec, where she lived following her conversion. More… Discuss

this day in the yesteryear: The Gnadenhütten Massacre (1782)

The Gnadenhütten Massacre (1782)

During the American Revolution, the Lenape, or Delaware, group of Native Americans found itself divided on the issue of which side, if any, to take in the conflict. Some members elected to fight against the Americans, while others—particularly Christian converts—remained neutral. In 1782, an American militia seeking revenge for Native American raids on frontier settlements killed 96 Christian Delawares in Gnadenhütten, Ohio. What military leader was later killed in retaliation for Gnadenhütten? More… Discuss

Obsidian

Obsidian is a very shiny volcanic glass that is sometimes used as a semiprecious stone. Though it is formed by the rapid cooling of viscous lava, obsidian is only slightly harder than window glass. It is typically jet black, but the presence of hematite produces red and brown varieties, and tiny gas bubbles may create a golden sheen. Obsidian was used by Native Americans for weapons, implements, tools, and ornaments and by the ancient Aztecs and Greeks for mirrors. What is snowflake obsidian? More… Discuss

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THIS DAY IN THE YESTERYEAR: BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS CREATED (1824)

Bureau of Indian Affairs Created (1824)

Though the Bureau of Indian Affairs was given jurisdiction over trade with Native Americans and was responsible for protecting them from exploitation, it had little success safeguarding Native American rights and, instead, evolved primarily into a land-administering agency. It now acts as trustee over Native American funds and lands, promotes development, and provides Native Americans with various social services. How was the Bureau involved in a class-action lawsuit against the US government? More… Discuss

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TODAY’S BIRTHDAY: GERTRUDE SIMMONS BONNIN, AKA ZITKALA-SA (1876)

Gertrude Simmons Bonnin, AKA Zitkala-Sa (1876)

Born to a Sioux mother and white father, Bonnin was raised on a reservation in present-day South Dakota. When she was eight, she was sent to a Quaker missionary school for Native Americans and was profoundly affected by the school’s efforts to suppress students’ cultural identity and assimilate them into mainstream American culture. As an adult, she dedicated herself to preserving Native American culture through her writing and political activism. What is the meaning of her pen name, Zitkala-Sa? More… Discuss

 

This Day in the Yesteryear: SAMOSET WALKS INTO PLYMOUTH COLONY, GREETS PILGRIMS IN ENGLISH (1621)

Samoset Walks into Plymouth Colony, Greets Pilgrims in English (1621)

Half of the English pilgrims from the Mayflower perished during their first winter in the New World, and as the survivors struggled to build their settlement at Plymouth, they had several tense encounters with Native Americans. That spring, a Native American named Samoset unexpectedly walked into their settlement and greeted them in English. Within days, he had introduced them to their neighbors. As it happened, Samoset was merely visiting the area. Where had he learned English? More… Discuss