Indigenous Peoples’ Day: Things You Wouldn’t Have Without Native Americans

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UPDATED: 8:00 a.m. ET, Oct. 14

Indigenous Peoples’ Day finally allows us to highlight Native Americans and their contributions to American society.

On Oct. 8, 2021, Joe Biden became the first president to acknowledge the holiday, declaring it a national holiday, which we now celebrate on the second Monday of October.

In 2024’s proclamation on Indigenous Peoples’ Day, Biden recognized the strength, courage, and resilience of Native Americans and said he has remained committed to “writing a new and better chapter in our history.”

“Today, Indigenous peoples lead in every way, share their histories, and strengthen their communities, ” Biden said. “They are also stewarding lands and waters, growing our shared prosperity, and celebrating the good of our Nation while pushing us to tell the full truth of our history.  Indigenous peoples have long served in the United States military, fighting for democracy and Indigenous communities continue to be an integral part of the fabric of the United States, contributing so much to our shared prosperity. I remain committed to writing a new and better chapter in our history.  To make this new era of self-determination a reality, we must honor the solemn promises the United States made to fulfill our trust and treaty obligations to Tribal Nations and work together to rebuild Tribal economies and institutions.”

The indigenous Americans helped shape everything we know about agriculture. They’ve influenced our art, music and even our way of life.

According to the USDA, 60% of the present world’s food supply comes from the American Indians’ agriculture, primarily consisting of corn and the so-called “Irish” potatoes. We’ve used their names for states, cities, streets, lakes, mountains and rivers. Almost half of our states have Indian names. Indian lore taught us how to fish and hunt and live off the land. Their teachings laid the foundation for groups like the Boys Scouts & Girls Scouts of America.

The U.S. Democracy was even influenced by Inca, Mayan and Aztec cultures. Many concepts in the United States Constitution can be traced back to the Iroquois Confederacy of 1142, the oldest living participatory democracy on earth.

Early Indians were Americans’ first explorers, traveling the northern and southern hemispheres building pathways that would lead to our first roads and railways. Their historical knowledge of plant life would lead to our medicines, soaps and clothes. American Indians, Alaska Natives and Native Hawaiians have given so much to this country. Their contributions are invaluable and we wouldn’t have a country without them.

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Here are ten things you wouldn’t have without Indigenous people:

1. The log cabin was an adaptation of the Indian log or longhouse.
2. Canoeing, lacrosse and tug-of-war were sports created by Native Americans.
3. Corn, 14 different beans, maple syrup, wild rice, pumpkin and avocado all started with Native American farmers.
4. Native Americans invented the first chewing gum.
5. Although snowshoes were invented in Central Asia, it was adopted by Native Americans in the Great Lakes region of the early Americas. They evolved the shoe into what it is today.
6. Barbecues, hammocks, kayaks and moccasins are all Native American words adopted into our modern culture.
7. Native Americans developed and communicated with sign language. They used a system of hand signals to facilitate trade and other communications with other tribes.
8. Tobacco, cigars and pipe smoking were rich Native American traditions.
9. Cotton was originally a Native American resource. Europeans saw its value and created an entire slave trade to produce it on a national scale.
10. Native Americans were the first known culture to use rubber. They used it to make containers, as well as a ball they played games with.

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