Native American Contributions

Native American Contributions to World Culture

The discovery of the New World brought about the pursuit of raw materials and markets, which in turn lead to worldwide European colonization. The Americas' contributions to world culture included tobacco, rubber, a new form of cotton, hundreds of new plants of medicinal value--aloe vera and aspirin, turkeys, toboggans, moccasins, and snowshoes. Native Americans cultivated more than 50 plant species that are now of major signifance worldwide. Maize (“Indian corn”), beans, potatoes, tomatoes, chili peppers, chicle (gum of the sapodilla--chief ingredient of chewing gum), cacao (chocolate), pineapples, squashes, artichokes, cashews, and maple sugar were all given to the world by Native Americans. The Aztec and Mayan cultures gave the world ZERO that is used in counting.

Native American words and images are around you every day. Let's try to think of a few things that are Native American or have Native American origins.

• Pontiac--Indian chief
• Miami--Indian tribe
• Thunderbird--sacred bird
• Texas--Tejas (Friendship)
• Massachusetts--Massachuset tribe of Algonquin
• Peoria - Illini sub-tribe
• Chicago - place that smells bad
• Alabama - tribe

I Mo Hey Heyo
We All Come Together

The Circle of Life

The Circle of Life is an American Indian symbol for the four Directions. The four colors represent the four stages of life, from childhood to old age; the cycle of seasons, from spring to winter; and the four races of people.

Each of the Four Directions symbolizes a certain power. In this circle, East is red to symbolize the rising of the sun and the morning star of knowledge, South is yellow to symbolize the summer rains which renews life, West is the power of change and is black to remind us of the directions from which storms arrive, and North is white to show rest and Wisdom.

*** Colors and direction vary among tribes. ***