Native American

Native American Characters in the Wildwest 1800's

Lakota- The Lakota are renown as the people of Paha Sapa and the Black Hills of the Dakota's they have connection to Wyoming, Minnesota and many other plains territories it is believed as a Algonquin based people they connect back to the great lakes. Their language being on the plains is what makes them distinct as native peoples as Siouan language only exists among the wild west region. Traditionally there are seven main tribes or bands of Lakota in second life we capture the lifestyle and roles of three which are the Brule, Siha Sapa and Oglala Lakota bands in the Black Hills. Many American's view of Native peoples comes from these proud buffalo hunters and warriors who fought across the plains on horse back for their freedoms and livelihoods. North of the Black Hills there are many groups of Dakota and Nakota who belong to the same nation as the Lakota people these people's territory goes as far as Saskatchewan in Canada. On a bigger level Americans came to know these people as a whole by the name Sioux. The Lakota "Sioux' where a matriarchal society who relied heavily upon elders and clan mothers to guide their future leaders and generations.

Cherokee- The Cherokee nation traditionally comes from the south eastern woodlands around the mountain range in the Carolina's. Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee. Although their language distinct over time they belong to the bigger cultural group you would call Iroqouis not to confuse these with Iroqouis whom call them themselves Haudenosaunee and the Six Nations as they where enemies but shared the same cultural bonds. The Cherokee can trace 1/3rd of their language to the Mayans in Mexico; In terms of origin much suggests at one time they may have come from the great lakes as they have a connection to this region to. The Cherokee where powerful warriors but also strategic farmers and knew how to work the land better then anyone else who lived in the south east. Another main contributing piece to the development of Cherokee culture, language and identity is their traditional connection to the Muscogee or as non-natives call them Creek. The Tuscrarora where once considered Cherokee and broke to to join another culturally simulair group the Haudenosaunee (five nations) now known as Six Nations. By the time the Cherokee's had made it out west very few remained in their homeland confined to the reservation in North Carolina. The majority of Cherokee at this time where living in Oklahoma which was deemed "Indian" country they had been relocated like many tribes in the east. Many Cherokee would flood across the west on the trail of tears and many more after many broken promises of being displaced on reservation after reservation. In this current roleplay the it is assumed the majority of the Cherokee are in Oklahoma there is a small band living in Kansas territory next to the town of Bear River they have become the main tribal group in the region after the Comanche had been forced out or killed off. The Cherokee are few and holding onto what remains of their lands in Kansas territory.

Choctaw- The Choctaw are traditionally from the Mississippi River Valley stretching from Florida to to Louisiana. The Choctaw are believed to connect to most if not all the nations that lived along the Mississippi River Valley and had a connection to the Algonquin based culture group. The Choctaw had a great military history in the east prior to the expansion into the west they also joined in the war of 1812 at the beginning of the century. After a series of broken treaties by the 1830's the Choctaw share a similar fate to the Cherokee where they where forced on the trail of tears a large number relocating to Oklahoma it is believed even while confined to "Indian" country in Oklahoma the Choctaw nation continued to build relations with other native nations. The Choctaw's entered the American Civil War in 1861 many groups like the Cherokee and Choctaw had supported the confederate army of the south in this war even the Cherokee's and some of the native groups like the Choctaw where the last ones fighting even after the south had lost. It is assumed most Choctaw in this roleplay are based in Oklahoma but there is a band and Chief who visits Paha Sapa and various communities throughout the west its believed few Choctaw would have aided in some of the conflicts going on later on in the west.

Comanche- To Comanache where largely spread across the old west from Mexico to the great plains their language and culture connects greatly to the western tribal nations of Mexico and to the Shoshoni people living on the plains. It is believed these people may have had a fall out with the Shoshoni somewhere along the line and began developing relations with New Spain which would later become Mexico. It is believed that historical tensions began to develop once Mexico began to assert its interests over native territory in north western Mexico. The Comanche already had horses from the Spanish which made it hard for Mexico to simply conqour them. As both the United States and Mexico expanded into Comanche country battles began between the three for control of traditional Comanche homelands. It is believe most of the Comanche had been forced into Oklahoma and in this roleplay the Comanche have just been beated out of Kansas so it is assumed all survivors are located in Oklahoma. Historically at this time Quanah Parker leads the last free band of Comanche fighting against the American army it is not long before the last Comanche will arrive on the Oklahoma reservation.

Apache- The Apache are native to the American south west and northern Mexico they are renown as a warrior people and belong to the Athabaskan culture group. They called the high mountains and southern plains their home the Apaches have long fought against the Spanish and Mexican armies. The United States also later clashed with the Apache's during this time there is great tensions between the United States, Mexico and the Apache nations.

Cheyenne- The Cheyenne are the close allies to the Lakota and are native to the plains and Paha Sapa. They spread as far as Montana, Colorado and other great regions of the old west, at this time many of the Cheyenne live in Paha Sapa or across the plains they are strongly aligned with the other plains nations surrounding the Black Hills and are very co-operate with the other nations in their confederacy. They are traditionally a matriachial society

Mingan- The Inuits of Mingan Quebec are situated on a reserve during this time on the Atlantic ocean which easily access to the St Lawrence River they have good access to trade from the northern Inuit nations who have soveignity over their own land and resources. These people are a major trading partner to the Algonquin based people living in the east and down into James Bay. There is a Mingan reservation being built into this roleplay era it is a potential ally to the Mi'kmaq reservations in the east and connected to the trade routes being established to the west to the native tribes in Paha Sapa and other wild west area's connecting to the Mississippi river. These people rely heavily upon their elders and clan mothers to led them as the Indian Agent makes life hard for many.

Crow- The Crow nation traditionally lived from Paha Sapa in the Black Hills to  the Yellow Stone River they lived among the Mississippi as well they where considered the more dominant group in the region it is believed as late as 1799 the Crow where still on good terms with other nations in the plains Arapho attended their Sun Dances it is sometime in the early 1800's that tensions began to arise between the Lakota and Crow which created their allies to pick sides in the conflict eventually. It is believed due to a many changing factures in the old west that tribes that once lived in peace where now enemies in the 1800's the Crow begin raids on many nations across the plains which begins to open up many tensions among different tribes living in the region. In 1851 about fifty one years after tensions has become between the plains nations at the Fort Laramie Treaty there was a attempt at peace among the Lakota, Crow and others the peace did not hold in the second Fort Laramie treaty the Crow where not present and the Crow felt the Americans had betrayed them but their hate for the Lakota over this turned into a strong rivalry among these two nations. During the time of our current roleplay the United States flares up tensions almost like a little boy aging on another little boy to fight the other boy who he is having words with. This will begin a war more or less among the Crow and Lakota it will also force the hands of their allies into conflicts these series of conflicts will led the Crow nation to ultimately side with the United States against the Lakota. They are a Matriarchal society

Pawnee- Traditionally the Pawnee are related to many among the plains and connect to the Caddoan language group many of the Pawnee where farmers and hunters. Their culture group resembled many that had emerged across the plains and northern Mexico at this time they lived in grass lodges, Leading up to the 1800's many Pawnee had suffered from displacement and diseases from Euroepon settlers it is at this time that desperation sunk into the Pawnee it is believed as they led a serious of deadly attacks against the Cheyenne as early as the 1830's ten years later the Lakota had already been brought into the conflict leading up to this current roleplay the Pawnee and Cheyenne are mortal enemies and there is discomfort among the Lakota and Pawnee it is believed the Crow and Pawnee are brought closer due to tensions with the Lakota and Cheyenne. Leading up to our current roleplay the Crow, Pawnee and United States fight against the Lakota so this is a time where relations begin between the three and tensions worsen with the Lakota and Cheyenne on the plains.

Mi'kmaq and Wabanaki Confederacy- The Mi'kmaq traditionally played a key role in the early foundation of North America they where the first to meet Europeans when the Vikings came shore which later laid down the naval path for the Spanish to move into North America, it would be the French who would pay the first key role in making relations with native people in the east which began the later fur trade and war against the British's for control of the region. The Wabanaki Confederacy consisted of the Mi'kmaq, Maliseet, Penobscot, Passamouqaddy and Abeneki nations later the Wampanoags as well which homelands stretched from Newfoundland island in the Atlantic ocean down to Masshusetts boarding the state of New York. Come the 1800's most had been forced onto reservations in Wabanaki country come the war of 1812 the Mi'kmaq remained neutral very few warriors from the nation would have joined the Abenaki and few others from the Wabanaki in this war. The Mi'kmaq in this current time leading up to 1870 are facing a large era of oppression and depression from the British crown and early Dominion of Canada. The government is killing off its food sources and trying to eliminate Mi'kmaq people altogether, the Confederacy tries to fight legal battles but also create new bonds with native nations across Canada and the United States trading with some as far as the plains. Mi'kmaq people are traveling across the country trying to make a name for themselves the most popular from this time is Jerry Lonecloud who joins the Buffalo Bill's Wild West show as a performer it is where he gets his stage name of Lonecloud from. It is believed that at the end of the American revolution large group of Mi'kmaq rebels existed in the eastern states some of these coming from a earlier group who had fought in the French and Indian Wars and where considered veterans they sided with the Black Loyalist's and the United States their last battle forming in 1783 by the war of 1812 there is believed to have been a band of warriors who where pushed west as far as Saskatchewan by British soldiers. The majority of the Wabanaki remained in the east but this band of Wabanaki in the west settled on the Northern plains its believed that by 1870 in our current roleplay this group would have mostly been married into the Cree nation creating a Cree-Mi'kmaq community in the late 1800's that would eventually become one of the Cree bands the northern plains.

There are many legends and stories to the origins of Native people in turtle island the science and mythology just as puzzling. We as humans can only begin to imagine the current of human movement and interaction around the globe. As a L'nu (native ) person myself I believe my ancestors have always been here as there is much science, story and legend that points us way before the land bridge and other believed sources of our arrival to North America. We have always been apart of this land in one shape or form and we have been here since the beginning this will always be our belief. Native American DNA is among one of the most unique in the world proving many migrations of humans over thousands if not millions of years to Turtle Island the main thing that has kept our people standing out is our spiritual connection to this land and our indigenous culture that has lived on for thousands of generations. As this page begins to grow I will expand the stories both in and out of character of our people on this page. Pjilsi (Welcome)