SANTA FE, N.M. — Swiftly marching toward westward expansion, the United States in the 1800s brought with it a tidal wave of displacement and cultural suppression for Native Americans.
A century of broken treaties already had spawned distrust of the federal government, and widespread forced assimilation was accelerating. With shifting cultural and social circumstances came declining populations. Survival was hanging in the balance.
Renowned for their masterful beadwork, Lakota women had a strategy.
Incorporating symbols of American patriotism into their work was more than a simple embrace of the stars and stripes. It was an act of quiet resistance that provided an avenue for conserving their values as U.S. policies unraveled their communities.
Decades-old moccasins from Taos Pueblo that feature red, white and blue beads are prepared for display as part of the “Stars, Stripes and First Americans” exhibition at the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture in Santa Fe, N.M., on Monday, …
Decades-old moccasins from Taos Pueblo that …
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So with America’s 250th birthday come mixed emotions rooted in pain, pride and even patriotism. Museum displays of elaborate beadwork are providing a window into that past, while paintings by contemporary Native artists offer critiques on more modern political struggles.
It’s a milestone marking resilience - and a fresh opportunity to look at the nation’s history through an unexpected, and perhaps less varnished, lens.
Native Americans and the U.S. have a unique relationship
Curators and tribal scholars say the Native experience cannot be overlooked or minimized when talking about the complex tapestry that is America.
“The United States could not exist without Native history having been here first,” said Aaron Carapella, who is of Cherokee descent and creates maps of Indigenous territories. “There’s so many influences that Native people embedded into the fabric of what we call America.”
A student of history, Carapella finds it unlikely that most of the Founding Fathers would have expected tribes to persist as sovereign entities. Rather, they thought tribes would be absorbed into American society.
Two Native American dresses are on display as part of a commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, on Saturday, May 23, 2026. …
Two Native American dresses are on …
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Implementation of laws like the 1830 Indian Removal Act signed by President Andrew Jackson and the 1887 Dawes Act enacted by President Grover Cleveland led to forced relocations through brutal journeys like the Trail of Tears. Land grabs resulted when millions of acres of tribal landholdings were broken up.
Bounties in Minnesota and the Southwest along with militias in California further eroded tribal territories. Then came the boarding schools, where Native children were sent in an effort to erase their connections to culture, language and religion.
It’s not ancient history. Tribal leaders say their people are still living with the effects of those policies.
Today, there are 575 tribes with inherent sovereignty recognized by the U.S, with the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina joining the list in December. The government-to-government relationships are unlike arrangements many other countries have with Indigenous populations.
N. Bruce Duthu, chair of Native American and Indigenous Studies at Dartmouth College and a member of the United Houma Nation, has taught and lectured around the globe. He said it’s hard for Indigenous leaders in Bolivia and elsewhere to believe that tribes in the U.S. have been able to build power over the last half-century. It’s an ongoing fight, but Duthu points to successful efforts to influence environmental policies and pass major legislation to hold non-tribal citizens accountable for crimes committed in Indian Country.
“The U.S. is routinely at the top of the heap in terms of a country that, despite all the flaws, at least now in the last 50 years or so, seems to have gotten it right,” he said.
There’s a deep history of influence
Native influences span from the notions of democracy shared with the Founding Fathers to the warrior ethos exhibited by the fierceness with which tribal nations fought to protect their land - from other tribes, foreign nations and the federal government.
Museum executive director Danyelle Means, left, and head of curatorial affairs Elisa Phelps discuss a weaving by Navajo artist Pauline Thomas as it’s prepared for display at the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture in Santa Fe, N.M., on Monday, …
Museum executive director Danyelle Means, left, …
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It’s not unlike the patriotism many Americans feel today. And for some Native Americans, it’s a fundamental part of who they are; they have one of the highest per-capita rates of military service in the country.
At the center of the “Stars, Stripes and First Americans” exhibit at…
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