Native American Contribution to America

Europeans Reliance on Indigenous Expertise

Dana P. Saxon -Published in AfroSapiophile Jul 23, 2023 -AfroSapiophile is a hub for critical thinking and analysis pertaining to civil rights, human rights, systemic racism and sexism across politics, entertainment, and history.

For example, European settlers relied on Indigenous people to eat. To survive off the land, they had to learn how to grow maize, beans, squash, and other locally grown crops. They also had to be taught how to hunt, fish, and gather wild food.

Further, Indigenous people taught European settlers how to use natural resources, including wood and stone, to make tools for hunting, building shelters, and clearing land. They also shared knowledge about natural medicines and strategies to navigate the local lands and bodies of water.

Without the support and exploitation of Indigenous people, European settlers wouldn’t have been able to grow their population or create the colonies that exponentially grew European economies.

From there, they knew they could rely on the knowledge and skills of other people to continue increasing their gains.

Contents. From the tip of South America to the Arctic, Native Americans developed scores of innovations—from kayaks, protective goggles and baby bottles to birth control, genetically modified food crops and analgesic medications—that enabled them to survive and flourish wherever they lived.

What was the Native American contribution to the American Revolution?

Though their stories are not often told, Native Americans played major roles in the Revolutionary War. Supporting both armies as scouts, soldiers and diplomats, the contributions of Native Americans were critical to many important events, battles and decisions that shaped the outcome of the war.

How did Native Americans influence colonists?

The Native Americans provided skins, hides, food, knowledge, and other crucial materials and supplies, while the settlers traded beads and other types of currency (also known as “wampum”) in exchange for these goods.Jun 2, 2022

How did Native Americans contribute to the Civil War?

William Terrill Bradby (Pamunkey, 1833–?) and other men from Virginia's Pamunkey and Mattaponi Nations served as river pilots, land guides, and spies for the Union army during the 1862 Peninsular Campaign. They piloted steamers, tugboats, gunboats, and torpedo boats during the remainder of the Civil War.

What did Native Americans teach us?

The Indians helped the settlers by teaching them how to plant crops and survive on the land. But the Indians did not understand that the settlers were going to keep the land. This idea was foreign to the Indians.Oct 3, 2012

What did Native Americans teach colonists to grow?

So too is the story of the role that the local Native Americans played in the survival of the colony: teaching the new settlers how to fish, extract sap from maple trees, and most importantly, grow an abundant amount of maize (what we know as corn).Nov 23, 2016

What Native American tribe helped the settlers?

The Wampanoag people, the “People of the First Light,” are responsible for saving the Pilgrims from starvation and death during the harsh winter of 1620–21.