Indian Givers; How the Indians of the Americas Transformed the World

By Anthropologist  Jack Weatherford.

Ironically the term “Indian giver”  is a familiar term in reference to a person that gives a gift and then takes it back again. However, this old adage has nothing to do with the title of this book.

A remarkable read.  A groundbreaking book that recovers the fascinating history of the Americas and the crucial contributions that the Indians of the Americas made on a global scale. These include democratic institutions, modern medicine, agriculture, architecture, and ecology. Interestingly, the Indians of the Americas were the first to harvest some sixty percent of foods eaten today. Imagine, if you will, Italian or Greek food without its tomatoes or the Irish without their potatoes. Chilies, chocolate, corn, beans, squashes, the list goes on, not to mention the wealth of gold and silver that was taken from the Americas by the Europeans.

My commentary below (apart from the book).

Even though much was given, so much more was taken. Over 500 treaties were made with the Indians of the Americas—and more than 500 were broken.

Flash forward to this twenty-first century—the fall of 2016—North Dakota. Tribes of Native Americans from around the country gather together, protesting an oil pipeline that will run through the heart of the U.S., crossing many waterways with the potential of contaminating one of the largest aquifers in the country. Native Americans are the heart of this country. They view this land as sacred and are working to protect it. There is no “other” planet. We all need to appreciate the sacredness of this earth and work together to protect it before it’s too late.

Pray for peace, love, and understanding,

 Zee Huxley

www.zeehuxley.com