
Native Intelligence: The Indians who feasted with the English colonists (2005) - DrScump
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/native-intelligence-109314481/?no-ist
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TeMPOraL
Related - and inspired by a different Smithsonian Magazine article - The Story
of Thanksgiving is a Science-Fiction Story.

[http://slatestarcodex.com/2013/11/28/the-story-of-
thanksgivi...](http://slatestarcodex.com/2013/11/28/the-story-of-thanksgiving-
is-a-science-fiction-story/)

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emmelaich
Good read, but I think the referred Smithsonian article is in fact this one.

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TeMPOraL
I didn't notice - I just compared URLs. It turns out that the referenced link
actually redirects to this one. Thanks!

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ilamont
This is one of the best articles I have read about the Pilgrims and the first
Thanksgiving. The history given to kids in Massachusetts is overly simplified,
and glosses over much of the pre-1620 history in New England (European and
Native) and the complex political situation in the region.

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Avshalom
I suspect Mass. actually gets a comparatively solid education because at least
its "state history" goes back to the colonists. As a west coaster I remember
the flow of N.A. history basically being Columbus->pilgrims->revolution with
absolutely no effort spent to stress that 300 years passed between Columbus
and the declaration of independence.

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jghn
That's not much better than we had in MA, at least 30 years ago. Looking back
the number of logic holes in the whole pilgrim mythology was ridiculous. Not
sure how anyone believed it

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rayiner
Being friendly to the colonists and attempting to trade was a fatal mistake.
For quite some time, the native Americans had a military advantage over the
colonists. Even at the time of the Revolutionary War, the nascent US had to
treaty with the Delaware Indians for safe passage through their lands. Had the
native Americans acted decisively when they had the opportunity, they might
have saved their civilizations.

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zarkov99
Hard to imagine they would be able to do anything but delay the inevitable.
The colonists had massive technological and organizational advantages. Sooner
or later a proper army would come.

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rayiner
Sending a proper army, with the requisite supplies, across the world would
have been a massive undertaking. Had the first expeditions had been
annihilated, it might have been quite awhile before Europeans mustered up the
necessary combination of interest and will to engage in that undertaking.

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floopidydoopidy
"Indians".. really?

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actsasbuffoon
It differs from person to person, but I'm not really offended by the term. My
tribe still calls their reservation Indian Island, so I don't think I'm alone.

The only problem I have with the term is that it's slightly confusing, as it's
not clear if you're referring to people from India.

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jordan0day
What about the term "American Indian"? I feel like that would be useful in
headlines to set the context, so that then everyone knows which "Indian" is
being referred to.

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mreiland
American Indian also includes native populations from both Canada, Mexico, and
arguably South America.

The only term that avoids all confusion is the term "Native American". It
technically has the same connotations as "American Indian", but in common use
it's understood to mean the Natives in the areas of the United States.

This is why actasasabuffoon stated he wasn't offended by the term 'Indian',
there are some who insist on using the term 'Native American' and get offended
when referred to as 'Indian'.

He was pointing out he's not among those who get offended by the term and
generally the only times he feels the differentiation matters is when you're
clarifying 'Indian' or 'Native American'.

Of course the term 'American Indian' is also good enough to clarify, but if
we're talking about using terms in titles then 'Native American' is really the
best term to use if you're unable to provide context in the title itself.

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DrScump

      The only term that avoids all confusion is the term "Native American"
    

The Canadians use "First Peoples", which is arguably better.

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mreiland
interesting, I had never heard that term before.

