MARCH 2022

SENECA CHIEF ROYANER (JOHN ARTHUR GIBSON) BORN—DRAFTED IROQUOIS CONFEDERACY CONSTITUTION From Tuscarora Township, Six Nations Reserve, of an Onandoga father and Seneca mother, Gibson was a noted lacrosse player in … Continue reading “MARCH 1, 1850”

INUPIAQ ELLEN PANEOK DIED—BUSH PILOT/AUTHOR/ARTIST Born in Bedford, Virginia in 1959, Paneok moved to Anchorage with her mother after her parents’ divorce, but at age 12 went to live in … Continue reading “MARCH 2, 2008”

MOHAWK ORONHYATEKHA (PETER MARTIN) DIED– SCHOLAR, PHYSICIAN, ATHLETE & CEO Born August 10, 1841, on the Six Nations Reserve near Brantford, Ontario, his Mohawk name meant “Burning Sky.”  Educated in … Continue reading “MARCH 3, 1907”

BERTA ISABEL CÁCERES FLORES BORN–HONDURAN LENCA ENVIRONMENTAL LEADER Of the Lenca in La Esperanza, southwestern Honduras, Cáceres grew up at a time of great civil unrest in Central America.  In … Continue reading “MARCH 4, 1971”

MOHAWK HAROLD JOHN SMITH (JAY SILVERHEELS) DIED Born May 26, 1912, on Six Nations Reserve near Hagersville, Ontario, Jay played professional lacrosse and fought in the Golden Gloves Middleweight class … Continue reading “MARCH 5, 1980”

TLINGIT WEAVER SHAXʼSAANI KÉEKʼ (JENNIE THLUNAUT) DIED Born on May 18, either 1891 or 1892, in the Chilkat Territory, in southeast Alaska, Jennie, whose Tlingit name meant “Younger Sister of … Continue reading “MARCH 6, 1986”

SIKSIKA & MÉTIS DOUGLAS CARDINAL BORN—AWARD-WINNING ARCHITECT Born in Calgary, Alberta, Douglas attended a convent residential school near Red Deer, Alberta, before studying architecture at Universities of British Columbia (1952) & Texas, Austin … Continue reading “MARCH 7, 1934”

INUIT ARTIST ᐱᑦᓯᐅᓛᖅ ᐊᓲᓇ (PITSEOLAK ASHOONA) HONORED WITH CANADIAN STAMP ISSUED FOR INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY  Born on Nottingham Island, Northwest Territories, circa 1904, Pitseolak, whose name meant “Sea Pigeon,” was … Continue reading “MARCH 8, 1993”

CREE/BLACKFOOT GERALD R. McMASTER BORN–ARTIST AND CURATOR Born on Red Pheasant First Nation reserve, Saskatchewan, Gerald attended the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico, before earning … Continue reading “MARCH 9, 1953”

INUK TIM PITSIULAK BORN—NOTED PENCIL ARTIST Born in Kimmirut, Northwest Territories (now Nunavut), Pitsiulak grew up speaking Inuktitut.  He became interested in drawing at age 9, but also trained as … Continue reading “MARCH 10, 1967”

INUPIAQ TRADITIONAL HEALER DELLA PUYUK KEATS DIED Born on April 15, 1907, in Noatak, Alaska, Keats took an early interest in human anatomy and folk medicine and began healing people … Continue reading “MARCH 11, 1986”

STEAMER BROTHER JONATHAN ARRIVES IN VICTORIA—STARTS SMALLPOX EPIDEMIC The paddle steamer Brother Jonathan pulled into Victoria from San Francisco with about 350 passengers, mostly gold seekers–one had smallpox.  Thus, began the … Continue reading “MARCH 12, 1862”

TENOCHTITLÁN, AZTEC CAPITAL, REPUTEDLY FOUNDED BY MEXICA INDIANS Legend has it that the Mexica people migrated to Tenochtitlán from the mythical town of Aztlan, or “Place of the Herons,” because … Continue reading “MARCH 13, 1325”

OJIBWE (ANISHINAABE) OZAAWAABIKO-BINESI (NORVAL MORRISSEAU) BORN—FAMED ARTIST Born in Sand Point Reserve, near Beardmore, Ontario, Norval was raised traditionally.  His grandfather, a shaman, taught him Anishinaabe traditions and legends, though … Continue reading “MARCH 14, 1932”

BRULE LAKOTA CHIEF/DIPLOMAT MATȞÓ HÉȞLOǦEČA (HOLLOW HORN BEAR) DIED Born circa 1850, in what today is Sheridan County, Nebraska, he was was a famed warrior, first against the Pawnee and … Continue reading “MARCH 15, 1913”

IROQUOIS ATTACK WENDAT HURON MISSION IN ONTARIO The Wendat (or Huron) Confederacy was already at war the Haudenosaunee (then-Five Nations, or Iroquois Confederacy) when the French arrived in North America.  … Continue reading “MARCH 16, 1649”

MINNECONJOU LAKOTA TȞÁȞČA HUŠTÉ (JOHN FIRE LAME DEER) BORN– HOLY MAN & ACTIVIST The grandson of the Miniconjou head man Lame Deer and born on the Rosebud Indian Reservation, Lame … Continue reading “MARCH 17, 1903”

WINDSPEAKER, CANADIAN FIRST NATIONS NEWSPAPER LAUNCHED IN ALBERTA A monthly publication, Windspeaker initially served Aboriginal people of northern Alberta.  With a total cut in federal funding for Indigenous newspapers in 1990, … Continue reading “MARCH 18, 1983”

ARGENTINE QULLA REGAIN POSSESSION OF SANTIAGO ESTATE HOMELANDS The Santiago Estate, located in the “yungas” (forest lands) in Argentina, was part of the traditional lands where the Qulla nation was … Continue reading “MARCH 19, 1997”

MI’KMAQ POET AND SONGWRITER RITA JOE DIED Born March 15, 1932, and raised on the Whycocomagh Reserve, Nova Scotia, Rita attended Indian Residential School where she was forbidden to speak … Continue reading “MARCH 20, 2007”

KEʻEAUMOKU PĀPAʻIAHIAHI DIED–CHIEF/WARRIOR/AIDE TO KAMEHAMEHA I Born circa 1736, he was key in raising Kamehameha I to the throne of Hawaiʻi and served in a role similar to Commander in … Continue reading “MARCH 21, 1804”

ANISHINAABE REBECCA BELMORE BORN–INSTALLATION ARTIST Born in Upsala, Ontario, Belmore, while at Ontario College of Art (1984-87), developed a performance-based alter ego, “High-Tech Teepee Trauma Mama,”—a mocking display of Indigenous … Continue reading “MARCH 22, 1960”

GUATEMALAN GENERAL RÍOS MONTT BEGINS GENOCIDAL WAR AGAINST MAYA Seizing power through a coup, General Efrain Ríos Montt led a counterinsurgency program against Guatemala’s Maya Indians.  The Army began a … Continue reading “MARCH 23, 1982”

BLACK SEMINOLE MEDAL OF HONOR WINNER JOHN WARD DIED Ward was born in 1848, near El Moral, Mexico where many Black Seminoles fled to avoid slavery.  In return for fighting … Continue reading “MARCH 24, 1911”

“ISHI,” THE LAST OF THE YAHI PEOPLE, DIED Ishi was not the real name of the man who emerged from the woods of Oroville in 1911.  In Yahi, it meant … Continue reading “MARCH 25, 1916”

CASCADES MASSACRE—YAKIMA WAR In 1855, Washington Territory Indians warred with American settlers over treaties that forced the tribes onto reservations.  Yakama Chief Kamiakin plotted to attack the portage at the … Continue reading “MARCH 26, 1856”

GREAT EARTHQUAKE TSUNAMIS DESTROY ALASKA NATIVE VILLAGES, KILL OVER 100 Tsunamis related to the Good Friday Earthquake destroyed or damaged the Alaska Native villages of Kaguyak, Chenega, Old Harbor, Uzinki, … Continue reading “MARCH 27, 1964”

CHEROKEE MUSICIAN WALKER CALHOUN DIED Born on May 13, 1918, in the Big Cove community, Qualla Boundary Reservation in North Carolina, Walker learned songs, dances, and Cherokee religious practices from … Continue reading “MARCH 28, 2012”

HAWAIIAN WRITER POET CULTURAL HISTORIAN JOHN DOMINIS HOLT IV DIED Born June 4, 1919, in Honolulu, and descended from European, Hawaiian & Tahitian royalty, Holt was influenced by his elders’ … Continue reading “MARCH 29, 1993”

INUPIAQ DOLLY SPENCER BORN—DOLLMAKER, NEA FELLOWSHIP RECIPIENT Born in Kotzebue, Alaska, her family lived in temporary camps, in summer and fall, moving to gather food, fish, and hunt seals and … Continue reading “MARCH 30, 1930”

SEMINOLE EDMOND HARJO DIED-LAST SEMINOLE CODE TALKER Born on November 24, 1917, in Maud, Oklahoma, Edmond and his brothers enlisted in the 195th Field Artillery Battalion and saw action at … Continue reading “MARCH 31, 2014”