As we near the Thanksgiving Holiday we should acknowledge the contributions of the American Indian. While most American history begins when Columbus arrived, there existed a people who were highly civilized in their governments, and were skilled hunters, gatherers, and farmers. They welcomed the newcomers and shared with them both food and knowledge.

John Smith and his group of Jamestown settlers in Virginia probably would not have survived without the help of Pocahontas and her father, Powhatan.

Indians contributed high protein foods such as potatoes, corn, beans, squash and tomatoes.

The League of Iroquois inspired Benjamin Franklin to copy it in planning the Federation of States.

In 1803 Sacagawea, the Shoshoni "bird woman," guided the lost Lewis and Clark expedition through the mountain passes of Montana.

The sophisticated medicine chest of the American Indian had everything from Quinine (used for a local anesthetic and treatment for malaria) to a cure for scurvy. The U.S. Pharmacopoeia listed 180 drugs supplied by the American Indian; many of which are the basic ingredients in things we get from the drug store today.

Before Bo Jackson, there was the American Indian athlete Jim Thorpe. He was a Sac and Fox tribal member who in 1912 won two Olympic medals, as well as, playing pro football and pro baseball.

In 1917, over 10,000 American Indians served in the armed forces.

The 31st Vice President, Charles Curtis was Indian and grew up in Kansas among the Kaw Tribe of Indians.

In WWII, to maintain secure communications, the marines established the Navajo Code Talkers who used their own Navajo language as a code which the enemy could never break.

The first flag raised at Mt. Suribachi, on Iwo Jima Island during WWII was raised with the help of Charles Charlo, a Flathead tribal member, the second was raised with the help of Ira Hayes, a Pima Indian.

In WWII, a Spokane tribal member, Herman Boyd who graduated from Wellpinit and then Portland University was at the bombing of Pearl Harbor. He was awarded a Purple Heart and attended Officers Candidate School. At that time, very few people of color were officers. He was the only Indian pilot from the Northwest and held the highest rank of any American Indian serving at that time.

In Vietnam, 42,000 American Indians served No other ethnic group can compare with the numbers of our men who enlisted rather than be drafted, the numbers of our men who saw heavy combat and the numbers of our men who were wounded

Wilbur Smith, a Spokane tribal member, received a Purple Heart, the Silver Star, and the Bronze Star in Vietnam.

In the 1964 Olympics, Billy Mills, a Souix Indian won the Gold medal for the 10,000 meter run.

In 1992, an American Indian, Ben Nighthorse Campbell, was elected to the U.S. Senate from Northern Cheyenne area in Colorado.

Pauline Flett, a full blooded Spokane Indian, is teaching Salish language at Eastern Washington University.

With Spokane tribal members such as Tim Peone and Mike Thatcher who have gone to college and graduated with biology degrees, the lost salmon resource is being reversed through the work of the Spokane Tribal Hatchery.

Sherman Alexis, a Spokane Tribal Member, has published two books as well as writing book reviews for the New Yolk Times.

Gwynn Hobbs, a Navajo, is a successful point guard for UNLV. Her success in high school led to her starting position with the UNLV Lady Rebels as their number one recruit.

John Echo-Hawk, a Pawnee, has been Attorney General for Idaho.

In 1993, Ada Deer, a Menominee tribal member, became Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Indian Affairs.

Sherman Alexie, from Wellpinit, WA is a world-famous writer A Spokane/Coeur d'Alene Indian, born in 1966, Sherman Alexie is the author of over 17 books. Several of his books have been turned into movies. A more complete biography can e found here.

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taken from a newsletter written by Marge Lee Finnegan, with further help from Pat Moses. First published in the Rural Review - Wellpinit School District Newsletter, November 1993. Revised and expanded in 2007.