Native American history is hiding in plain sight all around you — you just have to know where to look!
It's in place names: about half of all U.S. states have names from Native languages. It's in your kitchen: corn, potatoes, chocolate, and popcorn are Native first foods. It's in your gear: canoes, kayaks, snowshoes, moccasins, and hammocks are all Native inventions.
It's even in our government: some historians say the Haudenosaunee Confederacy — nations working together under a Great Law of Peace — helped inspire ideas about American democracy. Today you become a history detective and find the living history all around YOU!
1. About how many states have names from Native languages?
2. Name two Native inventions people still use.
3. What was the Haudenosaunee Confederacy?
With a grown-up, hunt around your home, neighborhood, and a map. Check off each treasure you find and write it down!
| Find... | What I found |
|---|---|
| A state, river, or town with a Native name | |
| A Native first food in your kitchen | |
| A Native invention in your home (or a picture of one) | |
| A word that came from a Native language (like moose, raccoon, kayak) | |
| A book, show, or coin featuring a Native person |
1. Which discovery surprised you the most? Why?
2. How many treasures did you find in your own home?
Write T for true or F for false in each circle.
Draw the best treasure from your scavenger hunt and label it.
| I did it! | Circle one |
|---|---|
| I found a Native place name | YES / NOT YET |
| I found a first food or invention | YES / NOT YET |
| I completed the scavenger hunt | YES / NOT YET |