Now is the perfect time to reflect on the many contributions Native Americans have made and continue to make to American history, culture, and society as the Thanksgiving holiday draws closer. Thanksgiving is often remembered as a time in which Native Americans and European Pilgrims came to together despite opposing views and shared a feast in celebration of the previous years’ bountiful harvest. This was said be the Pilgrims’ first harvest in the new land, and the Native American people, experts at farming and hunting, helped the Pilgrims learn to live off of the land.
Upon first arrival, European settlers and conquistadors consider the native people of North America to be wild savages that were in need of religious conversion and domestication, not realizing that Native Americans already had a complex social, religious, and political hierarchy. However, as the two groups came to eventually know each other, the Europeans realized that native peoples were far more advanced and knowledgeable than what they originally thought.
Native Americans made several contributions to what is now known as American culture. For example, the tomahawk axe, a hatchet-like multipurpose tool used by several Native American tribes, is still used today. While many people associate tomahawk axes with combat tomahawks used in battle, modern tomahawks used by military personnel and law enforcement officers in today’s modern time are rarely, if ever, used for that purpose.
While the Native Americans used tomahawk axes in battle on occasion, they were also used to execute several day to day tasks such as digging for root vegetables, skinning hides, and chopping wood. Fighting tomahawks were used in throwing competitions to display the skill and accuracy of warriors. These competitions still take place today, and pay homage to Native American culture.
However, today’s hand forged tomahawks are used in search and rescue as well as breaching operations to cut through difficult barriers such as doors, windows, or rock. Tactical tomahawks can be seen on popular television shows and in blockbuster movies, and are often depicted in video games, making them a popular item amongst cosplayers.
It’s truly amazing to see how a simple tool used hundreds of years ago has become an iconic and valuable symbol and tool in American culture.
