Books in We Were Here First: the Native Americans series

Sitting Bull had a vision of a great Sioux victory, but would he live to see it? Crazy Horse had an almost mythical ability to avoid death, but would it last? These were two of the greatest chiefs of the Sioux Nation, a mighty Native American people who once ruled the plains and prairies between the Rocky Mountains and the Great Lakes. The Sioux were great warriors and buffalo hunters. They were master horsemen who roamed the country living in teepees and keeping up with buffalo herds. They fought the U. S. government to keep their land and way of life. Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse led a historic victory over General George Custer in the Battle of the Little Bighorn before they were eventually beaten and driven into reservations. The Massacre at Wounded Knee ended the Siouxís dream of returning to their old way of life, but not their desire to be free. This is their story.

The Creek of the American Southeast have had their share of conflict with invaders. First the Spanish came looking for gold. They left diseases and ruined the crops of the Creeks who lived there. Then English colonists moved in, trading goods for deerskins. As the deerskin market faded, the Creeks fell into debt. They sold parts of their land to pay it. Through many treaties, the Creek continued to lose their land. Eventually they were forced to march on the Trail of Tears to land west of the Mississippi River. But they did not give up their culture or traditions. Find out how the Muscogee/Creek Nation has endured and thrived, even in the face of extreme obstacles.

With the exception of the Sioux, the Cheyenne are perhaps the best known of all the Plains Indians. Famous for their fighting qualities, they fought a series of unforgettable battles with the U.S. Army and white settlers seeking to seize their lands and alter their lifestyle. They claimed a place in history at the Powder River, the Rosebud, and the Little Bighorn. Against the irrepressible surge of U.S. westward expansion during the 1800s, Cheyenne warriors fought and died for the land they loved.-- Publisher's description.

The Seminole Nation formed in the 1700s when tribes from Georgia and Florida banded together for protection. Over the next hundred years, Native American tribes in northern Florida joined them, as did African Americans who had escaped from slavery. Inspired by courageous leaders such as Osceola and medicine man Abiaka, the Seminole resisted the U.S. Army's attempts to remove them from their homeland. The Seminole call themselves the "unconquered people" because they never surrendered or signed a peace treaty at the end of U.S. military action. Today, the Seminole strive to create conomic opportunities for their tribe as well as to preserve their heritage and culture.

Comanche. The very word itself sent shivers down the backs of white settlers and other Native American tribes alike. The Comanches were the most feared tribe on the Southern Great Plains. They were superb horsemen and fierce fighters, and the combination was virtually unbeatable. For years, the Comanches held dominance over a vast area of territory called Comancheria. No one dared venture into Comancheria. Those who did seldom returned. Who were the Comanches? Where did they come from? What was life like in a Comanche camp, for both the Comanches and their captives? What happened to break their grip on Comancheria? The answers to these and other questions are both surprising and fascinating.

Long before The United States was formed, the original American lived here caring for the land from coast to coast. Learn who some of these Native Americans were, how they thrived with their own cultures and beliefs, and why they continue to influence not just their descendants, but all of us who understand the importance of remembering those who were here long before us. Library bound hardcover and core curriculum aligned.

The absorbing story of the first people to set foot in North America and the many cultures of their descendants.For thousands of years nomadic people from east Asia followed caribou walking east. Sometime around 20,000 BCE, they crossed the land bridge into North America. These waves of people are the ancestors to every culture on the continent. Tony Aveni, whose expertise is the scientific, mathematical, and cultural accomplishments of the first Americans, celebrates the disparate cultures by highlighting one or two from each region of the country: the Taino, the Iroquois, the Adena, the Anasazi, the Kwakiutl, and the Timucua.

Long before the United States were formed, the original Americans lived here caring for the land from coast to coast. Learn who some of these Native Americans were, how they thrived with their own cultures and beliefs, and why they continue to influence not just their descendants, but all of us who understand the importance of remembering those who were here long before us. This set includes the following titles: The Apache of the Southwest, The Inuit of the Arctic, The Iroquois of the Northeast, The Nez Perce of the Pacific Northwest, and The Sioux of the Great Northern Plains.