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Time English Language 2 Action
00:00
Native American history is right in front of you—
00:02
in names like Chattanooga, Oshkosh, and Missoula.
00:05
In words like skunk, squash, and bayou.
00:08
And if any of that surprises you,
00:09
well, you’re not alone.
00:11
Hi! I’m Che Jim, I’m an actor, comedian, educator,
00:15
activist, and enrolled member of the Navajo Nation.
00:18
Growing up, I really took to the phrase “laughter is medicine.”
00:21
It’s been a common saying among Native American people for generations.
00:25
Laughter creates space, healing, and an opportunity to grow and listen.
00:30
And, at its core, it’s a form of resiliency and a part of the Native American story —
00:35
something I’m excited to share with all of you.
00:38
Between misinformation, stereotypes, and glaring gaps in history classes,
00:42
it’s common for the average American to have little more
00:44
than a blurry snapshot of Native American history:
00:47
one that begins in 1492, and ends in the late 1800s.
00:53
It’s giving, “Those noble people who aren’t around anymore.”
00:56
But Native Americans aren’t history.
00:58
They’re here and now.
01:00
And anybody who calls these lands “home” should have
01:03
an understanding of the people who were here first
01:05
—and still are.
01:07
In 24 episodes, Crash Course Native American History
01:09
will explore as many philosophies, stories, and traditions as we can
01:13
from the hundreds of distinct Native nations in the U.S.
01:16
And I've got some stories for you—
01:18
like, have you heard the one about Jessie Little Doe Baird,
01:21
who brought the language of the Wampanoag people back to life?
01:23
Or Suzan Shown Harjo, who led the decades-long fight
01:27
to change the name of Washington, D.C.’s NFL team?
01:30
I could go on.
01:31
We’ll also cover some Native Identity 101:
01:33
like, what does it mean to be a citizen of a Native nation today?
01:36
And, yes, we’ll talk about what happened after 1492,
01:40
tracing how we got from treaties to reservations to modern tribal governments.
01:43
And we couldn’t have done this alone!
01:45
We worked with a team of Native experts:
01:47
scholars in federal Indian policy, curriculum developers,
01:51
artists, and of course me, your host.
01:53
So, let’s meet back here next week.
01:55
And we’ll start with a question that’s not as simple as it seems:
01:59
What actually is Native American History?
02:01
And I will see you then.
02:03
Thanks for watching this episode of
02:04
Crash Course Native American History
02:06
which was filmed at our studio in Indianapolis, Indiana,
02:09
and was made with the help of all these fine people.
02:12
If you want to help keep Crash Course free for everyone,
02:14
forever, you can join our community on Patreon.