Famous Figures
Famous Figures
Famous Figures
Famous Figures
Variety
100
A Lemhi Shoshone woman, she was a vital guide and interpreter for the Lewis and Clark Expedition
Who is Sacagawea?
100
As the founder of the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI), this Yankton Dakota woman helped advocate for Native American voting rights and tribal sovereignty.
Who is Suzan Shown Harjo?
100
This "Beloved Woman" of the Cherokee people, also known as Nancy Ward, advocated for peace with American colonists during the Revolutionary War.
Who was Nanye'hi?
100
A Tlingit civil rights activist, she was instrumental in the passage of the 1945 Anti-Discrimination Act in Alaska.
Who was Elizabeth Peratrovich?
100
This tribe, famous for its longhouses and confederacy of six nations, played a significant role in early U.S. history and the creation of democratic principles.
What is the Iroquois?
200
As the first Native American to serve as U.S. Poet Laureate, this Oklahoma-born writer is of the Muscogee Nation.
Who is Joy Harjo?
200
Co-founder of the American Indian Movement (AIM), this Anishinaabe activist was an influential leader in the Red Power movement.
Who is Madonna Thunder Hawk?
200
A female war chief of the Crow Nation in the 19th century, she became renowned for her skill in battle and courage.
Who was Woman Chief?
200
A Mi'kmaq activist with the American Indian Movement (AIM), she was murdered in 1976 and her case became a symbol of violence against Indigenous women.
Who was Anna Mae Aquash?
200
These homes, made from animal hides stretched over wooden poles, were used by many Plains tribes because they were easily movable when following the buffalo.
What is a tipi?
300
This Ho-Chunk Nation politician and first Native American woman to serve in Congress now represents Kansas.
Who is Sharice Davids?
300
A Navajo weaver, this artisan’s work is renowned for its intricate patterns and exceptional craftsmanship.
Who is Maggie George?
300
A Comanche activist who founded Americans for Indian Opportunity and worked to improve the political and economic well-being of Indigenous peoples.
Who was LaDonna Harris?
300
A Blackfeet activist and executive director of the Native American Community Development Corporation, she was a leader in fighting for Indigenous rights.
Who was Elouise Cobell?
300
This law, passed in 1887, divided Native American lands into private plots, aiming to force assimilation but resulting in the loss of tribal lands.
What is the Dawes Act?
400
The first Native American cabinet secretary in U.S. history, this Laguna Pueblo woman was confirmed as Secretary of the Interior in 2021.
Who is Deb Haaland?
400
A diplomat of the Powhatan tribe, she famously interacted with the Jamestown colonists in the early 17th century.
Who was Pocahontas?
400
This Osage woman was America's first major prima ballerina and a co-founder of the Chicago City Ballet.
Who was Maria Tallchief?
400
This Menominee activist was the first Native American woman to head the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
Who was Ada Deer?
400
These massive carved wooden poles tell family stories and history among tribes in the Pacific Northwest.
What are totem poles?
500
A principal chief of the Cherokee Nation, this woman is the first to be elected to the position.
Who is Wilma Mankiller?
500
A Seneca leader during the Revolutionary War, she was known for her exceptional diplomacy and fierce spirit.
Who was Tyonajanegen?
500
This Cherokee woman was a brilliant aerospace engineer who helped design the flight path for NASA's interplanetary spacecraft.
Who was Mary G. Ross?
500
A Wyandot activist and attorney, she was the first Native American woman admitted to argue a case before the U.S. Supreme Court.
Who was Lyda Conley?
500
This tribe, native to the Southeast, developed its own written alphabet thanks to its scholar Sequoyah.
Who are the Cherokee?