Indigenous Peoples

Aerial view of construction work on the Maya Train on August 31, 2023

First Section of Mexico's Controversial Maya Train Opens

The rail system, built to connect tourist destinations, has been criticized for endangering archaeological and environmental sites

Smithsonian's picks for the best history books of 2023 include King: A Life, The Sisterhood and The Wager.

The Ten Best History Books of 2023

Our favorite titles of the year resurrect forgotten histories and illuminate how the United States ended up where it is today

In the village of Tautira, Tahiti, the community came together to impose their own set of fishing restrictions to ensure the availability of fish into the future.

How an Ancient Practice Aids Marine Conservation

In French Polynesia, the art of rahui puts everyone in charge of protecting the sea

An original copy of a 15th-century Christopher Columbus letter translated from Spanish into Latin

Christopher Columbus Letter Describing Journey to the Americas Sells for $3.9 Million

Copies of the letter have long been the target of thefts and forgeries, but Christie's says this one is the real deal

None

How the Osage Changed Martin Scorsese’s Mind

“Killers of the Flower Moon” sets a new standard in its nuanced portrait of Osage life. Decades of prior films about Native Americans didn't even try

The new film places the relationship between Mollie Burkhart (played by Lily Gladstone) and her husband Ernest (Leonardo DiCaprio) at the center of the story.

The Real History Behind 'Killers of the Flower Moon'

Martin Scorsese's new film revisits the murders of wealthy Osages in Oklahoma in the 1920s

A sampling of Native representation in the films (clockwise from top left) Killers of the Flower Moon (2023), War Party (1988), The Last of the Mohicans (1992), The Revenant (2015), Soldier Blue (1970), Little Big Man (1970) and Dances With Wolves (1990)

From Wild West Shows to 'Killers of the Flower Moon,' Revisit the History of Native Americans on the Silver Screen

How American Indians in Hollywood have gone from stereotypes to starring roles

Researchers have only discovered a small fraction of the pre-Columbian earthworks in the Amazon rainforest, according to new research.

The Amazon May Be Hiding More Than 10,000 Pre-Columbian Structures

Based on a new aerial survey and modeling study, archaeologists suggest at least 90 percent of sites known as earthworks remain undetected

Signs calling for the abolition of Columbus Day formed the backdrop for a protest in front of city hall in Flagstaff, Arizona.

The Evolution of Columbus Day Celebrations, From Italian Immigrant Pride to Indigenous Recognition

The holiday has been controversial practically since its inception

Taíno cacique Francisco Ramírez Rojas beats a palm frond to drive away bad spirits at a seaside ceremony of thanksgiving. A three-sided idol known as La Muñequina is thought to represent the Taíno belief that spirits of the dead are present among the living.

Who Were the Taíno, the Original Inhabitants of Columbus’ Island Colonies?

The Native people of Hispaniola were long believed to have died out. But a journalist's search for their descendants turned up surprising results

Visitors enter Historic Fort Snelling. A new exhibition at the site examines the fort's long, complex history.

New Exhibition Examines the Many Converging Histories of Minnesota's Fort Snelling

The site was the backdrop for critical moments in Native American, African American and Japanese American history

The eagle eyes of Welcome as Warning stare down at visitors to "The World's UnFair" in Queens, New York.

'The World’s UnFair,' a New Exhibition Calling for the Return of Indigenous Land, Comes to Queens

Located on an empty lot, the immersive art show has a simple message: "Give it back"

Engravings at the study site depict animal tracks.

Stone Age Engravings of Animal Tracks Reveal New Details in Namibia

Indigenous tracking experts determined the species, sex, age group and leg of depicted animals in hundreds of carvings of footprints

These shell dolls were among the artifacts that the Manchester Museum returned to the Anindilyakwa people of Australia.

Manchester Museum Returns 174 Artifacts to Indigenous Australians

After years of planning, the museum handed over dolls, baskets, maps and other objects acquired in the 1950s

This fall, Guernsey is celebrating the 140th anniversary of Impressionist painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir's visit in 1883.

Five Places Worth Traveling to This Fall

New museums, a monumental exhibition and a skywatcher’s dream festival beckon in the coming months

Researchers recently dated these two charcoal-drawn figures on the walls of Gua Sireh.

These Malaysian Cave Drawings Reflect Colonial-Era Conflicts

A new study reveals that some of the charcoal drawings date to between 1670 and 1830

Aerial photo of the Tiputini Processing Center of state-owned Petroecuador in Yasuni National Park, northeastern Ecuador. 

Ecuadorean Voters Reject Oil Drilling in the Amazon's Yasuní National Park

The section of rainforest is one of the most biodiverse areas in the world and home to several Indigenous communities

Though she appeared to be in good health just days earlier, Lolita died of a suspected renal condition.

Lolita the Orca Dies After More Than 50 Years in Captivity

Several groups were working to remove the 7,000-pound creature from the Miami Seaquarium and return her to the ocean at the time of her death

Morro Rock, a volcanic plug on California's Central Coast, would be included in the proposed marine sanctuary.

The Country's Newest Marine Sanctuary Could Be Co-Managed by the Chumash People

NOAA is still reviewing the proposal for the 7,000-square-mile swath of the Pacific Ocean off of Central California

An aerial image of the banyan tree taken on August 10, 2023

Will Maui's Beloved 150-Year-Old Banyan Tree Survive the Scorching Wildfires?

Amidst the devastation of Lahaina, a coastal town in Maui, the tree is burned but still standing

Page 4 of 14