Indigenous Peoples History
Kathy O'Halleran
Latest Articles
Where did the first native Americans come from? How did they get there? This article explores the scientific and scholarly evidence about the first arrivals of native humankind to the Americas, and how they developed unique cultures that became the tribes we know of in history, and today.
Answering A Profound Challenge
Why study the American Indian? If you have ever wondered at the inaccuracies and incompleteness of information about Native Americans, particularly in our nation's classrooms, this article may help explain why. Moreover, this article discusses why an accurate study of Native Americans is so very critical at this time in history. ...
The Conquest of Mesoamerica: Part Two
What were Spain's motives in the conquest of Mesoamerica? How did Cortes and his band of conquistadors manage to conquer the Aztec Empire, and lay seige to all of what is today called Mexico? What happened to the indigenous cultures? Part 2 offers an in depth analysis of the conquest,its motives ...
The Conquest of Mesoamerica: Part One
What happened to change the magnificence of Mesoamerica's civilizations? According to history, the invasion of the region by Spain prompted changes that forever altered the destiny of these indigenous peoples. Others claim the events that unfolded were prophecy fulfilled. In part one of this report of the conquest of Mesoamerica, all ...
Hidden deep beneath centuries of jungle overgrowth until the mid 1800s, the secret splendor of the magnificent Maya remains an enigma to researchers and scholars. Capable of complex civilization, art, astronomy, math and science dating back to 300 BC, the reasons for their rise and demise are still unclear, despite the ...
Putting Together the Puzzle Pieces of Pre-Columbian Mexico
The ancient people of Mesoamerican were not the violent savages depicted by Europeans after the Spanish invasion. Instead, they became highly accomplished in art, medicine, philosophy, complex astrology and math, architecture, government and organized religion. Where did ancient Mesoamericans come from and how did they transform from loosely knit hunter-gatherers to ...
Another Mystery of Mesoamerica: The Enigma of the Olmecs
Evidence points to the Olmecs as the first emerging civilization of Mesoamerica, not the Maya. The discovery remains a quiet one--but should be getting as much attention as the discovery of Troy. Who's been keeping it quiet and why? Once more, an ancient culture emerges seemingly intact--with little evidence of early ...
The Birth of Civilization in Ancient Mesoamerica
When -and for what purposes-did the peoples of pre-Columbian Middle America seek to develop from hunter-gatherers into the creators of some of the most renowned cities in the entire history of ancient civilization? Are all the great civilizations of Mesoamerica-the Maya, Aztecs, Olmecs, Zapotecs, and others-part of one great culture? Were ...
The Mystery of Quetzalocatl: The Christ of Ancient Mesoamerica?
The central figure in the pantheon of Mesoamerican gods, Quetzalcoatl remains much of a mystery. Considered the creator god, and the messiah of humanity, the Feathered Serpent God was also believed to be a man who actually lived as the son of a Toltec warlord, and yet unlike the traditional Mesoamerican ...
Part Two: The Mysteries of Teotihuacan
Mysteries, myths and legends abound over the genesis and sudden collapse of Teotihuacan; ancient Mesoamerica's golden city. Was it a utopia created to appease angry gods, or the place where bloody human sacrifices began? Profound efforts are underway to unlock the secrets of this mysterious civilization, as archaeologists and anthropologists rebuild ...