10 Pre-European Native American Achievements
When Europeans first discovered North America, they
described the indigenous people that they found there as primitive and savage.
However, our understanding of human societies has come a long way since then,
and we can now appreciate that many aspects of Native American civilizations
were actually far more advanced than most of Europe at that time. Below, we've
listed ten of the greatest achievements that the Native Americans made before
the arrival of Europeans:
1. Many of their cultures were matrilineal.
This meant that men and women shared duties and power
equally. Thousands of years before European women would begin the struggle for
their own equality, Native American women already had equal rights to their
men. In fact, it was Native American women who initially inspired European
women to fight back against being second-class citizens.
2. They were extremely healthy.
This is because they understood the importance of good
nutrition and regular bathing. While Europe was being constantly afflicted by
regular plagues and famines, the Native Americans were in top form.
3. They had impressive city-building skills.
The Native Americans managed to construct cities that were
bigger and a lot more complex than most European ones at the time. While
Europeans were busy emptying filthy chamber pots out of windows onto the
streets below, many Native American cities had access to fully-functional
sanitation systems.
4. They were innovative doctors.
While Europeans were still using many questionable medical
interventions, such as bloodletting, the Native Americans made use of a huge
number of medicinal plants and herbs, which are still considered to be
effective by today's standards. They also made use of syringes, aspirin, and
even relatively complex surgical procedures.
5. They made sure that everyone was properly taken care of.
Within traditional Native American cultures, everyone from
the smallest kids to the oldest grandparents was adequately taken care of and
provided for. This was a far cry from the European systems of the time, which
only ensured that the rich got richer, while the working classes suffered in misery.
6. They have the oldest continuous democracy in the world.
In 909AD, Native Americans established the Haudenasaunee
People’s Confederacy which is still active today. However, while they were
freely reaping the fruits of democracy, most of Europe was still bending the
knee to royalty and waging war against anyone they felt superior to. In fact,
this type of democracy actually served as the inspiration and model for the US
constitution.
7. They were brilliant inventors.
Just a few of the things that they invented include snow
goggles, snowshoes, toboggans, kayaks, and canoes. They also learned to create
and cultivate rubber and maple syrup.
8. They were highly advanced farmers.
Around 70% of the world's crops today were originally
cultivated in the pre-European Americas. These include potatoes, tomatoes,
rice, and corn. They were also completely aware of the benefits of crop
rotation, as well as the medicinal properties of thousands of plants.
9. They were highly strategic when it came to planning.
Instead of having one giant city in the center of the
continent and expanding outwards, they instead built a huge number of smaller
settlements, spreading them out across the land. The type of settlement built
would then be constructed in such a way that makes it ideal for its climate and
purpose.
10. They were exceptionally accurate time-keepers.
Native American calendars were so precise that they were
only 19 minutes off by the 5th century BC. This is an achievement that no other
civilization at the time even came remotely close to.