Rare Photos That Reveal The Authentic Native American Way Of Life

For 15,000 or more years, Natives lived on the continent we now call North America. Then, in the early 1600s, Europeans moved in. Through both direct and indirect actions, colonists decimated the indigenous populations, wiping away pieces of their culture bit by bit until many aspects completely disappeared. Today, it's hard to get an authentic picture of what Native American life truly looked like, but these photos reveal a satisfying glimpse into their long-lost ways.

The Inter-Tribal Indian Ceremonial

For nearly 100 years, tribes have gathered at the Inter-Tribal Indian Ceremonial. This picture is from the 1940 gathering in Gallup, New Mexico. These tribesmen are blowing eagle bone whistles as a part of the Sun Dances, which are healing ceremonies primarily practiced by Plains peoples. Even in the face of all the adversity they've weathered, they take care to preserve their sacred traditions.

Hunting Among the Cliffs

Photographer Edward S. Curtis captured this stunning image of three native hunters on horses, which is particularly impressive when contrasted against the cliffs in the background. Their feathered headdresses really stand out against the washed-out cliffs. The image has a descriptive title, “Sheep Mountain, Three Sioux mountain sheep hunters in the Bad Lands of South Dakota," and it was taken in 1905.

Salmon Fishers

In the surging waters of the Columbia basin, tribal fishers build specialized structures for platform fishing. They’re constructed while the water levels are still low and give fishers better access to salmon swimming upstream. Tribes build their scaffolds in the same place every year using the same site as their ancestors. We are willing to bet that not many people would be brave enough to try this fishing method.

Apache Housing

Here, we see a group of Apache children and a tired (we assume) adult playing outside their thatched huts. These homes are wickiups and are distinctive for having wooden frames covered in yucca fibers and other types of brush. Highland sections of the Apache community were big fans of this type of structure, as the necessary materials were readily available.