Native American Heritage Month, celebrated each November, offers a powerful opportunity to honor the history, cultures, and contributions of Native American communities. While this month focuses on the experiences of Indigenous people, it also presents a meaningful moment to explore the often-overlooked connections between Native Americans and Black Americans.
Throughout U.S. history, these two groups have shared significant struggles, from the fight against enslavement and colonialism to the ongoing battle for justice and recognition. By reflecting on their intertwined histories, we can better understand the resilience that has shaped both communities.
The histories of Native Americans and Black Americans have shared experiences of displacement, oppression, and resistance. Although often viewed separately in mainstream narratives, their connections date back centuries and reflect a common struggle in the face of colonialism and systemic racism.
The first encounters between Native Americans and Black Americans in North America occurred in the early 17th century, as the transatlantic slave trade brought millions of Africans to the Americas. While some Black people were enslaved, others, particularly those who escaped, sought refuge with Indigenous nations. These runaways, often referred to as maroons, found support and solidarity in Native American communities, where they were sometimes accepted and integrated into the societies of various tribes.
In the southeastern United States, the Creek, Seminole, and Cherokee nations formed alliances with runaway enslaved people, offering them protection in exchange for military support and cooperation in trade. Black people often intermarried with Native people, adopting their customs, languages, and social structures. Over time, many of them and their descendants became part of a new, cultural identity: Black Indians.
The Seminole Nation in Florida, in particular, is a notable example of this historical alliance. The Seminoles became one of the few Native American nations to actively resist removal during the 1830s, when the U.S. government began forcibly relocating Native peoples to the West. Black Seminoles fought alongside Native Seminoles in the Second Seminole War (1835–1842), creating a long-standing bond between the two communities.
After the Civil War, the relationship between Native Americans and Black Americans continued to evolve. The Reconstruction period brought a new sense of hope for Black Americans, but it also marked a time of turmoil for Native communities, as they faced pressure from the U.S. government to surrender their land and rights.
Many Black Americans, largely from the South, continued to forge ties with Native nations. In the post-emancipation era, former enslaved people sometimes found work and shelter in Native communities, particularly those that had adopted Black refugees.
The presence of Black people in Native nations was not always accepted. In some cases, Native groups wanted to maintain their racial and cultural purity and distanced themselves from Black people. This was evident after the Civil War when certain tribes were pressured by the U.S. government to sign treaties that would reduce their sovereignty and force them to accept Black citizenship within their borders.
The Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, and Creek nations, known collectively as the “Five Civilized Tribes,” signed treaties with the U.S. government that recognized the right of freed Black people to live within their territories, but only under certain conditions. Many were descendants of Black enslaved people who had been owned by Native Americans prior to the Civil War. Over time, these freedmen often found themselves marginalized within Native communities.
This time of year, it always widens my eyes even more to the fact that Thanksgiving is deeply complicated. Traditionally, Thanksgiving is celebrated as a time of harvest and gratitude, symbolized by the story of the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag people coming together in 1621. However, for Native Americans, this narrative severely glosses over the centuries of violence and colonization, as Europeans stole Indigenous lands and decimated Native populations.
For Black people, Thanksgiving also carries a painful history. While it is not directly tied to the experiences of slavery, the holiday falls within a broader context of systemic racism and oppression. For enslaved Black people and their descendants, the story of Thanksgiving contrasts with the lived reality of exploitation and dehumanization on plantations.
The histories of Native Americans and Black Americans are linked, as both communities have been subjected to systemic injustice and marginalization since the arrival of European colonizers. For Native Americans, this time of year symbolizes a reminder of the beginning of the end of their way of life. For Black Americans, it can serve as a reminder of the broader struggles for freedom and equality that persist today.
While the relationship between Native Americans and Black Americans has been complex, both groups have shared experiences of segregation, and most importantly, cultural erasure. Both have been subjected to the brutal realities of American slavery. These similar histories of trauma have created deep-rooted empathy that makes us stronger.
The history between Native Americans and Black Americans is one of conflict but also cooperation. It is shaped by colonization, slavery, and racism. As both groups continue to assert their rights and demand recognition, our shared history provides a powerful foundation for collaboration and mutual understanding in the ongoing fight for reparative justice.
