Internalizing Native American History: Comprehending Cherokee and Muscogulge Identities

Abstract

Too often, what passes as Native American history does not provide the indigenous perspective, but rather focuses on Indian-white relations. This essay argues for a theoretical and methodological approach that requires the reconstruction of past indigenous societies to be used as models to interpret history from the native point of view. The example used here involves the reconstruction of Cherokee and Muscogulge societies by examining the center of their socio-political systems, the clan. By discussing the historiography of material written about their clan systems and how this material can be used to develop Cherokee and Muscogulge perspectives, this discourse demonstrates the insights that can be learned by internalizing Native American history.