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ROLEPLAY QUALITY MANAGEMENT Native Roleplay Individual research has gone into this guide as well as taking some aspects of this guide. This guide has been fact-checked to the best of our ability; however, if there are any inaccuracies, please let us know and we’ll do further research on putting accurate information. The topic of Native Americans is a pivotal discussion in American history, taught all across schools in the United States. This guide was penned with a great attempt to treat the topic with respect, but also not shying away from the historical facts. In truth, most of the time, it was not sunshine and rainbows. Natives could be vicious combatants and tribes often warred against one another with horrendous outcomes. Even during conflicts against the United States, they used brutal tactics like scalping innocent people and brutalizing soldiers. This guide is a tool for people wanting to portray their Native American characters accurately--it doesn’t go into one specific tribe, rather, it gives context to general Native American history--specifically in the scope of the United States. This is not made to be a standard for native roleplayers, it’s highly recommended to give it a read to make it a more immersive experience for you and the players around you. Hopefully whoever is reading this will be inspired to create fantastic character concepts that can be fleshed out to something in-depth and multi-faceted. Happy reading, and happy trails! STAFF INTERVENTION & RPQM RULES The majority of this thread's contents are that of guidelines. They exist to help to navigate your character in an appropriate direction and to aid in their portrayl. It should be noted that unless otherwise stated, nothing in the below guide constitutes in-game rules and as such, you can not receive administrative action for 'going against the grain' of these guidelines unless in the absolute and obvious disregard of roleplay quality. They exist merely to steer character portrayal in the right direction; and to avoid characters that would exist in spite of a realistic standard. The Staff of South Tahoma reserve the right to approach, question, challenge or otherwise terminate your character from any of the below ventures if seen to be in obvious breach of these standards. If a verdict is passed down to you that you disagree with, you must seek out a member of Management to appeal. TRIBES OF THE UNITED STATES There are many tribes in the United States territory, including Alaska. However, they have moved around from where they previously were, given the Trail of Tears and being displaced from their original home. Since 1850, the Native American tribes have made their homes in the regions they have been displaced to, sometimes conflict between the tribes already in that region and the new tribes. Here is the link to this map penned in 1990; while it would be about 90 years until this map is published, it’s a good frame of reference (though you’ll still want to do your independent research before creating your character). The below map here includes tribal regions in the greater North America (Canada, USA, Mexico) You might find your character being from one region, but finding their way to Tahoma. This is also a helpful link you can use as a resource to follow a paper trail and learn more about the tribe you specifically want to write your character from. NOTABLE POINTS IN HISTORY A full timeline can be found here. 1492: Christopher Columbus makes contact with Caribbean ‘Indians.’ 1513: Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon makes contact with natives in America. 1595: Pocahontas is born. 1613: Pocahontas is captured by Captain Argall in the Anglo-Powhatan war. 1622: The Powhatan Confederacy nearly wipes out Jamestown. 1680: Pueblo Native Americans in New Mexico threaten Spanish rule in NM. 1754: The French-Indian War begins. 15 May 1756: The Seven Years' War begins; Native American alliances aid the French’s fight against the British. 1785: The Treaty of Hopewell is signed, protecting Cherokee Natives and sections of their land. 1789: Sacagawea is born. 1794: The Battle of Fallen Timbers commences; it ends in a U.S. Victory. 18 June 1812: President James Madison declares war against Britain, conflict between U.S. forces, the British, French, and Native Americans starts over independence and territory expansion. 28 May 1830: President Andrew Jackson signs the Indian Removal Act, forcing Natives to settle west in exchange for their land east. 1838: Starting with the Cherokee Indians, the U.S. Army marches tribes across 1,200 miles to Oklahoma Territory at gunpoint. This period was called the Trail of Tears. 1851: U.S. Congress passes the Indian Appropriations Act, also known as the Indian reservation system. Native Americans were forced onto reservation land and forbidden from leaving without permission. 29 November 1864: The Sand Creek Massacre occurs. 1873: Crazy Horse encounters General Custer for the first time. 25 June 1876: The Battle of Little Bighorn happens, also known as ‘Custer's Last Stand.’ Custer’s troops battled against the Lakota Sioux and Cheyenne Warriors. Custer and his forces are killed. 4 September 1886: Apache leader Geronimo surrenders to the U.S. Government after 30 years of fighting to protect his homeland. 8 February 1887: President Grover Cleveland signs the Dawes Act, giving presidential authority to divide up allotted Native American land for individuals. 29 December 1890: The Wounded Knee Massacre occurs; many Native Americans and U.S. Cavalrymen are killed. MAJOR TRIBES NEAR TAHOMA While the geographic location of Tahoma is debated, for this guide, we are going to assume that the state is in the Southeast. Some tribes in this region include: Kiowa, Osage, Quapaw, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Tunica-Biloxi, Natchez, Chitimacha, Caddo, Waco, Wichita, Comanche, Apache, Shoshone, Navajo, Cherokee, Karankara, Kickapoo… and some more and others in Northern Mexico. While there are a lot of different tribes and different languages/dialects, there were also many Natives who used ‘Plains Indian Sign Language (PISL)’ to communicate with the different tribes. SUBCULTURES AND BANDS While the subcultures of all of the American tribes can’t be covered in this single section, I’d highly recommend looking up information about the tribe of your interest and seeing what kind of bands fall under that tribal umbrella. Typically there are sub-groups in any given tribe. There has been a wonderful guide done on nearby tribes, thank you, Buttercup! This is very in-depth on the tribes of Comanche, Shoshone, Apache, Navajo, Cherokee, and mixed-heritage Indians. Here’s the link. NATIVES IN POLITE SOCIETY BOARDING SCHOOLS Due to the Civilization Fund Act in 1819, Congress allowed the federal government to promote funding for day schools on and off reservations to assimilate Native Americans into modern life. Many times, these establishments were located on reservations and lacked housing for students. At first, students would attend school during the day and were to return to their communities by night. These were the main institutions in the mid-19th century. Children were often taken from their families, only seldom did parents surrender them for them to get an education. Day schools proved to be ineffective, and dormitories for boys and girls were eventually put in place for them to stay at the schools 24/7. In the 1870s, the number of boarding schools increased. Many times, children were unable to see their family during their stay, with boarding schools’ intent on isolating the children to break the bonds with their culture and community. The facilities used were often abandoned facilities such as military installments, forts, and government buildings. Women were taught to be homemakers and men were taught to be tradesmen alongside the basic subjects such as arithmetic, English, and sciences, which both genders learned. The students were also taught to reject their inferior culture and to assimilate into the predominantly white ‘polite’ society of the late 19th century and early 20th century. From 1819 to 1967, these boarding schools persisted. Punishment and conditions were harsh, and the schools ran akin to military camps. Students were punished for expressing interest in their native culture and participating in any practices that came from it. Abuse was rampant in all forms and disease was not uncommon. Many children died from these diseases and poor hygiene. Those who made it through boarding school had little use for the skills they’d learned if they returned to their tribes and did not assimilate. RESERVATION LIFE During the act of forcing Native Americans onto their reservations, unable to leave without the express permission of the government or state, they found the conditions of reservations unfavorable and not akin to the way of life they were used to before reservation life. They were allowed to continue their traditional life in these plots of land; however, it was unsustainable depending on what state they were placed in. They could not hunt as effectively as they were used to and ways of life were severely altered. Depression, alcoholism, and overall trouble came their way and disease was rampant with little outside help to mitigate these issues. However, they remained on the reservation. Some did find ways to adapt. The Dawes Severalty Act of 1887 gave Native American families 160 acres of sovereign tribal land for their use. They were unable to sell the land for 25 years; however, the families were able to be like any other settler in the West and farm the land to sell crops and other means of monetary gain. The U.S. government did this in hopes that they would gain some autonomy and ease the federal dependency the tribes found themselves clinging to. It was also an opportunity to civilize these Native Americans and Americanize them. The attempts at conversion were not very effective. Overall, life on reservations was, for most, what they made of it. The conditions were unfavorable given they were unable to adapt very well. However, there certainly must have been few that were able to live off of the land just fine. With the existence of the Nomadic Native whitelist application, you must have a solid reason why your Native American character would leave their home. Given the year of the server, anyone under 20 would have been born on reservations. Only very old characters would likely remember ways of native life before the Trail of Tears. NAMING SYSTEMS While there are variations throughout the tribes of America, there is one common denominator: identity. Identity is a pillar of mankind’s existence, but it’s especially important for Native Americans. Traditionally, names can be evolutionary. It’s more than likely that one Native American does not keep a single name throughout their life--with life’s achievements and phases, they would get new namesakes. Do some research into your tribe of choice and research their specific naming system for an accurate portrayal. As for naming your character in-game, it’s recommended that you look up your tribe of choice’s language dictionary. There are often some independently-operated websites that have a small menagerie of vocabulary. When you’re in your character creator, the name box may not support the special characters, three words, or apostrophes. You’ll have to contact an administrator via a /report in-game for them to change your name to the correct version--we’re happy to do so! Buttercup’s guide goes over naming systems a little bit. I would recommend that you look up each word individually and put them together into one name. When Native Americans go to boarding school, they get a ‘Christian’ name (aka a ‘white’ name). This is a typical name that one would see more commonly in society, with a European first and last name. It’s not chosen by the student itself, rather, it’s given. This may legally be their name when they go through the school system and back into society. Some choose to go by these names, and others don’t. It’s ultimately up to your character and if they want to go by it. However, your name still may need to be the Christian name for your character slot, as it’s legally their name. In IC terms, however, they may be able to introduce themselves as their tribal name. It’s pretty easy to choose a Christian name. Care should be put into your Native American’s name regardless if it’s tribal or assimilated. FINAL THOUGHTS Native history is, in short, a crucial part of American history. Many, many complexities and layers of this facet of U.S. history are far too vast to cover in this guide. This was tailored specifically to give context to those who aren’t well-versed in this aspect of characterization and is being promoted as a tool for the creation of a well-rounded, complex Indian character. Hopefully this guide--albeit quite in-depth--provides some perspective and gives a workbench for creating a fantastic addition to South Tahoma Roleplay. Thank you for reading! Those who rise from the ashes of tragedy can stand a chance against anything that life throws at them; and with anything, it’s up to you to decide your character’s fate.

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9

Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well. 3 John 1:2

Better a patient person than a warrior, one with self-control than one who takes a city. Proverbs 16:32

To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31-32

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:34

You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. 2 Corinthians 9:11

May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance. 2 Thessalonians 3:5

` The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing. Psalm 34:10

Give us today our daily bread. Matthew 6:11

The greedy stir up conflict, but those who trust in the LORD will prosper! Proverbs 28:25

“No weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and this is their vindication from me,” declares the Lord. Isaiah 54:17

If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 1 Corinthians 13:1

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Romans 12:21