Despite growing awareness, three out of four Americans still believe falsehoods about Native peoples—myths that distort history and erase living cultures.
In 2019, the Reclaiming Native Truth project was able to find that 40 percent of Americans acknowledge that they know little to nothing about Native Americans. Still, three-quarters of Americans have at least one misunderstanding.
Such myths do not exist only in sports stadiums. They are found in historical texts, films, and even in day-to-day conversations, distorting the truth of rich, diverse cultures that have been wiped out over centuries.
And let’s clear up 16 myths that keep on dogging the American perception of Native peoples. Spoiler: Much of what you believe may be untrue.
Native Americans are all the same
The U.S. has 574 federally recognized tribes, each with its own unique languages, traditions, and governing systems. It is like saying that all Europeans are the same since they occupy one continent. The Cherokee Nation in Oklahoma differs from the Inupiat in Alaska and the Navajo Nation in the Southwest.
Some tribes were agricultural societies, including the city-states, while others were nomadic hunters. The Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) managed to create a democratic system that had an impact on the U.S. Constitution.
In North America, there were more than 300 Native languages before contact with Europeans. Approximately 175 languages are still alive today, but many of them are endangered. Both are distinct views, which are often challenging to convert into English.
Sports mascots honor the Native Americans
Those who wear headdresses and make tomahawk chops argue that they do so as a tribute, but the statistics tell a different story. In a study, 67 percent of the Native Americans regard these mascots as offensive or harmful.
The issue isn’t just imagery. Racial slurs such as redskins are used. Suppose a group was named Blackskins or some other group based upon the Asian stereotypes–would that outrage be instant? Native activist Suzan Shown Harjo states, “We are not mascots.” We’re people.”
Native Americans all live on reservations
The U.S. Census indicates that approximately 78 percent of Native Americans reside off the reservations. Large Native American populations are found in cities such as Los Angeles, New York, and Phoenix.
Reservations vary widely. The Navajo Nation, which spans 27,000 square miles — larger than West Virginia — compares to California rancherias, which are typically less than an acre in size. Some reservations are economically successful, while others are basic, lacking quality internet coverage or medical facilities.
A high number of Native people travel through reservations and urban living, preserving tribal relations even when they seek education or jobs in the cities.
Native Americans get unfair special privileges
The treaty rights and benefits of tribes are not handouts; they are contracts between sovereign nations and the U.S. government. Suppose you sell your house but retain the right to use the backyard garden. It is not a privilege, but rather a matter of keeping a promise.
Despite these agreements, the Native Americans are the most impoverished ethnic group in the United States. There are those reservations where unemployment rates are up to 80 percent, and the life expectancy of Native Americans is 5.5 years lower than the national average. Hardly an “unfair advantage.”
Native Americans don’t pay taxes
The reality is complex and depends on the person’s location, where they reside, work, and earn money. Native Americans are federal income taxpayers. They also pay state taxes while working off the reservations.
The earned income on trust lands (property held by the federal government as a reservation) can be tax-free; however, one will miss out on services supported by such taxes, such as road repairs or emergency care.
Native Americans are disappearing
The concept of vanishing Indians is fictitious. The Native American population increased from 5.2 million in 2010 to 9.7 million according to the 2020 census data. Young Native Americans are becoming doctors, lawyers, artists, and entrepreneurs, and sharing their cultures on platforms such as TikTok.
The Manhattan purchase was a fair deal for trinkets
The history of the sale of Manhattan for $24 worth of beads is a simplification of the actual events. In 1626, the Dutch exchanged goods with the Lenape people, valued at approximately $1,000 in present-day money, including tools and cloth.
The Lenape would have perceived this as a settlement to share the land, rather than to sell it permanently, as they had a different worldview regarding land ownership.
Native Americans who don’t know their culture are less authentic
Millennia of involuntary acculturation, boarding schools, adoption, and the prohibition of Native religions cut a lot of cultural ties. To fault Native people because they were not Indian enough is to miss this history.
Many people today are reclaiming what they have lost, such as the study of ancient languages and the reestablishment of traditional rituals. This Renaissance is not a lack of authenticity, but rather one of resilience and hard work.
Columbus discovered America
You can not discover the land occupied by millions of people. By the time Columbus arrived in 1492, indigenous peoples had been settled in the Americas for more than 10,000 years and had developed complex societies, such as the Aztec Empire and the Mississippi culture.
Columbus did not set foot in the U.S. at all, but remained in the Caribbean and Central and South America. The story that he had discovered America suggests that colonization is a predestination, not a conquest.
The Trail of Tears was meant to help Native Americans
In 1830, the indian removal act displaced more than 100,000 Native Americans so that Europeans could settle in the land. The Cherokee Nation also lost approximately 4,000 people as they were forcefully marched to Oklahoma, the Trail of Tears.
It was not protective and charitable; it was ethnic cleansing to clear land for white settlers.
Native tribes had princesses like European royalty
The Indian princess is a Hollywood creation, and most Native peoples lacked kings and queens. Other tribes elected leaders based on merit or wisdom, and some of them had clan mothers or councils.
The princess archetype diminishes Native women as a source of exotic love and ignores their actual existence as leaders, warriors, and decision-makers.
All Native Americans look the same
Natives are highly heterogeneous. Others include Hollywoodian attitudes towards dark skin and straight black hair, as well as centuries of intermarriage with Europeans, Africans, and Asians.
Such diversity is the result of old migration and colonization; yet, tribal citizenship and cultural ties remain valid regardless of a person’s appearance.
The first Thanksgiving was a peaceful celebration
The 1621 Pilgrim-Wampanoag feast was not a friendship dinner, but a diplomatic one. King Philip’s War, one of the bloodiest wars in American history, disintegrated the region within 50 years.
The myth of Thanksgiving does not take into consideration the violence, land expropriation, and cultural annihilation that Native people had to suffer with the arrival of the Pilgrims.
Native Americans were primitive
Nature societies were democratic, had gigantic cities, and agricultural innovations that laid the groundwork for the modern world. Native farming gave rise to crops such as corn, potatoes, and cacao, the precursor to chocolate.
The primitive label supported the idea of colonization by depicting the Native people as requiring European civilization.
Indian casinos threaten the economy
The tribes have the right to engage in tribal gaming, a sovereignty right established by treaty. It generates over $ 35 billion per year and employs more than 650,000 people, providing benefits to both Native and non-Native communities.
Tribal casinos finance medical care, education, and infrastructure in some communities that are usually neglected by federal programs.
Sports mascots represent Native Americans
The majority of Native Americans are opposed to the use of their images as mascots. Such mascots transform sophisticated cultures into stereotypical caricatures, which reinforces stereotypes. There is a shift in professional teams, yet lots of schools continue to utilize abusive Native visuals.
Key takeaway
These myths make different cultures easy, legitimize injustices, and deny modern reality to Native peoples. It is essential to break them down with respect and accuracy. Native Americans are not the relics of the past, but living, breathing communities that exist in the modern world and preserve pre-European cultures. Hear Native voices and reconsider what you have been told.
Disclaimer–This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information. It is not intended to be professional advice.
Don’t swipe until you read this: The 7 best credit cards for 2025 ranked by rewards
The 7 Best Credit Cards for 2025 Ranked by Rewards
There’s this moment that sticks with me—standing at a checkout line, swiping my old card like I always did, and thinking, “Wait… why am I not getting anything back for this?” I wasn’t traveling on points. I wasn’t getting cash back. I was spending. Sound familiar?
Look, the truth is, credit cards can work for you—if you choose the right one. And in 2025, you’ve got some advantageous options that can actually boost your bank account. From travel lovers to grocery haulers, there’s something for everyone.
Let’s break down the best credit cards out there this year—the ones that actually give back.
16 grocery staples to stock up on before prices spike again
16 Grocery Staples to Stock Up On Before Prices Spike Again
I was in the grocery store the other day, and it hit me—I’m buying the exact same things I always do, but my bill just keeps getting higher. Like, I swear I just blinked, and suddenly eggs are a luxury item. What’s going on?
Inflation, supply-chain delays, and erratic weather conditions have modestly (or, let’s face it, dramatically) pushed the prices of staples ever higher. The USDA reports that food prices climbed an additional 2.9% year over year in May 2025—and that’s after the inflation storm of 2022–2023.
So, if you’ve got room in a pantry, freezer, or even a couple of extra shelves, now might be a good moment to stock up on these staple groceries—before the prices rise later.
