1400s: Before contact with Europeans, indigenous peoples of North America lived in longestablished tribal homelands and developed cultures that reflected their economic and spiritual relationship with the natural world.

Today: Many of America's indigenous peoples experience a dual identity, as natives who lost their way of life as a direct result of U.S. policies of aggression and containment and also as patriotic Americans who feel an innate sense of belonging to the continent.

1400s: In Native-American folk legends and narratives of creation, animals were co-creators of the earth. Animals and humans could "talk" to each other, and the natural world was balanced by a sacred respect for all living things.

Today: New awareness and respect for Native- American traditions has led to a greater sensitivity to the ecological problems facing the planet and our responsibility for preserving and protecting all life forms.

1400s...