In the Links I Like section, I've listed one called Legends of America and it's full of interesting historical facts, legends, myths and trivia about the Wild West.
I love browsing through books and sites like this and often find they can be a gold mine of ideas, plots, characters and even just a strong title for a book which leads you off at all kinds of tangents. For example, the title for this post is from a quote from the Dakota tribe that says," We will be known forever by the tracks we leave."
If you were writing a story with Native Americans in it, this may be a useful way of immersing yourself in the manner of speech and vocabulary.
Check out more Native American Indian Proverbs and sayings at http://www.legendsofamerica.com/NA-Proverbs2.html or http://www.firstpeople.us/ I was amazed to discover how many sayings we use today that may have originated from the Native American Indians.
Some are amusing, like this one from the Cherokee's: "When the white man discovered this country Indians were running it. No taxes, no debt, women did all the work. White man thought he could improve on a system like this!"
Some are profound: "Our first teacher is our own heart..." from the Cheyenne
And some ring very true when faced with what we think are very modern issues like the environment: "We do not inherit the earth from our Ancestors, we borrow it from our Children..."
Food for thought indeed...
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