When Europeans arrived in North America, they encountered the Native people. Contrary to stereotype, American Indians were not simply ferocious warriors or peaceable lovers of the land. They were, like all people, an amalgam: charismatic and forward thinking, imaginative and courageous, compassionate and resolute, and, at times, arrogant, vengeful, and reckless. Native peoples valiantly resisted expulsion from their lands and fought the extinction of their culture using all avenues available, including military, legal, and political action, diplomacy, and supplication of the spiritual realm. From the Wampanoags of New England in the 1600s who used their alliance with the English to weaken rival tribes, to the bold new leaders of the 1970s who harnessed the momentum of the civil rights movement to forge a pan-Indian identity. Spanning almost four hundred years, these documentaries tell the story of pivotal moments in U.S. history from the Native American perspective, presenting Native history as an integral part of the American story.

Includes a Library event kit and Teacher's guides on disc 1. These include activities, information and bibliographies to help viewers of all ages broaden their understanding of Navtive peoples.

Disc 1 Episode 1:After the Mayflower -- Introduction -- First Thanksgiving -- The People of the First Light -- The Pilgrims -- An alliance -- Living together -- The great migration -- Dispossession -- King Philip's War -- The war's end -- Credits / produced by Sharon Grimberg, Cathleen O'Connell, Mark Zwonitzer ; co-producer and interview producer, Anne Makepeace ; story by Sharon Grimberg and Anne Makepeace ; telescript by Sharon Grimberg and Mark Zwonitzer ; directed by Chris Eyre ; (77 min.); Special features: ReelNative Films: Hill High Low / by Michael David Little -- A freeway Christmas / by Rebecca Nelson -- Untitled / by Courtney Leonard -- Hope for bigger than 16 seconds / by Keely Curliss (21 min.); PBS preview film [featurette] (26 min.); Behind the scenes [featurette] (8 min.); Native Now Films [featurette] (25 min.); We Shall Remain signature image [featurette] (3 min.); Tecumseh's vision: deleted scene [featurette] (5 min.); PDF guides [PDF files require a DVD-ROM drive and Adobe Acrobat]; PBS.org [text feature]; American Experience [text feature].