Native American Muslims – A People to Know

O humanity! Indeed, We created you from a male and a female, and made you into peoples and tribes so that you may ˹get to˺ know one another. Surely the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous among you. Allah is truly All-Knowing, All-Aware

Suratul Hujarat 49:13

November is Native American Heritage Month.  This month was designated as the month to honor indigenous people by congress and President George H.W. Bush because many indigenous people have fall harvest celebrations.  Indigenous people in the United States have a full range of opinions about November being the month to honor and celebrate their heritage.  Some willingly accept the month as an opportunity to share their history and culture as a dwindling minority while others are dismayed that it is associated with the Eurocentric ‘Thanksgiving’ holiday and the whitewashing to Indigenous experiences.

Native American Muslims have the additional challenge of misinformation.  In 1735 Mahomet Weyonomon the great grandson of Uncas, the great Chief of the Mohegan in Conneticut traveled to England to petition for better treatment of his peoples from the British colonizers.  Many believe he was Muslim because of his first name.

The Melungeon’s are also controversial with some reports of them being a Muslim because they are multiracial ethnic peoples likely of African, European and Native American origin. 

Other stories tell of the Southwest Pima and Hohokam people and the Northeastern nations like Algonquin and Iroquois were associated with Islam.

All three of the above claims are controversial with some researchers finding Islamic connections while others do not.

The presence of Muslims in the “Americas” in general is historically connected to migration – involuntary immigrants from Africa and parts of the Middle East brought to the Americas and enslaved who married with Indigenous Peoples and modern immigrants, often from the Middle East who migrated to Latin America

There has not been a lot of research into Indigenous Peoples and Islam, but that is changing.  Even with the unclear unclear accounts of Indigenous peoples in Islam, there are many Native American people who have embraced Islam and have shared their stories and experiences in articles, conferences and videos.  Some date back to the 1990’s while others, mainly NAIMS – Native American and Indigenous Muslims Stories is a researched and concerted effort to record the history and heritage of Indigenous Muslim Americans.  Below is a list of articles, videos and books by Indigenous Muslims of multiple tribal affiliations sharing their stories.

• Native American and Indigenous Muslim Stories “Reclaiming the Narrative”
• Native Americans' Muslim Roots & History by Louis Butcher Jr. (ICNA-MAS Convention)
• Native American Muslims 1996 The Message Magazine
• Being Native American and Muslim
• Whatever shape vase you pour Islam into, it takes that shape: Reconciling My Cherokee Heritage and My Muslim Identity by Sarina Asbury-Bagcioglu
• Native American Heritage Month: Black Native Muslims & Columbus
• Native American Heritage Month: My Native Journey to Islam
• St. Cloud woman combines Ojibwe and Muslim beliefs to forge her own path
• The Islamic Influence in (Pre-)Colonial and Early America: A Historico-Legal Snapshot
• Columbus, Islam, and Native Americans - video
• Muslim by intuition: The story of a Native American convert
• A Native American Muslim’s Story
• Reviving the Classical Wisdom of Islam in the Cherokee Tradition

Book: The Hidden Islamic History Of Native Americans: A Forgotten Legacy by Salman S. Sheikh:

Author bio: Mahasin D. Shamsid-Deen is the news curator and content manager for Muslim Network TV (MNTV) and contributing writer for Sound Vision.  She holds a master’s degree in English writing and has worked as both a High School and College ESL Instructor and Writing Instructor for more than a decade.  Mahasin has numerous published articles, books, essays and is a published playwright with three award winning stage plays.  She is currently writing her dissertation for her doctoral degree.