New 2011 Native American Dollar

NA-02 was my vote, but none of these are even close to the beautiful 2010 three arrows reverse...

I'm with LittleBoy, I've liked NA-06 since its inception.

After having ridden on horseback all over the Flint Hills in Kansas, parts of Colorado, South Dakota, Washington, and Oregon, I have a real appreciation for what Native Americans endured. Native Americans deserve a better coin; actually a whole series of coins. I think their selection of that image somehow misses the mark. I'm glad their casino businesses are providing more "Coins" now than what we've cheated out of them.

I think it should just stay, and be more true to the original idea......

Put "their" heroes on the coin.......
Put "their" accomplishments and contributions as a People on the coins.

Display "their" prowess, pride, and honor on the battlefields. Many engagements and famous battles were fighting "with" us too, some of us history buffs may remember.

Before they were a "defeated people" sent to "concentration camps" and stripped of their pride, dignity, religion, and life, ...... essentially, they were happy, healthy, self-governed, and quite industrious.
There are so many "mysteries" still....... the "Mound building".....the "cliff dwellings".......pyramids...... accurate world calendars.....astronomers......medicenes, different foods and cultivation techniques, etc. etc. etc.

My main point, is just that there are A LOT of different things that could go on these coins.

The Cherokee's (your brethren Bluezone) had their own towns, schools, written language, etc. etc. etc (right before the Trail of Tears of course). They were "adapting" quite nicely, as they were told to do, and required to do, ...... to "assimilate" into the "Modern world".

There were SO MANY great leaders in North America representing their tribes in our history too........ "Heroes" to them AND us, in many cases.
(I'm part Shawnee myself).......

Compassion, sympathy, recognition......but most of all....... ADMIRATION for these people should be "the themes" on these coins, as an acknowledgement of their contributions to this great Country and our history. Some of it is painful.....some of it is downright shameful........but it's our "history" nonetheless IMO.

The coins should NOT be a kind of "I'm sorry" theme or some sort of "Reparations" notion..... just simply a statement of historical fact that is recognized and prideful and one which honors them in the best ways possible.
Though, I wouldn't have minded "some" way of some proceeds going to improve reservation schools, roads, and stimulating some local businesses.

Lewis & Clark would've NEVER MADE IT WITHOUT HELP FROM Sacagawea, and most people know how important she was.......hence the "first" design. But they also would've failed without the Mandans help, and so many other tribes along the way who fed them when they were starving and/or gave them shelter when they were literally going to freeze to death ........
Throughout the 1500's, 1600's, 1700's, 1800's, and even still in the 1900's, they were and should still be relevant and important to our history and our present.
In sooooo many cases, the core American history is just "tied together" with ours and undeniable.

But I guess all of the "deciding committee's" never asked "me" ......so ahh well, we'll see what happens.

I forget from years past, but how soon does the mint usually release the Native American dollars? I know they don't really circulate, but when are they released?

NA-01, it is the only design that actually relates to what they are supposed to be commemorating, the first WRITTEN treaty. It's the only design that actually shows them putting something down in writing.

I'll be picking up some of these next year. It's not the reverse I would have selected, but I like the Native American dollar better than the Presidential series.