Original Maria Theresa Thaler?

Think about it this way, no matter how a 1780 Thaler looks, its ALWAYS a reproduction. Sorry friend. :(

kind of cool looking but damaged either way

Part of the problem is, back then, there was no "Austrian mint". Back in 1780, Austria had half a dozen mints, each issuing slightly different designs on their thalers. The "normal restrike" MTT is a Gunzberg mint design, but none of the distinctive features of modern restrikes (S.F. below bust, Burgau arms in lower right quadrant, AVST instead of AUST) are known to have all been used on Gunzberg coins actually struck in 1780, though several versions with all these features are known to date before 1800. There are plenty of 1780 thalers about that actually were struck in or very shortly after 1780, but they look distinctly different to this.

As for the item in the OP, I can't say I've heard of them being used much in a Native American context. They're far more commonly encountered in Arabia, the Red Sea coast and East Africa. The treatment given here, with a crude loop attached and some beadwork, reminds me of the ornamental treatment often rendered to these coins in Yemen, like the elaborate example in this old thread.