Twentieth Century archaeologists were puzzled by an ancient, advanced American culture that thrived in a time when their Sub-Arctic Maritime landscape was even more hostile than today. What they discovered is being left out of 21st century anthropology curricula, because is does not support current orthodoxy.
This early example of PBS’s NOVA series was first broadcast in 1987, when scientific documentaries were rare on the other commercial television networks. I first saw it in the summer of 1992, when Vivi the French Courtesan was staying on my farm in the Shenandoah Valley. Subscribers to The Americas Revealed may remember that Vivi was 1/4th Tamulte Maya and had spent a considerable time, traveling through Mexico, even though she grew up in France.
At that time, Vivi and I were seriously considering spending the rest of our lives together. She was also considering getting a PhD in Anthropology-Archaeology from a university in the Washington, DC area. I assumed that we would be exploring Mexico and Central America often, but never dreamed that in 2024 I would be so focused on the indigenous architecture of the Americas. . . . and especially the Southeastern United States. Thus, this time around the program had a great deal more meaning for me.
I am still very busy with activities that will produce income in the future or in my big garden. I was up working this morning at 5 AM! I do not receive any income from this website. In fact, it costs me $84 a year. However, I do want to keep subscribers interested until I can start showing you my new virtual reality images and videos. I will continue to post videos and articles about the work of professional archaeologists, whose discoveries challenge current orthodoxy.
By the way, archaeologist Warren K. Moorehead, who is mentioned in this program, spent several years of his life, working in North Georgia. Nowadays, you are told about his work at Etowah Mounds, but NOT told that he found ancient bronze and iron tools/weapons within the interior of several Pre-Columbian mounds in the Georgia Mountains!
Here is something that the producers and writers of the 1987 Red Paint People documentary would not have known. The aboriginal people of Sweden and northern Northway were Asians, very similar in appearance to these Nennits in NW Russia. They did not look significantly different than the Native Americans of Eastern Canada today. Modern Sami are the result of thousands of years of intermarriage with Finns and Germanic Scandinavians.
In particular, the Sea Sami of northern Lapland were skilled mariners, who would venture far out into the ocean to catch fish and harpoon whales. While exploring the mountains between Kiruna, Lapland and Nordkap, Norway I stayed with an isolated tribe of Sami, who to me looked just like American Indians.
Richard L. Thornton
The Americas Revealed 
I’ve seen this documentary a few times. It is very well done, and also very interesting. Thanks for bringing it to the attention of an audience that might have missed it. This film, in particular, is extremely important because it mentions how particular environments challenge mainstream archeologists by not “performing” as they might expect, and therefore erasing certain evidence they deem required. In this case, soil acidity and bones 🙂 Mother Earth herself requires us to revise our thinking nearly every day, if we are paying attention.
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That is exactly the situation with the Red Paint People. They did not do what the archaeologists told them to do. LOL
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Good film, thank you for recommending. I’ll be going back to Cahokia later this month. Moorehead took some punches in his life obviously. Your thoughts on those criticizing him? Do you have any fun theories on where The Red Paint people might’ve gone? Do you associate their use of red paint with blood or the coveting of blood as such a life force. Obviously they had a tinge or more of human sacrifice in their ritualistic practices which to me reminds of other dwellers more Southern and into The Americas. With the fairly steady mention of “7000” years ago I flashed to The Windover People found in Florida with DNA ties to Europe. All of this so much more interesting than everyday Hollywood!
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Actually, I did not realize that Moorehead was ostracized by his fellow archaeologists until re-watching the video yesterday. There is no mention of this in any articles about Etowah Mounds. The name Moorehead meant nothing to me in 1992. In 1992, I did not know diddlysquat about my own heritage, but was very knowledgeable on Mesoamerica. I did not know that I was part Maya until a DNA test in 2005. Vivi and her daughter took a DNA test in the spring of 2021 and learned that Vivi and I carry pretty much the same Native American DNA markers. Maybe that explains the instant attraction.
The Ottawa, Ojibwe and Potawatomi were originally one tribe on the Atlantic Coast of the Maritime Provinces. They are a possible candidate for the descendants of the Red Paint People. There is no evidence that the Red Paint, Sami or Ottawa/Ojibwe/Potawatomi ever practice human sacrifice.
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