They Had Names: Tracing the History of the North America Indigenous People

Before the Pilgrims landed at Cape Cod, what was happening in North America? Who was there? What civilizations rose and fell? For years, the answers to these questions have been shrouded in mystery.


At the time of European contact, a diverse world of Native peoples thrived across the continent. What was their backstory? Who were the ancestors of the Sioux? Where did the Navajo come from? What about the Apache, the Comanche, the Cherokee?


They Had Names is the result of a multi-year deep dive into genetics, indigenous histories, archaeology, and linguistics—an ambitious quest to uncover answers to these questions.


In this book, you will explore pre-Columbian links between civilizations of the Old World and civilizations of the New. You’ll read about unexpected connections between Mexico and tribes north of the Rio Grande. You’ll also discover that ancient ruins from North American civilizations still exist, that these ruins tell dramatic stories, and that they can still be visited today.


On this continent, peoples and kingdoms rose and fell, great battles were fought, heroes were enshrined—heroes whose names have been preserved.