So, I've got a story I've been sitting on for a while. I'm honestly scared to write it because I can't do it without exploring Native American culture and I feel like I'm too far removed. (I'm a white man.) No amount of research will give me the Native American experience. That being said, this story is not about Native Americans - at least not directly.
Let me sum it up:
The setting is modern America with an alternate magical history. From the European perspective, everything was the exact same until they made contact with America. When they got there, they discovered that the Native Americans could use magic. Hold on - don't freak out here. I'm not doing the magical Native trope. (At least I hope I'm not. That's why this thread exists.) The Native Americans are not inherently magical. They gain magic by eating dragon eggs. (Yeah, I added dragons too.) Eventually the Europeans figured out magic too, though they almost drove the dragons to extinction before they did.
All of that is backstory. As such, it will only be referenced obliquely. This is not a story of the conflict between Europeans and Native Americans. This is the story of the people that live in the geographical space that we call the United States.
My problem is that with such differences in history, there would be large differences in the culture of the United States and of the Native Americans, who themselves are already such a widely varying set of cultures. One very possible difference is that events played out differently and the United States does not stretch from sea to shining sea. That would leave me with many tribes occupying spaces they never did in actual history. I am not comfortable speculating wildly about cultures that I have no part of.
The biggest questions: Should I drop this idea completely because of the cultural landmines? If I don't drop it, what resources should I turn to for developing this world?
Let me sum it up:
The setting is modern America with an alternate magical history. From the European perspective, everything was the exact same until they made contact with America. When they got there, they discovered that the Native Americans could use magic. Hold on - don't freak out here. I'm not doing the magical Native trope. (At least I hope I'm not. That's why this thread exists.) The Native Americans are not inherently magical. They gain magic by eating dragon eggs. (Yeah, I added dragons too.) Eventually the Europeans figured out magic too, though they almost drove the dragons to extinction before they did.
All of that is backstory. As such, it will only be referenced obliquely. This is not a story of the conflict between Europeans and Native Americans. This is the story of the people that live in the geographical space that we call the United States.
My problem is that with such differences in history, there would be large differences in the culture of the United States and of the Native Americans, who themselves are already such a widely varying set of cultures. One very possible difference is that events played out differently and the United States does not stretch from sea to shining sea. That would leave me with many tribes occupying spaces they never did in actual history. I am not comfortable speculating wildly about cultures that I have no part of.
The biggest questions: Should I drop this idea completely because of the cultural landmines? If I don't drop it, what resources should I turn to for developing this world?
