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This is how and when NOT to see the opposite of the Blue Moon.

This things ribs burst through its skin and somehow, its no biggie.

Its just as well conditions like this are not common, or 18th-century geologists might have never made sense of Earth's layers.

We are so back.

In North America, ravens occasionally come in white.

John Wesley preaching to native Americans, unknown artist and date. Source: The Wellcome CollectionThe Native American population reached around seven million before European contact. Estimates for all the Americans range up to or past 45 million. In North America, Native Americans are grouped into six tribes, numbering between three and seven million people. The Eastern Woodland groups, with their densely populated societies, such as the Iroquois, were the largest, being over 1.5 million people.Many Native people reached a high level of sophistication. For example, the Pueblo created complex agricultural systems. In the Woodlands, the Native Americans built centers like Cahokia. And trading networks connected many, spreading culture and increasing trade.By 1900, roughly 250,000 remained.The Biggest ContributorEnglish Landing at Jamestown 1607 Source: New York Public LibrarySeveral factors contributed to the collapse in Native American numbers, but none more lethal than disease. Old World diseases rampaged through Native American communities, especially after first contact. Due to a lack of exposure, these tribes had no acquired immunity. Some did exist, but nothing like what would come after 1500 CE. Another factor in play was isolation. Unlike heavily populated Europe, smaller populations meant less contact over time and fewer chances for transmission. This created a reduced gene pool, unlike most parts of the world.Smallpox proved especially deadly to Native Americans, striking in waves over decades. Tribes could easily lose half or more of their population in one outbreak. In America, diseases often preceded actual settlements, spreading among traders or through unintended carriers. In 1620, the Pilgrims landed at their future settlement to find swathes of land devoid of people. The cause? Weils disease, a blood infection spread by European rats. This contagion wiped out 90% of the local Wampanoag tribes.More than Just Disease16th century Aztec drawing of smallpox. Source: WikipediaWhile disease ranked as the highest killer of Native Americans, forced relocations ranked next. These relocations, either by force or broken treaty, killed thousands. European and later American settlements took the best land, often at the expense of Native Americans. Events like the 1832 Trail of Tears found Cherokee Nation tribes escorted from east of the Mississippi River to Oklahoma. Around 4,000 members died from exposure or starvation on the 1,000-mile march, much worse than shown below.The Impact of Relocations1832 Trail of Tears Source: PBSThe relocations disrupted traditional food gathering (hunting, farming, gathering). Upon losing their traditional lands, tribe members now lived in unfamiliar territory, often in arid or resource-poor areas. With good nutrition lacking or shelter removed, thousands more perished.U.S. government officials, termed Indian agents, interacted with Native American tribes. With primary responsibility for disbursing supplies and money, few did so. Most skimmed off the top, failed to deliver, or distributed insufficient or substandard goods. Thus, many tribe members starved or revolted.War and Involuntary AssimilationKiowa Drawing from Red River War 1874 Source: University of TexasAside from neglect, intentional or not, war and involuntary assimilation contributed to the Native American death toll. After first contact, Native Americans became embroiled in a nearly endless cycle of violence punctuated by wars. Though diseases killed more, war killed an estimated 15,000 plus Native Americans between 1850 and 1890. These conflicts occurred during Americas Manifest Destiny to settle the West. The casualties included women and children in events like the 1864 Sand Creek Massacre (up to 150 dead) and the 1890 Wounded Knee (350 dead).Only in one conflict did the Native tribes win: Red Clouds War between 1866 and 1868. The U.S. government asked for a treaty, unable to defeat the coalition led by Red Cloud, the Southern Cheyenne chief. The U.S. later violated the treaty, leading to the Great Sioux War.1887 Dawes Act Advertisements Source: Library of CongressThe near constant fighting disrupted Native American life and resettlement. Epidemics of cholera or smallpox became common, killing many. While disease and war directly killed thousands, forced assimilation indirectly helped. The 1887 Dawes Act aimed to assimilate Native Americans. Gradually, this act broke down Native tribes culturally and physically, with the government parceling out Native American lands.Decades later, research showed that Native American mortality jumped by 20%. The land parcel also caused a spike in miscarriages by up to 50%. Even Native American lifespan decreased, taking decades to recover. By 1900, Native American tribes had lost 98% of tribal lands.The sheer numbers of Native Americans killed are staggering. No specific records were kept; however, even scholarly research shows high numbers of deaths. The drop from upwards of seven million people to sub 250,000 is a 28-fold decrease or simply 1/28 of what existed before. Fortunately, Native American tribes have recovered in numbers to where they were prior.

Tecumseh, the Shawnee leader of an instrumental Pan-Indian confederacy, stood up to the United States when his people and allies were threatened. He would be killed in the ensuing conflict, but with his death came rumors of a curse placed on the highest office in the land. Shockingly, the curse seems to have come true throughout Americas history. Is it a wild coincidence? Or is Tecumseh killing Americas presidents from beyond the grave?Who Was Tecumseh?A portrait of Tecumseh by Owen Staples based on an engraving by Benson John Lossing. Source: Toronto Public LibraryTecumseh was a Shawnee man born in the nineteenth century during a tumultuous time in US history. The young United States was attempting to move westward, encroaching on Indigenous homelands that had been in existence for centuries. Conflicts arose, and Tecumseh became a key player. He and his brother, Teskwatawa, known as the Prophet, worked together to create a united Native American force. Though they proved to be a formidable opponent, eventually the US forces would overcome the Shawnee and their allies. Tecumseh was killed in 1813 during the Battle of Moraviantown, part of the War of 1812. With his death, Tecumsehs confederacy fell apart, and the control of the area, known as the Northwest Territory, went to the fledgling US government.Tecumsehs Curse: The Curse of TippecanoeTecumseh faces off with William Henry Harrison. Source: PBS Learning MediaSeveral years later, William Henry Harrison, who in Tecumsehs time had been one of his contemporary military rivals, would die suddenly, and rumors began to swirl. Stories of a legend came to light, with oral histories indicating that Tecumseh and Tenskewatawa had cursed their enemies for eternity. Not only would Harrison suffer, but the Great White Chief chosen every 20 years would die in office. Conspiracy enthusiasts postulated that every president who followed Harrison, elected in a year ending in zero, would die during their term as a result of this curse. Adding to the curses validity is the evidence, a list of presidents who have died under these circumstances. Attention was brought to the string of deaths in 1931 in a Ripleys Believe It Or Not publication, and the idea was only supported by future deaths that followed. More recent presidents seem to have finally bucked the jinx or have they?The Death of William Henry HarrisonWilliam Henry Harrison painted by Rembrant Peale. Source: Encyclopedia VirginiaWilliam Henry Harrison was a son of Virginian elites, an ambitious man who worked his way up the ranks of the military and government. He became the governor of the brand-new Indiana Territory in 1801, and one of his main priorities was expansion, leading him to become an antagonist to Tecumseh and his legions. He was elected to the presidency in 1840 and slated to take office in March 1841 (presidential inauguration took place in March until 1937).Harrison did ascend to his role, but his time in the presidency was short-lived. Harrison famously gave his inauguration speech outdoors in poor weather, without a coat or hat. Within days he had developed a cold. With the lack of medical knowledge that existed at the time, crude treatments such as bleeding were used to try and heal the president. However, his respiratory ailment escalated to pneumonia, which killed him exactly one month after his inauguration. Today, he is still the shortest-serving US president ever, and is considered the first victim of Tecumsehs curse.The Assassination of Abraham LincolnPresident Lincoln painted twelve years after his death, in 1877. Source: Library of CongressIn one of the more famous events in US history, Abraham Lincoln was shot and killed by actor and Confederate sympathizer John Wilkes Booth on April 14, 1865. Lincoln led the country through the tumultuous American Civil War, and had succeeded in his attempt to preserve the Union. Under Lincoln, the Emancipation Proclamation was issued, one of the key steps in a long line of events that would prohibit slavery in the United States. Though Lincoln was serving his second term, re-elected in 1864, his first election had been in a year ending in zero1860aligning him with the curse.Lincoln died nine hours after he was shot in the head, and Wilkes attempted to escape, along with other conspirators. The secretary of state, William Henry Seward, was threatened the same evening in a coordinated attack, but survived. It was believed that at least five people, including Booth and Sewards attacker, Lewis Powell, were involved in the plot to kill Lincoln, Seward, and other key government officials, as a result of anger over the Civil War. All, including Booth, were caught and shot or hanged.James Garfield Was ShotPresident Garfield on his deathbed, as depicted in Harpers Weekly. Source: Otis Historical Archives National Museum of Health & MedicineWalking through the Baltimore and Potomac train station on July 2, 1881, President James Garfield, elected in 1880, was preparing to leave on a family vacation to the Jersey shore. Suddenly, a mentally ill lawyer named Charles Guiteau burst out of the crowd and shot the president twice. One of the shots penetrated through his spine and remained in his abdomen, where it would lodge and lead to his death.Garfield would persist in life for two months. During that time, doctors attempted numerous archaic medical procedures, including unwashed hands probing the wound to remove the bullet and rudimentary surgical attempts. Garfield died as a result of infections that arose from his wound and subsequent treatment. On September 19, the president passed away after weeks of pain, weight loss, and suffering. Although Guiteau would become one of the first high-profile criminals to plead not guilty by reason of insanity, he was found guilty and hanged the following year.William McKinley Was Killed by an AnarchistA photo of Leon Czolgoz found in the assassins bag. Source: Wiendenthal Photo CompanyInitially, it was believed that President William McKinley would survive the assassination attempt by Leon Czolgoz in September 1901. Czolgoz was a devout anarchist who believed the president represented the type of government overreach that he despised. Czolgoz shot McKinley as he was exiting the Pan American Exposition in Buffalo, New York, on September 6, 1901. The president was hit twice with the assassins revolver, and Czolgoz was immediately apprehended by two Secret Service agents and a bystander.The still-conscious president urged his agents not to hurt the man as he was rushed away by ambulance. The wounds, though serious, did not seem life-threatening to McKinleys doctors. However, little did they know infection had started to set in around the wounds. President McKinley passed away from gangrene on September 14th, just six months into his second term. Czolgoz died in the electric chair just over a month later, freely admitting to his crime.Warren G. Harding Suffered a Sudden DemiseWarren G. Harding in 1905. Source: Library of Congress Harris & Ewing CollectionWarren Harding struggled with a bout of health issues not long before his death on August 2, 1923. However, the 29th president didnt think a lot about his poor health, as he had recently traveled extensively, leaving him exhausted, and had long suffered a condition that left him with an enlarged heart. The stress of his presidency, rife with scandals such as Teapot Dome and numerous extramarital affairs, did nothing to improve his wellness.Harding was sitting in his bedroom as his wife, Florence, read the newspaper to him. His last words were, Thats good, go on, in response to an article about himself, when he suddenly gave a shudder and dropped dead. He expired before doctors were even able to arrive, and his wife refused an autopsy. This would later lead to rumors that she had poisoned him. However, it was reported initially that Harding had passed from a stroke of cerebral apoplexy, though today, historians believe that he likely died from sudden myocardial infarction, or a heart attack.The Cerebral Hemorrhage That Killed FDRThe Little White House, where FDR spent relaxing moments, but where he also died suddenly in 1945. Source: Library of CongressIt was no public secret that Franklin Delano Roosevelt struggled with his health, including debilitating polio. Still, FDR seemed to beat every challenge thrown his way amid his own personal crises, from pulling the country through the Great Depression to managing the affairs of World War II. One place he retreated to to help bring levity to his life was Warm Springs, Georgia, where he created a polio treatment center and had a home known as The Little White House.On April 12, 1945, Roosevelt was in Warm Springs, posing for a portrait and spending time with friends. He suddenly lost consciousness and never awoke, succumbing to a cerebral hemorrhage, also known as a hemorrhagic stroke. The president was succeeded by Harry S. Truman, who had only been vice president for a few months.The Kennedy KillingJohn F. Kennedy, along with his wife Jackie and the governor of Texas and his wife, just moments before he was shot in Dealey Plaza. Source: Library of CongressIn perhaps the most dramatic death related to Tecumsehs Curse in terms of the conspiracies and public discourse surrounding it, John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas in 1963. Lee Harvey Oswald was accused of the killing but was murdered before he could face a judge and jury. Nightclub operator Jack Ruby shot Oswald as the suspect was being transported through the basement of Dallas Police Headquarters to an armored car intended to take him to jail.Rumors still surround the Kennedy assassination over sixty years later, including whether or not the young president, who was dealing with such pressing issues as civil rights, the space race, the Cold War, and the Vietnam War, was a victim of the centuries-old curse.Did Ronald Reagan Foil the Curse?President Reagan waves at the crowd outside the Washington Hilton Hotel just seconds before he was shot in 1981. Source: Texas HumanitiesSome claim that Tecumsehs Curse was halted once and for all by President Ronald Reagan in 1981. Reagan was shot exiting a hotel in Washington on March 30th of that year when John Hinckley Jr., would-be assassin, used a .22 caliber rifle with specialized bullets to wound the president. The president spent 12 days in the hospital, but survived his ordeal. He finished his presidency intact, and wouldnt pass away until 2004 at age 93.