Smithsonian Voices has been hearing about Native friends' Christmas preparations and customs for the past few years. We have added fresh quotations and images to this tale this year.

In Native cultures, there might be debate concerning the origins of Christmas and the spread of Christianity throughout the Americas. Native Americans' preexisting spiritual beliefs were purposefully supplanted with Bible-based ideas by Europeans. This indoctrination was frequently accompanied by cruelty and brutality. However, it is also true that certain families, tribes, and individuals willingly accepted the Bible and the teachings of Jesus. This is a reflection of this complex past.