Cultural Shift help please. (Native American Culture)

How can I take the first peoples of the Americas. And have them advance technologically and socially to the point where they are on par with the late Western Roman Empire.

But, some how keep them American Natives? I don't just mean tossing in a few lines in about "brother hawk", and "sister moon", "paint with the colours of the wind" and that bull shit. I mean, how can I really, truthfully do this?
 
How can I take the first peoples of the Americas. And have them advance technologically and socially to the point where they are on par with the late Western Roman Empire.

But, some how keep them American Natives? I don't just mean tossing in a few lines in about "brother hawk", and "sister moon", "paint with the colours of the wind" and that bull shit. I mean, how can I really, truthfully do this?

Read up on the high civilizations of Mexico, Central America, and Peru. Socially, it can be argued that (if you combine attributes of the Maya, Peruvian, and Mexican civilizations) you don't have to change much - American natives produced complex states and empires, with sophisticated religions, bureaucracies, art, architecture, specialists, and writing. Then make some logical extrapolations that that introduce the advanced technologies they lacked (iron metallurgy, maybe more draft animals and wheeled vehicles, etc) and go for it. Not as hard as you might think.
 
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