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It seems that the history of democracy is caught in a double bind. Its greatest exponents, and most bitter detractors, all claim it is an exclusive product of “the West” and contend that full, direct democracy is both highly unusual in world history and very difficult to achieve. Yet, clear evidence of democratic practice in Africa, Oceania, Asia, or the Americas is actually much more common than one might think – it is often hiding in plain sight. Looking with fresh eyes at how native peoples of the so-called “New World” governed themselves – long before “the West” was invented, it becomes clear that egalitarian cities and participatory forms of government were surprisingly common. We need to make space for entirely new histories of democracy.