Contacts And Conflicts : The Adventures Of Zenas Leonard, Fur Trader Essay

Bartolome’ de Las Casas view of the Native Americans was quite accurate. Although some of it seemed a bit bias he was mostly precise when describing them. Las Casas describe the Indians as “the most delicate people, weak and of feeble constitution, and less than any other can they bear fatigue.” They were poor and possessed little but that was the thing, they didn’t want to possess anything. They were neither “proud, nor

Additionally, he adds that their land is bountiful alluding his readers that it's vital for them take over their land because they will have greater use for it. He goes on to say, 'Six or seven hundred have been the most that have been seen together when they gathered themselves to have surprised Captain Smyth at Pamaunke, having but 15 to withstand the worst of their fury.' By mentioning this, Smith is assuring his readers that they are much stronger than the Native Americans, as it only took 15 settlers to fight off the upward hundreds of them. He tries to make it clear that these people are inferior as well as incapable of the same standards of civilization as white men. Smith adds more to his claim when describes them as, 'inconstant in everything, but what fear constraints them to keep. Crafty, timorous, quick of apprehension and very ingenious. Some are of disposition fearful, some bold, most cautious, all savage.' He goes on to talk, in great depth, about their apparel and how the 'better sort' cover themselves in animal skin, while the rest of the majority cover themselves with grass and leaves. Most of them would additionally adorn themselves with other things, such as beads, copper, feathers, rat tails, snakes, paintings, etc. To the Indians, these were among things that they coveted. But to Smith, he just saw them as trash. Used to the way the colonists dressed, Smith thought the Indians looked barbaric in comparison.

The expedition of Lewis and Clark was a landmarking event in American history, but its significance goes beyond just the land they discovered.The Lewis and Clark Expedition was put forward so the two would be able to see and map out western America in search of new trade routes and passages. Lewis and Clark would have doubtfully survived had it not been with the aid of the Indians they met on their travels. Upon their controversial meetings with several Indian groups, Lewis and Clark were not respectful to the Americans they met on their journey. The controversial messages behind the peace metals, the reference to the Indians as “children”, and the physical

description of native life are described in such a way as to emphasize some of

Lewis and Clark were not respectful to the American Indians who inhabited Louisiana. To illustrate, in document B it expresses that an Indian had taken a gun and ran off with it. Then J. Fields saw the Indian running with the gun and called for his brother R. Fields. R.Field stabbed the Indian to the heart with his knife (Document B: Diary Entry of Meriwether Lewis). This piece of evidence establish that they are not respecting the American Indians because the brothers had killed an Indian for just taking a gun. The Indian was probably curious about the technology that they had and were misunderstood.

Additionally, Royal gives clarification for Native Americans’ positive stereotypes. He explains, “ But this is far from modern concepts of ecology. Native Americans in fact overhunted deer and beaver even before the arrival of the white man, and did not seriously try to preserve the resources in the vicinity of their villages. As a result, the typical woodland village, having exhausted local soil and game, had to move on average every eight to 10 years” (Royal 47). Although the Native Americans did not destroy the environment like Europeans on such a large scale, they are not trying to protect the environment either. This opposes the stereotypes that Native Americans are model ecologists. Royal also examines the inhumane sides of Native American tribes. Royal reveals, “The

As shown in document one, William Smith, a British soldier states, ¨They delivered up their beloved captives with utmost reluctance… they visited them from day to day; and brought them what corn, skins, horses, and other matters they had bestowed on them while in their families...¨ Smith indirectly states that while the Indians were thought to be savages, they too showed compassion and loyalty, which showed the British that the Indians weren't quite as different from them as they

Michael L. Tate’s book Indians and Emigrants looks to the years on the Overland Trails from 1840-1870 and makes a seemingly bold statement. He refutes the old ideal of Indian and White relations and provides a persuasive scholarly work explaining that more often than not whites and Indians interacted peacefully and for each other’s benefit. The thirty years of widespread cooperation can be condensed into three practical realities of emigrant’s time on the Overland Trails. To start, the emigrant’s main goal was to make

As the encroachment of settlers on Indian lands continued, so did the inevitable conflicts. "To the Indians, the arriving Europeans seemed attuned to another world; they appeared oblivious to the rhythms and spirits of nature" (Jordan, 1991). Nature to the Europeans was something of an obstacle, even an enemy, and these disrespectful attitudes were quite apparent to the Indians. The wilderness was also a commodity however: "a forest was so many board feet of timber, a beaver colony so many pelts, a herd of buffalo so many hides" (Jordan, 1991). The Europeans' cultural arrogance and ethnocentrism, and their materialistic view of the land and its inhabitants were repulsive to the Indians. "Europeans, overall, were regarded as something mechanical - soulless creatures wielding diabolically ingenious tools and weapons to accomplish selfish ends" (Jordan, 1991).

Benjamin Franklin’s Remarks Concerning the Savages of North America, is a message that people should view the Native Americans with respect and not view them simply as savages. The Native Americans have customs and traditions that are just as polite if not more than our own. Franklin also points out that some of the hatred against the savages is based on ignorant prejudice, because the people simply do not know the culture of their people. Since Native Americans were first called Indians by Christopher Columbus, it shows how littler the British really knew or cared to understand about the people they conquered. Benjamin Franklin is showing respect to the Native Americans by saying they are civil in their own way (Franklin).

Along Williams travels he built traps around the Pueblo area where he caught beaver. In Williams travels he took with him some Cheyenne to keep him company. Suddenly a bunch of Comanche’s showed up he had to make a split decision on whether to hide them or turn them over to the Comanche’s, he chose the latter of the two.

The attacks on Indians by the whites could now be excused because the Indians had murdered family members. They could kill, scalp, and rob Indians without much fear of being caught or punished. A play based on real life, written by Indian fighter, Robert Rogers, showed how two hunters happened upon two Indians. As they talked, both told of how Indians had murdered some family members, so it was logical to them to kill the Indians, scalp them and robbed them of the guns, hatchets and furs. The “victims’ furs were a fantastic windfall”. (129)

Going into the movie we did not really get a strong sense of how Dunbar thought of the Indians. While he was journeying out to the frontier Dunbar asked Timmons, a man that was taking him there, what he thought about Indians. With no hesitation at all Timmons stated that they were all thieves, murderers, and savages. Dunbar didn't ever state what he thought of the Indians. I got the impression that he really did not have an opinion about them because he has never dealt with them. He seemed like the type of guy that would not assume something without experiencing it for himself. Everyone he talked to about Indians probably said the same things Timmons did, but for some reason Dunbar was different from the rest. He seemed to be better than that.

Most of which describe them as "Indian dogs", savages, or as being uneducated. In Franklin's description of the events at the Treaty of Lancaster, the reader is able to view Native Americans differently. When the proposal of allowing six Indian boys to attend college is mentioned, it is politely declined by the speaker stating, "We are however not the less obliged by your kind offer, though we decline accepting it;" (245). From this statement, the argument of whether Native Americans were educated is made moot. The response is extremely well spoken so that no party was to be offended. This statement is the perfect example of how incorrect the opinion of Indians is no matter how it was written by

Between 1790 and 1920 it was a tough time for the Indians. During that period Native Americans were forced to convert to the European-American Culture. Their whole life changed, the way of living, religion, and especially their children’s future. It was wrong of Americans to convert natives into a different society that they saw fit and not letting them express their own culture and treating them as an unworthy society.