Native Americans And Western History

The Native Americans are a prime example of the repression, poverty, and discrimination many minority groups have had to endure throughout the years. The Native Americans had their own land, culture and language. They were people able to adapt well to their particular region by hunting, fishing and farming crops. Their cultures primarily rested on wise use of all natural resources available. Many historians believe there were between 6 and 10 million Native Americans living in what later became the United States before the arrival of the Europeans (Parrillo, 2011). This paper will analyze the views the Europeans had about the Natives, what came about from these views and where the Native American

Throughout the course of history there have been numerous accounts regarding Native American and European interaction. From first contact to Indian removal, the interaction was somewhat of a roller coaster ride, leading from times of peace to mini wars and rebellions staged by the Native American tribes. The first part of this essay will briefly discuss the pre-Columbian Indian civilizations in North America and provide simple awareness of their cultures, while the second part of this essay will explore all major Native American contact leading up to, and through, the American Revolution while emphasizing the impact of Spanish, French, and English explorers and colonies on Native American culture and vice versa. The third, and final, part of this essay will explore Native American interaction after the American Revolution with emphasis on westward expansion and the Jacksonian Era leading into Indian removal. Furthermore, this essay will attempt to provide insight into aspects of Native American/European interaction that are often ignored such as: gender relations between European men and Native American women, slavery and captivity of native peoples, trade between Native Americans and European colonists, and the effects of religion on Native American tribes.

In “Times are Altered with Us Indians by Colin Calloway,” Indian peoples are shown to have created thriving communities before the Europeans arrived in their lands. They had developed long histories, effective fishing, farming, and hunting techniques, political systems and social structures, hundreds of languages, had advanced culturally in the form of artwork and architecture, as well as have far reaching networks of trade and communication, way before Europeans had “discovered America.” Once Europeans had arrived however, they had caused Native Americans prosperity to falter. The most devastating cause of change for the Indians were diseases like smallpox, plague, measles, yellow fever, and influenza brought by the Europeans, and caused several tribes to be completely wiped out and some tribes to only have a few survivors. The diseases, as well as alcohol, caused the social and political structure to be affected negatively because elders, providers, family members, healers, and counselors perished so all the resources and knowledge in these people perished with them and were not able to be passed on to the survivors. Eventually, Indian life began to be taken over by European ideals as a way to survive, by converting to Christianity, trading with the Europeans, having the Europeans interfere in their politics, and having war-caused by the Europeans- ruin their remaining communities. Indians role in colonial America are different than they are portrayed in traditional

When most people hear of Native Americans, they cannot help but think of elaborate headdresses, red skinned warriors, and lively dancing. Although these aspects of Native American culture are fascinating, more important is where they fare in our society 's past and present. Restrictive laws and acts such as the Indian Removal Act, the Indian Reorganization Act, Fort Laramie treaties, and the Trail of Tears forced Native Americans from their lands. When settlers and the American government saw the resistance of Native Americans to forced assimilation, they resorted to racial discrimination and relocation to reservations. This history of discrimination has fueled calls for the United States government to pay reparations and the return of Native Americans to their indigenous lands.

The Native Americans once thrived on the rich land of the Americas, and they built a long-lasting civilization with the help of nature, gods, and organized roles within the tribes. However, the thriving population plummeted after their encounter with diseases and forced labor brought upon them by the Spanish and Portuguese conquistadores. Although at first the conquistadores mistreatment of Native Americans seem shallow and unethical, their conquest of the Americas only partially reflects the claims of the English Black Legends..

During the end of the nineteenth century, the United States had formed policies which reduced land allotted to Native Americans. By enforcing these laws as well as Anglo-American ideals, the United States compromised indigenous people’s culture and ability to thrive in its society.

Just as the Greeks, the Romans and any other great civilization, Native Americans had their own gods with certain values. These values are a sharp contrast to the current european expansionist mindset and give great insight into understanding Native American’s actions and behavior. These documents are about Native American culture and are written around the arrival of European settlers. These documents show the conflicts that many Native Americans had were due to many miscommunications and conflicts in values. The two Native American values that the Europeans most tread on were their very philosophy and honor, which leads to some of the most brutal acts of war and massacres.

“The Indian presence precipitated the formation of an American identity” (Axtell 992). Ostracized by numerous citizens of the United States today, this quote epitomizes Axtell’s beliefs of the Indians contributing to our society. Unfortunately, Native Americans’ roles in history are often categorized as insignificant or trivial, when in actuality the Indians contributed greatly to Colonial America, in ways the ordinary person would have never deliberated. James Axtell discusses these ways, as well as what Colonial America may have looked like without the Indians’ presence. Throughout his article, his thesis stands clear by his persistence of alteration the Native Americans had on our nation. James Axtell’s bias delightfully enhances his thesis, he provides a copious amount of evidence establishing how Native Americans contributed critically to the Colonial culture, and he considers America as exceptional – largely due to the Native Americans.

If one thing is to be respected and understood about the American Indians, it would be that their history and culture goes much further back than contemporary American history. Consequently, the relationship developed between American Indians and the United States is as unique as it is complicated. This unique relationship started because the American Indians were the first faces seen by fresh colonials from Europe. Despite this fact, the American Indians have faced cultural appropriation on a level that cannot be compared to any other ethnic group or minority. Any American who has been through kindergarten can associate Indians and Pilgrims with Thanksgiving, but how many of those Americans can tell about the Battle of Little Bighorn or the Alcatraz Proclamation? The unique relationship between the United States and American Indians has grown over time to allow for the level of appropriation that can be observed today. It is this unique relationship that has allowed the American Indian culture to be exploited because

Native American, or American Indians, have a rich culture comprised of struggle, strife and success. For this paper, i will discuss the Native American Culture and it's history.

It can be said that the ruin of the Native Americans started as far back as when the first settlers landed in North America. The main progression of their forced emigration, however, was due to the War of 1812. A professor of history, David Koch states, “There is no question, the alliance with the English destroyed any slim chance the natives might have had to retain any lands in the east.” (Bulletin, n.p). The War of 1812 is seen as a step in the United States’

Native Americans were very important to American history; they were the first people in America (Nash, 2010, p. 13). Native Americans have their own form of governing, vastly different language, religious beliefs, and dress and for some reason the Natives have been generally excluded from American success (Nash, 2010, pg. 14-15). This is especially true when we look at how America put into place the "Manifest destiny" the idea that the United States had the God-given right and duty to take

Native Americans were once the only inhabitants of America, but today, while still technically around, they are really only a minority. Despite this, their influence is still evident in many of the values and overall culture that modern Americans have held, and continue to hold, close. In fact, a lot of the United States’ government systems are heavily inspired by, if not entirely based upon, the Iroquois in particular.

The ecosystems controls their way of life and strongly influences their common animist religions. Political power was held by either a chiefdom or a confederacy. A new religion spread such as one taught by a Mohawk named Hiawatha who preached peace and taught condolence rituals that created the Iroquois Confederacy. They became a powerful nation where councils make the choices, not a single chief. The power was passed down throughout the female bloodlines, a matriarchal society. Extensive trade networks formed allowed the different regions to have access to a variety of products. The leaders in nations control the majority of the wealth and economy. Most Native Americans were animalist believing that the world was full of spiritual power. They had many different rituals and tried to interpret the spirit's message which they believe came through dreams. Many of the economic, political and religious ways differed from the Europeans. Their interactions created new world views. Christopher Columbus was funded by Ferdinand Ⅱ of Aragon and Isabella Ⅰ of Castile to sail to Asia. He set sail with three ships reaching an island found in the Bahamas. Mistaking the island which they landed on, they believed it was the Indies. Columbus claimed the islands for Spain and saw the natives to be easy to convert to Christianity. He demanded the locals pay tribute before returning to Spain,

In the 19th century, U.S. citizens wanted Native Americans to be a part of mainstream culture, creating a dramatic, dark, and sad part of this proud nation’s past. Many methods were used to assimilate Native Americans; while some were more intense than others, they were all immoral. For example, the ways in which they were assimilated were fatal at times. Also, when the Native American population of the 19th century is compared to the population today, there is a large difference in numbers. Indeed, this is a dark part of history, and it is sad to look back on. Over all, the forced assimilation of the Native Americans into European culture caused disadvantages to their well-being, cultural diversity, and American reputation.