Native American Culture

Introduction

From the first interaction with the native peoples the Europeans initiated dominance and superiority. There are three distinctive reasons that the Europeans were able to dominate and later oppress the Native American culture such as; the Native American religious beliefs and practices, the lack of interaction between Native Americans ans Europeans and the lack of organization of the Indian tribes. All of these aspects had a strong influence the Europeans to become dominate figures on the Native American land.

Discussion

From the arrival of Christopher Columbus to the present day, the Native Americans have been misunderstood and treated like beasts. Arriving on the coast of the Cuban islands with the intention of finding gold and silver, Columbus found a culture which he didn=t understand and therefore proclaimed savage. Columbus took advantage of these >uncivilized= peoples by taking their land and forcing them into slavery. This attitude towards the natives continued with the colonization of North America. When the colonists arrived in America, they encountered people known as Indians. As the colonies grew, the Native Americans were forced to move west. This occured because the colonists felt they were a superior race, and therefore they could take over the Native American=s land. As the Native Americans were forced west, they also were brutally killed and enslaved. From the time Columbus arrived until the twentieth century, ninety-nine percent of North America=s native people have been killed (Worsnop :359-362)

The government did nothing to try to peacefully live alongside the natives. Instead, they forced the Native Americans to move west or give up their way of life and become American. Most Americans felt the same as Columbus did when he said the Native Americans were Amade to work, sow and do all that is necessary and to adopt our ways@ (Brown 1). The Americans ...