Native American Societies, Essay Example

Compare and contrast the programs, goals and mentalities of the Spanish, French and English missionaries who came to North America.  Give two specific examples of how specific Native Americans responded to European missionaries and discuss why you think they responded in such a way.

History depicts that the first French missions in North America were that of Jesuit’s established in Maine between 1611 and 1613. The mentalities of the French missionaries were to convert the Wabanaki people into Catholics by establishing villages where the natives would settle and grow crops as well as attend religious services. “The French government further believed that having strength or power in the religious community ensured New France power with their struggles with England.” (“French Missions in Maine”).  This was a manipulate means of the French to win the loyalty of the Native people hence turning their loyalty away from the English people. Native American Indians and their labour through competition with Russia, France and the United States to for control of North America and its entire population including the whole Spanish frontier. The historical perception of the cruelty Spaniards inflicted upon the Native American Indian population goes without disputed.

An example of the Native American response to European missionaries is how the Native American Indians had an open mind to the conversion of Latter Day Saint religious conversion. The Book of Mormon and Joseph smith believed that they could actually redeem the Indians because they were the Children of Israel and incorporate them into God’s holy Kingdom.” The Indians were very intelligent because they secretly practised this religion as well as their Native religion.” (Alexander, 2009).  Another example is in the 1830’s how the Choctaw Indians stood their grounds with the Europeans through the Treaty of Doak’s Stand which was a promise to “give each Choctaw emigrant a blanket, kettle, rifle, bullet mold and ammunition for hunting and defence for one year.” Further each member of the family was given a supply of corn to feed his/herself for a year. It is believed the Native Americans responded with intelligence in both manners of the Latter Day Saints and the bargaining with The Treaty of Doak’s Stand in order to protect their interests because they knew the Europeans were going to take supremacy over the land and religion anyway by force thus it was in their best interest to negotiate a settlement before being taken over completely and left without anything at all. In today’s society it would be called collective bargaining.

Discuss the different approaches used by the French and the English in their interactions with the Native Americans in the Northeast and their justification for this approach. Further give three examples of the repercussions of these interactions on Native Americans and how the communities responded to survive

The French and Americans were dependent upon the American Indians for fur and trade and further formed some military alliances with them upon the Northern seaboard. The French and English continued their attempt to convert the Native Americans of the Northeast to Christianity and even intermarried into some of the household. The Northwest Ordinance was passed in 1787 to open up passage and development of western lands and creating a system of government for the Northwest Territory. Repercussions were that of increased trade, better socioeconomic conditions amongst the states and a more unified military.  Prima facie the South did not support the merge with the Native American population but the Northwest Territory did hence the passage of the Northwest Ordinance made the bond with the Native Americans and the Europeans/French stronger. This approach was justified to promote trade and unity under one nation hence promoting the country’s overall westward expansion. Without this expansion the United States would not be what it is today.

Explain how French and English interaction changed as they expanded their settlements and trade networks from the Northeast to the Southeast. How did the specific Native Americans communities respond to the French and English presence in the community area and provide at least two examples of the responses and/or interactions of the French/English with the Native Americans.

The trade market changed as the product demand changed from the north to the south as the demand for mink changed to knives and other products that people needed to live. Once it was decided who dealt exclusively with certain products is when the shift of the trade market began to take place. The Native Americans were not happy with the presence of the French and English in their communities initially, for they attempted to resist decolonization through efforts but the white man simply killed their horses and means of transportation and bullied them into trading by offering them few dollars on the value of a product.

This perception may not be totally congruent with what the books state but if you ask any old timer Native American that is what they will tell you. After the initial trade rampage was settled the Native Americans began to see some of the usefulness of the items that the Europeans and French had to offer such as the higher rated cloth. For example high quality products were available from Canada where as medium scale products were available in the Appalachians and knives and cast iron products were available in the southern regions. It was basically supply and demand. There was particular resistance of the white man from the Native Americans because they had been the owners of the land all their lives and the Native Americans felt as though their land was stolen unfairly for the most part. But for the times where compacts were made, the Native Americans were happy to do business with the French and European business man. In the Lake areas of Maine the European presence was encouraged because of the educational and skill they had to offer on methods of trading. Metals and goods trading with Europeans were welcomed by the Native Americans because the Native Americans had difficult time getting their hands on these products.

When the French and English began to expand for control of the interior territories, how did the Native Americans get drawn into the inter-colonial wars? Include in your discussion the Seven Year War, Pontiac’s Rebellion and the Royal Proclamation of 1763.

“The Native American Indians were caught right smack in the middle because they had to preserve their homeland as well as maintain their right to trade and supply which was being engulfed with the Seven Year War.” (“The Native American’s Role in the American Revolution:  Choosing Sides”). Chief Pontiac-a Native American Ottawa was given credit for his leading role in the Pontiac Rebellion which was a fight against the British for the great Lakes Region. It was found that germ warfare was readily used in this rebellion to fight the war. The Proclamation of 1763 “which was issued by George III’s acquisition of the French Territory after the end of the French/Indian War or Seven Years War was made to organize Britain’s newly found empire” and to make stable the relationship with the Native American Indians through the major means of trade prosper, purchases of land on the western frontier and settlement on the purchased land through trade settlements. (Pratt, 2006). The Native American’s were forced into the Wars in order to attempt to protect their heritage land and trading rights that accompanied the land.

How, when and why was the concept of race constructed and used by the Europeans in North America? Use two examples and explain why Native Americans drew on their own colour symbolism to develop categories that could account for the biological, cultural and political differences between the Native Americans and Europeans.

The concept that people can be categorized into facts of their intelligence, social and physical characteristics is a very unsound way of classification according to most scientists and social scientists. “As goes with saying the Civil Rights movement which promoted a black genetic inferiority egalitarian social and economic policy were not scientific based rather based on variables of geography, culture some science theories and economics.” (Yudell, 2008). As early as the 1930’s scientist realized that the use of colour/race to make scientific determinations was discriminate rather than scientifically based and social prejudices should be limited to the study of social science rather than genetics and science. The Native Americans used colourful symbolic body ornaments and clothing to depict their distinct culture differences from that of the European community. The pierce symbol of the falcon represented symbolism of a strong warrior type. This symbol was used on many clothes and other carvings made by the Native Americans. The colour red was consistently used by the Native Americans because the colour symbolised heat, energy, blood and anger. Further red is a representation of the presence of God, hence red was quite picturesque during religious dance ceremonies. The Native Americans drew on the use of colour symbolism because they believed colour had its own distinct use and appreciation in the world with respect to psychology, metaphysics, religion, healing and medicine, wealth and nobility. Just as the Indians of India respect colour and have a special colour celebration every year called the Festival of Colours in the Gujarat state of India, so do the Native American Indians have a bestowed tradition engrained with loyalty and belief in the representation of colours.