Module 3- The American Indians- A painting of Impressionism

Since our first history classes in Elementary School and through popular legend, we have be taught certain ideas about our beginning relations with the Native Americans. From the story of Pocahontas to the beginning of the Thanksgiving tradition, our society paints a fairly quaint picture of our treatment of the Indians. How askew this picture is. These tales of peaceful feasts and romances between the Europeans and the Indians are censored versions of what really happened when we came to this continent. They have omitted the horrendous treatment of the Indians, the terrible ways we came to acquire the lands that would become America.

“Most of the Europeans who crossed the Atlantic in the wake of Columbus…had immense confidence in their superiority to those they encountered in America. They expected these societies to abandon their own beliefs and traditions and embrace those of the newcomers. Those who failed to do so were considered uncivilized heathens” (18). What sane person would think that stumbling upon an unknown land, claiming it for themselves and ousting the native people of that land just because they are not of the same religion or social system is a just thing to do? Anyone who was being removed from their homeland would be savage, and try to defend themselves and fight for what was theirs first, as many tribes did! Eric Foner speaks of King Phillips War as the bloodiest and most bitter conflict of the seventeenth century. “By 1976 Indian forces attacked nearly half of New England’s ninety towns… In mid 1976 the tide of battle turned and a ferocious counterattack broke the Indians power once and for all… Indian villages were destroyed, and captives, including men, women and children, were killed or sold into slavery…” (96-97). These people were simply trying to preserve their way of life, which before the arrival of Europeans, wasn’t a bother to anyone.

Popular belief was that Indians were savage, uncivilized, unorganized, and in need of saving or removal. When in reality, tribes had clear, defined religious beliefs and structure. Some even had established a “Foreign Policy”. “In present-day New York and Pennsylvania, five Iroquois peoples formed a Great League of Peace. Each Year a Great Council met to coordinate behavior towards outsiders.” (24) It is also taught that Indians were uncooperative with the newcomers, and sought nothing but violence. This is definitely not the case in William Penn’s Settlement: “Penn’s Chain of Friendship appealed to the local Indians, promising protection from the Iroquois” (93). This obviously resulted in a much more peaceful coexistence in Pennsylvania, since no conflicts have been noted in history.

It’s quite sad that we have been brainwashed to think so poorly of the American Indians. They are very spiritual, peaceful peoples, who were grossly taken advantage of. They truly deserve all our respect; after all, they were here long before we were. The facts have been rearranged, forgotten, ignored or changed to suit and uphold the American ideals of freedom. Call me unpatriotic, a traitor to my own country, but this period, along with several others, of our "Great" Country's history is shameful and embarassing.