Native Americans and European Cultures
- Submitted by: ajloz99
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- Category: History
- Date Submitted: 12/14/2010 04:21 AM
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Cultural Values Amongst Native Americans & European Settlers
Much has been said of the want of what you term "civilization" among the Indians. Many proposals have been made to us to adopt your laws, your religion, your manners, and your customs. We do not see the propriety of such a reformation. We should be better pleased if we could actually see the good effects of these doctrines in your own practices rather than hearing you talk about them, or reading your newspaper on such subjects. You say, for example, "Why do not the Indians till the ground and live as we do?" May we not ask with equal propriety, "Why do not the white people hunt and live as we do?"
-Old Tassel (Cherokee)
The above quote was said by a Cherokee Indian and I found it to be a perfect depiction of the different values amongst Native Americans and European settlers of the early twentieth century. I’ve had previous education in this area throughout high school and somewhat in college. Although I can say that I have never focused on cultural values as a determining factor of what is one of the most controversial battles ever on United States soil. I will explain these differences in cultural values putting aside my own biases in hopes to see something more than what I have read in textbooks over the years.
The Native American and Settler’s clash was so bloody and distasteful that today it instills a sense of sympathy for Native Americans, who were not only harshly beaten in battle but almost beaten into extinction as a race. It is obvious that this was a true clash of culture and a lack of imitative, understanding and respect of Native American culture. During my research on this topic I viewed two movies that portrayed these times. The first movie I watched was Dances with Wolves which was produced by Kevin Costner in 1990 about a military man who befriends Indians and gains respect for them and their kind. The second movie I watched was Little Big Man which was Directed by Arthur Penn...
Much has been said of the want of what you term "civilization" among the Indians. Many proposals have been made to us to adopt your laws, your religion, your manners, and your customs. We do not see the propriety of such a reformation. We should be better pleased if we could actually see the good effects of these doctrines in your own practices rather than hearing you talk about them, or reading your newspaper on such subjects. You say, for example, "Why do not the Indians till the ground and live as we do?" May we not ask with equal propriety, "Why do not the white people hunt and live as we do?"
-Old Tassel (Cherokee)
The above quote was said by a Cherokee Indian and I found it to be a perfect depiction of the different values amongst Native Americans and European settlers of the early twentieth century. I’ve had previous education in this area throughout high school and somewhat in college. Although I can say that I have never focused on cultural values as a determining factor of what is one of the most controversial battles ever on United States soil. I will explain these differences in cultural values putting aside my own biases in hopes to see something more than what I have read in textbooks over the years.
The Native American and Settler’s clash was so bloody and distasteful that today it instills a sense of sympathy for Native Americans, who were not only harshly beaten in battle but almost beaten into extinction as a race. It is obvious that this was a true clash of culture and a lack of imitative, understanding and respect of Native American culture. During my research on this topic I viewed two movies that portrayed these times. The first movie I watched was Dances with Wolves which was produced by Kevin Costner in 1990 about a military man who befriends Indians and gains respect for them and their kind. The second movie I watched was Little Big Man which was Directed by Arthur Penn...