How Does the Arrival of the Early Europeans Has Changed or Affected Th

In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, the movements to explore the new world increased rapidly. Among them was the arrival of the early Europeans on Americas. Only in a few decades this arrival has changed the land and the people of the Americas both on the physical the non-physical outcomes.

On the physical outcomes, within a few decades after the arrival of European Ships on October 12, 1492, successive waves of explorers and colonists slaughtered, raped, and exploited indigenous populations who were poorly equipped to resist the bearded, white strangers invading their bays, inlets, and high plateaus. As mentioning in “The Second Voyage: The Cannibals” of Columbus: “Having her in my room and she being naked as is their custom, I began to want to amuse myself with her. Since I wanted to have my way with her and she was not willing, she worked me over so badly with her…To get to the end of the story, seeing how things were going, I got a rope and tied her up so tightly that she made unhearding how things were going, I got a rope and tied her up so tightly that she made unheard of cried which you wouldn’t have believed.” Spears, arrow, wood, and human agility proved no match against guns, cannon, steel, and horses. Many native communities were wiped out. As a result, a large number of people were killed, European as well as Native American. As mentioned In the King Philip’s war, “one in ten soldiers on both sides was injured or killed and it took many years for Plymouth and the other colonies to recover from damage to property.” (Ms. Hamidah’s lecture notes)

In addition, the Spanish would soon rely on slave labor to send profitable supplies of gold, sugar, coffee, and tobacco (new human “necessities”) to European markets. Hundreds of Natives who fought with Philip were sold into slavery abroad; others, especially women and children were forced to become servants locally. Columbus had this idea as soon as he came to the New Land: “They ought to be good servants and of good skill, for I see that they repeat very quickly whatever was said to them.”

In many ways, the arrival of whites was tragic disaster for Native Americans. “In the 1700s, about two thirds of the native population in Michigan died from diseases whites brought such as smallpox, cholera, yellow fever, malaria, typhus, tuberculosis, measles, influenza, and even the common cold.” The combination of slavery, disease, captivity, and brutality exacted a heavy toll throughout the Americas.

Considering land as gold, the encounter between European and the Native American has given many conflicts. From the conflict in non-physical it leads to the conflict in physical aspect. To the Native Americans, land is something that they have to respect. On the contrast, the European considered land as a tool to enrich them. As a result, tribes lost massive amounts of land to the U. S. Government, for which they were often neither paid nor compensated. “By 1820, they had lost claim to over half of Michigan's Lower Peninsula. Most Native Americans and some whites thought that the government's relations with Native Americans were marked by dishonesty, corruption, and deception. By 1838, almost all native villages in Michigan had been abandoned.”

As the result of the invader of European on the physical aspect, the relationship between the natives and the invaders was clear: conquest, enslavement, the expropriation of all the wealth and resources of the land. However the Native Americans were also affected on the non-physical aspect. As the traditional base of existence changed due to the Colonists’ victory, the local Native communities had to adapt certain aspects of their culture in order to survive.

Rich source of misunderstanding between Indian and White Anglo-Saxon cultural analysis is the different attitude of most Native Americans to such concepts as Nature, the environment, and social values.

Wolves held a special place in almost all Native American tribes. They were admired for their strength and powers of endurance, and taught the tribes many skills. And after killing the prey, a good hunter always left a piece of meat behind. This was reflected through the dialogue between the two wolves and the man: “Now we will tell you why we have helped you. Whenever you went hunting you always gave the best part of the meat to us and kept only the smallest part for yourself. For that we are thankful and help you.” Contrasting with European folklore, wolves are usually depicted as evil. The Indians watched the Europeans come and kill the wolves. The Blackfoot and Lakota believe that a gun used to shoot a wolf will never shoot straight again.

In addition, the two different cultures and concepts of land use had caused tension for many years. To the Native Americans, Esdzanadkhi (probably Mother Earth) created humanity so they always respect her as