Native American's Colonization

Introduction

The colonization of Europeans in the USA completely changed the lives of Native Americans in the country. The British, French, and Spanish colonized the Native Americans to have control over their territory. These European came to America between 1492 and 1493. The Native Americans were the original inhabitants of American land but lost a huge part of this land due to the European colonization. During this colonization process, the Native Americans and the Europeans exchanged goods and ideas. This process of interaction is always being referred to as the "Colombian Exchange"1. This European colonization altered the religious practices, culture, and laws of the Native Americans in the USA. Besides, the European colonization had both positive and adverse impact on the Native American's lives2. On the positive note, the Native Americans got the skills to domesticate animals from the Europeans such as cows, horses, and pigs. Nevertheless, these initial inhabitants lost their lives during their war with the Europeans, land, cultural beliefs, land, and also contracted new diseases during and after they were colonized by the Europeans. Additionally, these white settlers also came up with deadly weapons such as guns in America that adversely affected the population of the Native Americans2. Nevertheless, this paper purposes to focus on both the positive and negative impacts of European Colonization to the Native Americans.

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Background Information

The French settlers became friendly to the Native Americans. The reason is that they accommodated the Native Americans as compared to the British and Spanish colonists. Trade contacts were established between the Native Americans and the French colonists. As a result of their friendly interactions, the Native Americans helped these French colonists during hard times in that the former was well conversant with geographical terrains of America3. The French settlers intermarried with the Native Americans due to the respect they had between each other. These individuals mutually benefited from each other and traded fairly due to the close relationship that they had already established. French colonists had a notion that wealth sharing was the best option compared to gaining control and discriminating the Native Americans3. This interaction helped them to overcome various British attacks who wanted to expand their territory. The Native Americans played a significant role in providing human resources, scouting, and tracking the British army during wars. The Native Americans offered information to the French regarding the fighting skills and the terrain of the land that was helpful in fighting intruders during the time of war. The French colonists had a positive impact on the lives of Native Americans.

On the contrary, the Spanish settlers were not friendly to the Native Americans. The reason is that they treated the Native Americans harshly. The Spanish colonists wanted to increase their territory and political influence in America. Besides, these colonists wanted to colonize the Native Americans entirely to acquire wealth such as spices and gold5. However, the interaction between the Spanish and the Native Americans led to the spread of new diseases among the original inhabitants. This action led to the deaths and decrease of the population of Native Americans by half within the 20 years of their interactions5. Spanish colonists came along with missionaries to spread Christianity. This action, in turn, led to the alteration of religious practices of Native Americans. The reason is that Spanish missionaries applied harsh and deadly practices to change the religious views of Native Americans5. Moreover, the Spanish colonists introduced slavery and slave trade in their territories. The Native Americans were forced to work in the gold mines and Spanish plantations. They also carried the Spanish leaders on their shoulders around Spanish territories. The colonists disrupted the environment and culture of America. The Native Americans acquired some health complication, for example, airborne diseases and malnutrition5. The introduction of livestock also had an adverse effect on the environment. Thus, the Spanish colonists adversely influenced the lives of Native Americans.

Also, the British colonists were too hostile to the Native Americans. The British colonists came for wealth and raw materials in America. They discriminated the Native Americans on the basis of having control of American territory5. They forcefully took land and other resources from the Native Americans. The British settlers subjected Native Americans to mistreatment and slavery. They also grabbed the lands of Native Americans forcing them to flee their homes. Further, these colonists manipulated the Native Americans by carrying out illegal trade activities with the Native Americans due to their lack of exposure5. Besides, these colonists perceived that salvation and education were the things that the Native Americans needed. The Native Americans were forced to settle on land reserves created by the British after they were sent out of their homes and their lands being grabbed. In this new area of settlement, the Native Americans were influenced to do away with their culture and adopt the British culture. Thus, the Native Americans adapted to British culture and learned their language.

Adverse Impacts of European Colonization

Alteration of Culture and Religion

The European colonists altered the cultural and religious perspectives of the Native Americans. The reason is that these European colonists forced and also encouraged the Native Americans to embrace Christianity and their culture. Besides, some Native Americans were forcefully initiated into adapting to the religion of the Europeans that altered the cultural practices of the Native Americans. The Europeans believed that Christianity was more superior as compared to the various religious practices being carried out in Native America such as human sacrificial6. Therefore, missionaries and colonists suggested that the religion of the Native Americans was associated with Devil Worshipping and Satanism6. They also discredited the 'red path' that acted as a guide to various religions of Native Americans. The reason is that the 'red path' was associated with wholeness, righteousness, and harmony6.

The tribe of Cherokee opposed the idea of the missionaries regarding them being converted to Christianity. The reason is that this tribe identified various contrasts between the two religions. For example, this tribe had a belief that there existed a sick warrior who came across a monster during his escapades. On the other side, the missionaries believed that Jesus spent 40 days and 40 nights in the wilderness during his spiritual journey6. The Cherokee tribe also believed that the sick warrior was greater than Jesus and this notion angered the missionaries. Nevertheless, the Lakota tribe members easily converted to Christianity after they came across some religious similarities between Christianity and their way of worship. For instance, the seven rituals that the members of Lakota tribe members performed were similar to the seven sacraments being carried out by the Catholics6. However, this tribe was not fully converted in that they still upheld some of their religious practices even after they were converted.

Moreover, some Native Americans viewed that Christianity was more practical and less spiritual. The individuals who accepted Christianity were treated differently in that they were recognized and respected by the European settlers6. Nevertheless, the Christianity conversion idea was a method of doing away with the Native American's traditional practices. The European settlers also minimized the resistance of Native Americans by dominating their culture and cultural practices6. The Native Americans who survived this harsh treatment were relocated to the reserves that had resources that were limited to minimize their chances of survival. Therefore, the Native Americans were forced to be converted to Christianity and acquire the European culture for them to gain freedom.

The Emergence of New Diseases

The emergence of new diseases among the Native Americans was as a result of European colonization. Before the coming of the white settlers, the Native Americans had low chances of acquiring new diseases in that they were secluded from Africans, Asians, and Europeans who were carriers of various diseases. After the coming and settlement of Europeans in America, Native Americans began to contract new diseases such as pneumonia, influenza, measles, smallpox, and malaria7. These diseases led to the death of many Native Americans resulting in the decrease in population of Native Americans by 50% in that they did not have a cure and were not immune to these new diseases. This decline in population among the Native Americans was a world record.

The Spanish colonists were the ones who attributed to this population decrease by spreading diseases to the Native Americans7. Besides, the traditional herbalists and herbs were not in a position to cure these new diseases and this action resulted in an increase in the death rates in America. Also, these new diseases were not cured by Native Americans' Spiritual gods7. The Native Americans developed a notion that these colonists were more superior compared to them after they spread the new diseases to them that resulted in a decrease in population7. They believed that the European possessed the power to take life or kill.

Increase in Dependency

The dependency rate of Native Americans to the colonists increased after the European colonization of the Native Americans. By the end of the 17th century, the Native Americans applied and consumed the European goods that they acquired through slavery or on credit7. The Native Americans were poor and had a low income that increased the level of credits to acquire European goods and services7. They went ahead to batter trade their land with the European goods for them to do away with the incurred debts on the European goods. Nevertheless, the spiritual beliefs that the Native Americans had were that they restricted them from purchasing or selling land. However, the Native Americans were forced to defy their spiritual beliefs and decided to sell their lands to settle debts. This action made more European settlers to settle off the lands of the Native Americans making them become landless and homeless.

Controversially, the European colonists were less interested in the trade but used this debt strategy to acquire the Native Americans' lands8. This action also led to the destruction of sacred places of the Native Americans due to the increase in the population of European settlers. The Native Americans were not in a position to hold their traditional and religious ceremonies after their holy places were destructed8. This action forced some of the Native Americans to relocate to reserves in that their homelands were grabbed by the European colonists. The lands that were grabbed during this colonization process included the Black Hills and the mountain range in Dakota8. Moreover, these native lands were often grabbed if there were the presence of gold. They are forced to settle on wasted lands that were no productive.

Civilization

Some of the children changed their names and personalities. The Native Americans were civilized through slavery and being forced to perceive education8. The European colonists came up with boarding schools that allowed children of Native Americans to pursue education. The Native Americans' children were forced to adapt to the culture of the whites when they went to school8. European educators forced Native Americans to speak their languages and abandon their traditional langu...