American Identity: The Dehumanization Of Native Americans In The United States

The Native Americans lived on millions of acres of land in Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, North Carolina and Florida, they inherited all of these lands from their ancestors who cultivated for generations. According to Elias Boudinot the natives considered themselves to be just as equal as the Whites, he states, “What is an Indian? Is he not formed of the same materials with yourself?” (Boudinot, 1826) The natives saw themselves to be no different from the Whites, in fact they cared for one another as a whole, they lived in kinships, where there was never an Indian left alone without a family. They followed a society based off of the concept of interdependence, they had in their mind that everything is dependent of something. The Indians were very advanced, and were able to prosper in their society, although the Whites believed otherwise, and believed that the natives were uncivilized.

The natives were most impacted by this killing as over twice as many of their people were slaughtered than the Puritans. The natives were slaughtered and mutilated by these puritans whose beliefs system varied so much from their own. Even as they had different views both valued the collection a proper burial of their dead, however, the natives completed theirs with more efficiency. After many battles, the natives would carry as many of the dead as was possible for varying reasons. It was a well thought out military tactic as the Puritans would then have to guess how many had been slain to report to their eastern counterparts. If the Puritans could only estimate the body count it would distance the trust given to them by the English rulers.

Additionally, America is also known for being a free place. It is known that everyone must be treated equally and have their own rights. For example, part of the American identity is being known for practicing democracy. People being free, having their rights protected, and having equal treatment is what makes up the American identity. Those three factors are still going on meaning that the American identity is still alive and nothing has changed it at all. Another reason why the American identity is still alive because part of someone’s identity is again being know for something or influencing something. Another example, is that many people have immigrated to the United States for the American dream. That is a huge contributor to the American identity because it has influenced many people to come. The American dream is still alive so the American identity is still

The Anglo considered Indians “animals” (Almaguer 113). When Anglos encountered Indians, just a few “recognized” them as human beings” because of the difference in cultures (Almaguer 108). The first and pivotal thing the Anglos noticed about the Indians was the different color of skin. Indians “sported tattooed bodies and scarred faces and wore little more than animal skins and grass shirts,” which was seen as uncivilized (Almaguer 107). Their skin color was their main disadvantage. Indians were referred to as “‘chocolate brown,’ ‘dark mahogany,’ or simply as ‘very dark’ or ‘black’” (Almaguer 112). The color of their skin made them appear dirty. Because the Indians were not white, they were not considered human.

I agree with you that the Indians owned unique and rich cultures before the European conquest, although some of their behaviors were viewed as "uncivilized" by the Europeans. The Indians' normal life was completely destroyed after the Invasions of the outsiders. The locals involved in the trade with the white involuntary and their original culture faced extinction. Even worse, they were enslaved by the white and thousands of their compatriot was killed by war, epidemic and etc.

In the late nineteenth century reformers’ efforts to “save the Indians” failed due to them taking away their way of life having the conform to the ideas of the white Americans.

The Europeans looked down on the Native American culture because of the differences between their lifestyles. They also present them as people with no morals because the Native Americans were not Christians like they were. The word “savage”, one of the most popular terms used to stereotype Indians, was popularized by these seventeenth century settlers. This became the bases of people’s false assumptions about the Native American culture. America’s growing population increased the labels that Native Americans still deal with today.

Even though the Indians had more resources than the whites, “the number of whites who ran off to live with the Indians was a problem often remarked upon” (Stannard 103). Back in E Pluribus Unum, Steinbeck says “ even settlers from the same nation should have divided up according to language and custom” (Steinbeck 5). That is what the whites decided to do during the American Holocaust as “ thousands of Europeans are Indians” (Stannard 104). However, the colonial leaders were timid at this notion. These leaders did not agree with the Indian’s cultural differences as they hunted down the people who ran away with the Indians and killed them. For the whites, they believed that the Indians did not belong there because they were of a different culture. The whites burned their entire community and their corn fields. “From this point on there would be no peace in Virginia”(Stannard 106). The British also began to capture the Indians and kill them. This was all because they were of a different

The early European believed that indian lacked genuine religion, or in fact worship the devil . Indians believed in natural healing, shamans, and herb healer but they were seen as “witch doctors,” their numerous ceremonies and rituals was viewed as worshiping “false gods” and christianny presented no obstacles to the commercial use of the land, and indeed in some way encouraged it that true religion was to progress civilization. “Be fruitful and multiply..” The Europeans invoked the indian’s distinctive pattern of land use and ideas about property to answer the raised awkward question by the British minister of the early stage of England’s colonization: “ By what right or warrant can we enter into the land of these “Savages”and take away their rightful inheritance from them, and plant ourselves in their place? Also the Indians gender division of labor and matrilineal family structures, Europeans saw the American Indians as weak men and mistreated women. They deemed their work leisure activities which was not “real” work because the indian women worked in the fields; referring to them of lacking freedom, and “weren’t much better than slaves.” Europeans consider indian men “unmanly” too weak to

An American identity has never been the same thing all throw out time what it was and how it is created have never stayed the same thing. There will always be a conflict of what an american identity is and the description of an American identity will always change. The biggest change was immigration that changed what being an American means and it still effects the American identity today.

Some questions that came to mind when thinking about this unjust act was what did the Indians do to display any act of being savage? How did these tribes live and prosper in their surrounding environment? What was the reaction of the Indians when first encountered by the Europeans? The first European settlement in America was established in 1565 in what is present day St. Augustine, Florida. American Indians have been here for much longer and had no clue as to who or why these foreign people began flooding onto their

From the very beginning, Native American Indians and white Europeans clashed in their beliefs. The Indians believed that the land was communal and that its resources were to be shared and protected, while the white Europeans only saw the land and property to own. As the European settlers started to take over the lands, they forced Indians off of their lands and onto reservations. Due to multiple series of brutal killings and forced removals, by the end of the 19th century the Native American population dwindled down to a small fraction of what it had been. This caused Native American culture to nearly be destroyed, and in the hopes of restoring it, tribal leaders attempted to create new spiritual traditions.

How is a American Identity created? Over the last few months I have read several different articles and texts surrounding this topic. An American Identity isn’t something you just get when you come here. It’s something you earn. It’s what you make of yourself. America’s habits and customs help mold it into what you end up with. Someone’s national identity and someone’s personal identity are made by the country they live in. But they do come into conflict. Because some things that happen in your county, you just might not agree with. In ‘music for my mother.’ it talks about how they are new immigrants to the united states. How racism and adjusting to the American life affected them. “It would hurt my feelings to see the way some people looked

An American’s identity is characterized not by an individual's religion, race, and culture, but by how they use their freedom and how they . The United States culture and identity developed long ago when early settlers and immigrants came to the states for  new lifestyles and mostly for religious freedom. American’s identity was built off of the settlers and immigrants who set the standards of who we are. America is made off of a diverse platform of race, religious, ethnic groups, and social class. All of these people are Americans. We look to be different, but we share the ability to welcome others of different backgrounds into our lives.

To justify their often brutal treatment, some conveyed back to Europe the belief that Indians were not fully human, but animals that could legitimately be forced to work or be exterminated. The information that drifted back to Europe on the exotic and bizarre habits and customs of indigenous peoples often exaggerated or misrepresented these cultures. (Jones, 1964)” Europeans harshly questioned the creation of these people. It seemed as though Europeans only cared about profits and status despite any moral consciousness or equal rights. Europeans had the audacity to question the creation of Natives and compared them with animals as if they really weren’t human. Natives were seen has wicked and savage like. Europeans strongly believed in authority, and how this authoritative power belonged to them. Negro inferiority was embedded into American society. Tradition, Ideas and popular support always seemed to support racial attitudes. Slavery forced Black people into humiliating servitude that was physically strenuous and emotionally damaging. Slavery lasted in America for over 200 years, and for the years after that Blacks have faced a constant struggle economically, physically and in all other areas of Social Institutions. Even after the years of slavery, there were new legislations created to continue to contain Blacks. Jim Crow Laws, outbreaks of lynching, separate restaurants, different water fountain, forced to sit on the