Colonists And Native Americans In Chief Pontiac's Speech At Detroit

Throughout history, Native Americans and Colonists have had complex relations with each other due to different cultures, values, and beliefs. As colonists started arriving in Northern America, views within the Native American tribes were split. Many natives thought the European settlers would protect them from their stronger enemies, however, others feared of their invasion on the sacred ground they lived on. Likewise, when Colonists arrived in North America, they were trying to escape religious persecution from the British and wanted to conform their newfound land to their Puritan beliefs. History of the struggle between the Colonists and Native Americans will forever be remembered through stories and the penmanship of several individuals

In this speech, given in front of his tribe, Chief Pontiac tells a story of an Indian who searched for The Great Spirit. The Indian was traveling with a gun, kettle, and European clothing. After finding the Great Spirit, the spirit appeared to be very disappointed in this Indian for utilizing the colonist's weapons and equipment. The spirit asks how he can live with this and asks the Indian why he came with all of this nontraditional equipment that is not part of his culture. The speech at Detroit showed how tribal traditions and the ways of their ancestors were very important to the Native American tribes. The Indian in this story was going against the ways of his people, and therefore would upset his people and shame his culture. This story from Chief Pontiac shows many of the differences between the colonists and the Indians. Throughout history, the colonists believed in overtaking for the sake of religious freedom, and not giving back. However, Native American culture deemed it unethical and wrong to go against their roots and use tools that weren't made by their ways. Pontiac's story also mentioned "poison fire-water", meaning alcohol. This was a weapon used by the colonists that riddled the Native Americans with addiction. It showed how the colonists used their culture to weaken the Native Americans in order to pursue their own goals and

A Captivity Narrative, written by Mary Rowlandson, accounts for her capture to her return through her diary a few years after her release from captivity. This piece demonstrated how Native Americans treated the colonists, and what the colonists thought of the Indians. Mary Rowlandson's capture by Native American was expressed in the narrative as a test from God, which she shows by enduring the imprisonment with faith. By holding onto her faith, she would survive and remain a true Christian woman suitable for her Puritan society. Throughout the story, Mary Rowlandson makes continual references to the bible, which supported her actions, causing her captivity to resemble that of a religious pilgrimage. Her writings also depict how little of value she placed in Native American people and their culture. In her culture, anything that defied her way of life or religion was of lesser value. Her story offers an insight to a female, puritan perspective on the Native Americans. One section of the narrative showed that she acknowledged that the Indians had their own civilization and culture based on their clothing, but it was a civilization of savages. Mary Rowlandson’s narrative is an important piece of literature at the time as it offers a greater understanding of her society at the time, and their deeply troubling relationship to and perceptions of the