Native Americans, Africans, and Europeans, three different groups from different ends of the earth, were both, culturally, radically different and shocking similar. Native Americans and Africans were more similar, whereas Europeans were practically the two groups’ foil. The indigenous people of the Americas were ones who lived in harmony with nature. They were polytheistic and animistic; it was their spirituality that drove their respect for the earth. Native’s treated the land as sacred. Not only did they respect Mother Nature, but mothers as well. Native Americans were matrilineal, meaning that the family lineage stemmed from the mother instead of the father; however, their tribes were communal. Children, when no longer breastfed, were …show more content…
In every other way, European culture is the antithesis of African and Native American culture. The predominately Christian group was monotheistic and viewed man as nature’s superior, rather than equal. They believed in private property, power, and were patrilineal. In today’s society, especially with racial tensions being so high, anyone of European decent is shamed, despite the fact that many have learned from past mistakes. Even though I am also Hispanic, my appearance points to a European background. Constantly, I am belittled for being “white”; because what my ancestors did wasn’t right in the least bit, I was at fault. They do have a valid point. The systematic oppression by some of my ancestors was horrible. The idea that man was ruler over nature, which came from the teachings of the book of Genesis, was taken too literally. They abused their resources, depleting and destroying valuable land. While I am a Catholic, I do not this is what God intended. In the International Standard Version Bible, God says, "Let us make mankind in our image, to be like us. Let them be masters over the fish in the ocean, the birds that fly, the livestock, everything that crawls on the earth, and over the earth itself! (Genesis 1:26)” The term “masters” was then taken to mean that man was of a greater standard than nature, and that man had full say of what they did with nature without