In the 1992, book A Spirited Resistance: The North American Indian Struggle for Unity, 1745-1815 Gregory Evans Dowd takes an academic approach to Eastern Native American history. Dowd follows the same study identity and cultural transformations by focusing on two Eastern Native ideologies known as nativist and accommodationists. Elaborating on the outlooks, he argues that the monograph does not tell “history from the Indian point of view” and does not focus on a “single Indian outlook.” Advancing his argument the author states that his monograph provides historians with the many perspectives surrounding the Native American history in the seventeen and eighteen hundreds. To support his claims Dowd uses several primary sources like the Springplace …show more content…
The author moves the history onto another trajectory by investigating the connection between native identity and politics to protect their way of life. Dowd states that tribal religion interconnected with “Indian politics.” Investigating the Pan-Indian movement, Dowd offers historians with a new inquiry, which questions the importance that native religion had in forming an identity in resistance. Examining memoirs and journals, Dowd argues that the visions of the prophets “received revelations” that promoted the nativists’ resistance against Europeans. Dowd reexamines Brown’s argument by focusing on how accommodationists merged native and European traditions together. However, Dowd progresses the course of history by arguing that the nativist rejected the accommodationists. Accepting Anglo-Christianity and culture, Dowd states that the nativists viewed the accommodationists as aiding in the transformation of native culture. Citing Josiah Gregg’s memoirs, the author states how many of the prophets preached that Christianity did not provide “salvation” to the Native Americans. Offering the importance between Native religion and politics, Dowd provides historians with a different outlook on the identity and culture. The author’s different approach to identity enables historians to investigate new inquires on the character and history of the Native
His tract depicts how the English viewed all Native Americans as savages, whether Christian or not. This works into Mary Rowlandson account, where she describes Indians as vicious savages and her own capture being punishment from God due to her own lackadaisical Christian worship. Here in lines the great contradictions that plagued the two cultures, it is evident that religion was not what drove the war, it was the differing views by two very different
Carpenter’s use of primary sources proves itself useful to historians wishing to read first-hand accounts of the events that happened during Iroquois battles, and readers can find those sources and use them to find deeper meaning in the events as well as further educate themselves on the matter. Moreover, Carpenter assures the reader of the source’s credibility, by letting them know where they came from, such as, “One Jesuit recorded… Champlain wrote…Champlain described” (Carpenter, 2001, p. 35, 36). The readers get to know that they are getting reliable information as it is coming from the people that were at the event going through it themselves. Carpenter’s article is clear on getting his point across that Native warfare was revolutionized by the introduction of European technology.
Native Americans who emigrated from Europe perceived the Indians as a friendly society with whom they dwelt with in harmony. While Native Americans were largely intensive agriculturalists and entrepreneurial in nature, the Indians were hunters and gatherers who earned a livelihood predominantly as nomads. By the 19th century, irrefutable territories i.e. the areas around River Mississippi were under exclusive occupation by the Indians. At the time, different Indian tribes such as the Chickasaws, Creeks, and Cherokees had adapted a sedentary lifestyle and practiced small-scale agriculture. According to the proponents of removal, the Indians were to move westwards into forested lands in order to generate additional space for development through agricultural production (Memorial of the Cherokee Indians).
Throughout the seventeenth century, conflict between Europeans and Native Americans was rampant and constant. As more and more Europeans migrated to America, violence became increasingly consistent. This seemingly institutionalized pattern of conflict begs a question: Was conflict between Europeans and Native Americans inevitable? Kevin Kenny and Cynthia J. Van Zandt take opposing sides on the issue. Kevin Kenny asserts that William Penn’s vision for cordial relations with local Native Americans was destined for failure due to European colonists’ demands for privately owned land.
Secondary Source Analysis In order to create his ideal Native American standing within the American Government, which includes the non-indigenous portion of the world acknowledging and understanding Native American issues with the United States and Internationally, Walter R. Echo-Hawk, in his A Context for Understanding Native American Issues, delves into the United State’s past Indian affairs as well as his goals for achieving this ideal. It is important to consider the author’s attitude towards the topic, his desired audience and the devices he used when analyzing the strength of his arguments. Echo-Hawk brings up the point, during the beginning of chapter two, that the general public is unaware of much of the happenings between the United
Hilary Weaver argues in her piece of writing; that identifying indigenous identity is complex, complicated, and hard to grasp when internalized oppression and colonization has turned Native Americans to criticize one another. Throughout the text, Weaver focuses on three main points which she calls, the three facets. Self-identification, community identification, and external identification are all important factors that make up Native American identity. The author uses a story she calls, “The Big game” to support her ideologies and arguments about the issue of identity. After reading the article, it’s important to realize that Native American’s must decide their own history and not leave that open for non-natives to write about.
In “From Deep Woods to Civilization”, Charles Eastman tells his life story about his culture and how he led his life. As an Indian Charles Eastman battled with trying to find his identity. Charles Eastman went to school and became civilized he wanted to show his people that changing the world of American Indians that one can adapt without being assimilating. THESIS STATEMENT: Economic exchange, religious views, and the Indians lifestyle compared to the white society were many of the conflicts that Charles Eastman experienced believing that the white culture was good and being concerned about the survival of American-Indian. Charles Eastman was an Indian of the Sioux Tribe who was confused about whom he was if it wasn’t for his family and how they all had different views for Charles.
In his books My Poeple Sioux (1928) and Land of the Spotted Eagle (1933), Standing Bear describes the policies of this period and tries to give a more accurate representation of this period. The most significant point of his writing is his insistence for “the creation of an Indian public opinion—as well as an Indian influence on the formation of state and federal policies” (Burt 628). Standing Bear tried to erase the idea that Americans had of Natives. He tried provide a factual alternative to the movies, newspapers and pictures that all sensationalized the idea that scalping and war dances was a common practice among Indians. Standing Bear hoped that one day Natives and Westerners would be able to govern themselves yet work peacefully
The speech that was read by Chief Red Jacket to defend the religious beliefs of his people is a powerful piece of literature that is underrated. The speech describes the feelings that were caused by the religious intolerance from the Americans. Currently, the United States have started to appreciate the impacts of the Native Americans and other minorities in history. However, a piece of history that has been quite hidden is the religious intolerance of Native Americans. Chief Red Jacket utilizes repetition, pathos, and rhetorical questions to convince the Americans to tolerate the religion of the Native Americans.
Merrell’s article proves the point that the lives of the Native Americans drastically changed just as the Europeans had. In order to survive, the Native Americans and Europeans had to work for the greater good. Throughout the article, these ideas are explained in more detail and uncover that the Indians were put into a new world just as the Europeans were, whether they wanted change or
Ailsa Lewis Gidick APUSH- 8 8 January 2018 The Earth Shall Weep: A History of Native America Book Review Wilson James. The Earth Shall Weep: A History of Native America. New York: Grove Press.
They are often labeled as uncivilized barbarians, which is a solely false accusation against them. This paper aims to address the similarities between Native American beliefs and the beliefs of other cultures based on The Iroquois Creation Story in order to defeat the stereotype that Natives are regularly defined by. Native Americans are commonly considered uncivilized, savage, and barbarian. Nevertheless, in reality the Natives are not characterized by any of those negative traits, but rather they inhabit positive characteristics such as being wise, polite, tolerant, civilized, harmonious with nature, etc. They have had a prodigious impact on the Puritans
Throughout history, there have been many literary studies that focused on the culture and traditions of Native Americans. Native writers have worked painstakingly on tribal histories, and their works have made us realize that we have not learned the full story of the Native American tribes. Deborah Miranda has written a collective tribal memoir, “Bad Indians”, drawing on ancestral memory that revealed aspects of an indigenous worldview and contributed to update our understanding of the mission system, settler colonialism and histories of American Indians about how they underwent cruel violence and exploitation. Her memoir successfully addressed past grievances of colonialism and also recognized and honored indigenous knowledge and identity.
Science journalist, Charles C. Mann, had successfully achieved his argumentative purpose about the “Coming of Age in the Dawnland.” Mann’s overall purpose of writing this argumentative was to show readers that there’s more to than just being called or being stereotyped as a savage- a cynical being. These beings are stereotyped into being called Indians, or Native Americans (as they are shorthand names), but they would rather be identified by their own tribe name. Charles Mann had talked about only one person in general but others as well without naming them. Mann had talked about an Indian named Tisquantum, but he, himself, does not want to be recognized as one; to be more recognized as the “first and foremost as a citizen of Patuxet,”(Mann 24).
“Columbus, the Indians, and Human Progress”, chapter one of “A People’s History of the United States”, written by professor and historian Howard Zinn, concentrates on a different perspective of major events in American history. It begins with the native Bahamian tribe of Arawaks welcoming the Spanish to their shores with gifts and kindness, only then for the reader to be disturbed by a log from Columbus himself – “They willingly traded everything they owned… They would make fine servants… With fifty men we could subjugate them all and make them do whatever we want.” (Zinn pg.1) In the work, Zinn continues explaining the unnecessary evils Columbus and his men committed unto the unsuspecting natives.