Native American History

What is often referred to as the Native American population is actually comprised of over

500 unique tribes (Jackson, 1995). From the earliest white European settlers, the relationship between the native population and the white European population has been acrimonious. There had been a feeling among the early white settlers to try and civilize the “savages” by bringing them Christianity (Kimmey, 1960). This idea of Christianizing the Native population by force would continue throughout time, with Mohawk/Haudenosaunee during the late 17 th century to early 18 th century commenting on how the explorers during contacts “Would always have a minister with them (Grim, 1995, p. 446)

.”

The concept created by the Puritans that “the only

good

This treaty closed the land to all non-Native Americans; however the Texas ranchers driving their herds north to Kansas would look with envy to graze their cattle on that land.

Although the Native American police had the authority to fine the ranchers for grazing on their land, enforcement over the large swath of land was nearly impossible. By 1870 the ranchers were freely grazing on the reservation (Olson & Wilson, 1986).

African American History with Native American Comparisons

While Native Americans were fighting for their land from encroaching settlers, Africans were being captured and brought to America. Slave ships from African nations into the Americas reached its first great wave between 1570 and 1640 (Wheat, 2011). The majority of these ships would embark from Upper Guinea and Angola with a smaller waver of captives from Lower

Guinea. Slave trade was so common to this area that modern day Togo, Benin, and Eastern

Ghana was referred to, in a 1727

Dutch Map, as the “Slave Coast.” Slaves were considered no more than commodities, with nearby regions referring to the “Gold Coast,” and “Grain Coast (Moll, 1727)

Native Americans had much the same experience in the late 19 th century. Although the Africans were enslaved over issues of profit, those in the Carlisle School had what they believed to be good intentions. A teacher in 1905

A COMPARISON OF NATIVE AMERICAN AND AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURES 4 stated that during the school year while living in the “home” environment offered by the Carlisle

School that, “The Indian youth… learns English and civilized customs…. [T]here they gain a knowledge of how the white man lives and “earns his bread by the sweat of his brow

(Stewart,

1905)

.” Although it seems that they thought they were helping the Native American child, they were considered the same as the Africans in that they were uncivilized and lazy.

Many African Americans remained enslaved in American up until the Civil war and the ratification of the 13 th , 14 th , and 15 th amendments. While this freed all the African Americans and even led to a short period of increased prosperity for them, the Jim Crow laws would quickly relegate them back to second class status (Healey, 2012). While the 13 th amendment freeing the slaves was ratified in 1865, it would take until February 7 th of 2013 for the final state