the effect of europeans on ame
The Europeans that settled in America changed the lives of the Indians, slowly robbing them of their culture. The future of the Indians was changed drastically as their children, their income off the land and their spiritual bonds with the land were interfered by the Europeans. The Europeans, in trying to create a white society out of the Indians, stole from them what made them unique as a civilization. The Indians children were affected more than any other generation by the coming of the Europeans. Their whole family structure changed in the short period while the Europeans took over, and gradually the children lost all they ever knew.Indian children were brought up learning the skills they would need as adults. A great importance was placed in training boys to become warriors and teaching them skills such as running, swimming, jumping, building stamina and strength and archery. Girls would stay with their mothers until they were eight and then live with their grandmother, who was considered their most dignified protector. She would take over and teach the girl skills such as weaving, molding clay and domestic skills " Indian children were as free as the animals that roamed the forest around them. Young boys were encourage
Europeans had no respect for the Indians and their deep spiritual wisdom. Land for the Indians wasn't a possession " How can you buy or sell the sky, the warmth of the land? " Chief Seattle To the Indians the land held spiritual connections and memories " We are the ones that live closest to Mother Earth. All these structural changes to the family and also the upbringing of the children only increased the sense of separation between them and their culture. The Europeans tried to force the Indians into a white mold and tried to turn them into a culture that they simply weren't. This left them in a hopeless position as polygamy was outlawed and they had no one to hunt for them. The family structure collapsed as the fathers died and many women were widowed. Through the coming of the Europeans the Indians lost not only their land, but theiridentity and their culture. Their clothing was missionary style dresses for the girls, knickers and trousers for the boys. Girls busied themselves imitating their mothers. The Indians eventually realized it was useless to resist so instead they to accept their present situation " Hear me my chiefs, I am tired; my heart is sick and sad. The government attempted to 'civilise' the Indian children and many were sent or forcibly taken to boarding schools, often not situated on the reservations. The reservations that the Indians moved onto were poor quality. The principle ceremonies of the Indians had direct relations to the life cycle.
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