European Perceptions of Native Americans

Initial European perceptions of Native AmericansEurope.Indians did not come to be viewed as
viewed them as uncivilized savages who, withinherently different in regards to color until the
time and effort, could be educated and assimilatedmid-eighteenth century and the label "red" was
into European culture. Christopher Columbusnot used until the mid-nineteenth century. Some
reported his opinion of the Indians in the followingcauses of the changing perception were an
manner:They should be good servants and ofincrease of Europeans, bloody conflicts and
quick intelligence, since I see that they very soonatrocities, codification of laws designed to control
say all that is said to them, and I believe thatNative peoples, and the view of Europeans began
they would easily be made Christians, for itto unify as being "white."The changing perception
appears to me that they had no creed. Our Lordof Indians also caused a change in how Europeans
willing, at the time of my departure, I will bringdealt with them. In the beginning, Europeans
back six of them to your Highness, that theyintermarried with them, and used teachers and
may learn to talk (Hurtado 46).This passagemissionaries to convert them to European culture
shows that Columbus believed the Indiansand religion. Later, education ceased and
intelligent and would be easily converted toEuropeans moved to subjugate the Indians
European ways, but did not think them equal tothrough displacement on reservations and by war
Europeans. Columbus demonstrates hisgenocide.The Dawes Act of 1877 reverted back
ethnocentricity by disregarding Native Americanto assimilation of the Indians through education
religious beliefs, and by assuming that becauseand the practice of farming. The reservation lands
they did not speak a European language theywere divided up into individual sections for private
could not "talk."Europeans viewed the Indians asownership. Also the federal government came to
having inferior cultural practices such as their laws,believe that educating the Indian children would be
government, economics, mode of living, religion,the quickest and most effective manner to
property ownership, and education/writing.destroy Indian lifestyles. Boarding schools were
However, the Europeans believed that theseestablished for Indian children to teach them
cultural traits of the Native Americans could withAmerican values and customs, while eroding their
little difficulty be changed to resemble EuropeanNative American beliefs.At first contact,
cultures. In 1620, the first college for NativeEuropeans believed Indians could be assimilated
Americans was established to educate Indians ininto European culture. Then they shifted to the
European ways, and in 1640, Harvard opened aremoval and reservation policy. In the late 1800s,
college for Indians. This proves that the mainAmericans returned to assimilationist policies, and
objective of the Europeans was to assimilate thein the 20th century Indians have struggled to
Native Americans into European culture by wayresist total assimilation by striving to maintain their
of education. Europeans justified their conquest ofcultural and religious beliefs.BibliographyHurtado,
the Indians because they believed they had aAlbert, Peter Iverson, and Thomas Paterson,
divine purpose to convert them to Christianity.editors. Major Problems in American Indian History:
Also Europeans believed they could "redeem theDocuments and Essays. Houghton Mifflin Company
savages" in much the same way the RomanCollegiate Division, 2000.
Empire had conquered and civilized the rest of