Native American Response to Settlers

Initially, the Native Americans welcomed thepeaceful Cherokee Indians. They worked within
Europeans to America. Christopher Columbusthe confines of the legal system of the United
reported to Queen Isabella and King FerdinandStates to resist their forced removal from their
that the Indians on San Salvador Island respondedhomelands in Georgia. They filed a lawsuit with the
warmly to the gifts the Europeans gave them,United States federal government against the
and "became so entirely [their] friends that it wasstate of Georgia to be able to remain in their
a wonder to see" (Hurtado 45).traditional homelands. Although they ultimately lost
Montezuma and the Aztecs welcomed thethe lawsuit and were forced to leave their
Spaniards as a God that came in fulfillment ofhomelands, the Cherokee tribe did not turn to
their destiny. This Aztec belief induced them towarfare as a response to their tragic
submit themselves entirely under the Spaniards'displacement. The majority of the Cherokees
rule. Many Native American tribes, such as thosequietly submitted to the march known as the Trail
encountered by Jacques Cartier, Cabeza de Vaca,of Tears, in which so many of them died along
and Hernando de Soto, regarded the Europeansthe way due to exposure and starvation from
as powerful shamans or Gods. The Nativelack of adequate provisions.
Americans would bring their ill tribal members toThe Plains Indians, such as the Lakota, were the
them to heal their sickness (Hurtado 56).most likely Native Americans tribes to respond to
The influx of European goods greatly altered thetheir oppression with open warfare. The taking of
relationship between the Native Americans andthe Black Hills is a very good example of this.
the invading Europeans. As the Native AmericansWhen the settlers first began to swarm into the
began to use European goods, such as hatchets,Black Hills looking for gold, the U.S. government
iron arrowheads, sword blades, knives, and otherinitially tried to keep them out in accordance of
goods, their dependency upon Europeans becamethe treaty with the Lakota and their allies. But as
more established. Divisions between tribes beganmore and more gold-seekers trekked in, the
to emerge as some Native American tribes alliedfederal government reversed their position. The
themselves with the English, and others alliedgovernment offered to buy the Black Hills, which
themselves with the French settlers.was rejected.
Initially, the Christian missionaries were acceptedThen the U.S. government issued a law requiring
also, as the polytheistic Native Americans did notall the Indians to vacate the Black Hills. This action
resist the worship of the Christian god. But whenled to such violent confrontations as the battles of
the conquering Europeans began to rigorouslyLittle Big Horn and Wounded Knee. Not all the
suppress the Native Americans' religion, theyPlains Indians fought in this war, as many of them
began to resist. As in the case of the Tewafollowed Red Cloud and remained out of the
Indians, they resisted passively at first by keepingfighting. This taking of the Black Hills is still an
their religious observances hidden from theimportant issue today, since the Lakota tribe
Spanish. But as the Spanish invaders becamecontinues to assert their claim over the Black Hills,
even more ruthless in suppressing their religion,and refuses to touch the money the United
the Tewa Indians openly rebelled, killing many ofStates government holds in trust for the
the Spanish, including non-combatants such aspurchase of the Black Hills.
women, children, and priests. The Tewa IndiansBibliography
also ransacked Christian churches and desecratedHurtado, Albert, Peter Iverson, and Thomas
their holy places.Paterson, editors. Major Problems in American
Another type of resistance used by the NativeIndian History: Documents and Essays. Houghton
Americans is exemplified in the case of theMifflin Company Collegiate Division, 2000.