Daniel Richter's Facing East from Indian Country. Book Report - Essay Example

In the course of this era, some of the aboriginal groups changed to try to fit in the American society, and although Indians changed, they did not forget their language and their traditions. This essay will discuss how initial contacts involving the Europeans and Native Americans occurred in earlier days. Christopher Columbus, an American author, was born in 1451 and died in 1506. Columbus reputation has for long had controversies, with the fact that his achievement in navigation cannot be alienated from violence that represent the European contribution to the new world.

Columbus discovery of America led to destruction of most of the native groups found in America at the time of discovery. Columbus arrived in America while trying to explore the Asian markets, north Americas native people, populated most part of the continent. The connecting of the eastern and western regions marked the foundation of an organized history, a process known as Columbian exchange. This involved a substitution of goods, for example, crops across the Atlantic Ocean. This distorted the economies of the world; Native Americans approved animals such as, horses and cattle.

Foods such as, tomatoes, potatoes, and corn were brought in by these populations and have so far been embraced worldwide. Jacques Cartier came from the French court to explore North America, and in Chaleur Bay, he encountered aboriginal people who were the Micmac people. Their meeting was the first time the French and the natives traded furs. At first, the aboriginal people were friendly, but they changed their attitude and became hostile when they realized that the foreigners had come to interfere with their existence.

Cartier tried to establish peace among the people since his arrival. Prior to the coming of Christopher Columbus, it was thought that the aboriginal people did not have any history. In contrast, these people had developed a culture, which was not written; they displayed their culture through song, dance and other artistic performances. Though Columbus claimed to have discovered America, many inhabitants had already settled in for many years. Columbus’s arrival marked an era of contact Europeans and Native Americans that went on for an unusually long time.

Captain John smith’s interactions with Indians were because of his relationships and dealings with their most influential leader, Powhatan. He had earlier been captured by Powhatan; this led to the progress of their relationship. They formed an alliance in which smith would provide the colonists with food, this later developed to hostility of the highest degree. By the time John Smith, left Virginia there was a conflict between the English and Powhatan. As compared to other Europeans at that time, John Smith seemed to be open-minded about the natives, referred to them as social, and referred to their leaders as kings.

John smith, was welcoming and persuasive, he even tried to integrate into the communities he visited, learned their language. His ability to persuade changed the attitude of Powhatan towards him. In his speech, Powhatan pleads with John Smith for peace, his words indicate anxiety and doubt surrounding the arrival of white settlers, and foretell conflict between the Native Americans, and Europeans that would have influence on the history of both groups. He wants the uneasiness and