Native Americans and Early Euro-American Settlers - Essay Example

Supervisor’s due: Native Americans and early Euro-American settlers Native American religion comprises of the spiritual practices of the North American, indigenous people. Their ceremonial ways have great variance and can be based on beliefs and practices of respective clans, bands and tribes. Early European explorers’ written material present describes the Native American religion as a combination of various tribes each having distinct practices. The history behind the religious differences between the Euro-Americans settlers and the Native Americans has domination from the need of the settlers to make Christianity perspective overrule as the true religion. The evidence is very clear in the presence of Christianity across the areas invaded by the Euro- American settlers. The discovery by Columbus in 1942 is a benchmark for the massive invasion by the early European settlers that would dominate the North American continent for several centuries (Fraser 37). Despite the manifestation of Christianity in various denominations, it once faced acceptance challenges amongst many North American natives. The differences in the denominations were very significant surrounded by the need for land, which increased the enmity between the Native Americans and the European settlers group. The Native Americans within the today’s United States boundaries inclusive of the people of Hawaii, and Alaska belongs to numerous tribal and ethnic groups some of which in intact political societies. The traditional Native ceremonies are still in practice in some bands and tribes alongside old theological beliefs. The use of sweet grass, tobacco, sweat lodge ceremonies and prayers in ancient phonologies are also common amongst some people in the current society. There is also the presence of the Native American church, which comprises of both Christianity elements alongside ancient spiritual practices. The presence of these practices all along to today’s society signifies strong religious beliefs and resistance to change offered by the Native American people (Kozlowski and Weber 102). The Native American religion brings along great complexity that is difficult to explain. The presence of many tribes is a profound factor alongside the verbal expression of religious principles from one generation to the other. Beliefs amongst the several tribes were different though they form a convergence at one point by sharing the major aspects. The religion amongst major tribes had a great focus on nature where animals, landscape, plants and majority of environmental elements that contribute greatly in the religious beliefs. The key element was meant to expound on the natural occurrence and the reasons behind it (Bitterli 46). A number of practices, traditions and ceremonies is the key element of the native American religion. The ceremonies honour several events and comprising of several hallucinogens, which was mainly in use to acquire power to converse directly with gods. Dances, music, feasts and other performances were dominant in the religious ceremonies amongst these people. Symbolism most probably with animals contributes as a major role. Animals were mainly put into use to represent certain characteristics, spirits and ideas. Some tribes from the native American group used animal stories to elaborate the story behind the creature of the human beings and the surrounding environment. Some other creation stories had the raven as the center of attention (Olson and Olson Beal 83). Native American religion was previously not under the classification of religion. Most of their beliefs were not even recognized, and their religion complexity was less important. The lack of written history guidelines is the main contributing factor towards this assumption. In the very religion, medicine men and shaman had a common reference by dominating the position currently taken by the clergymen and preachers. These experienced and wise individuals occupied a higher status in the society due to their importance in decision making concerning traditional events and ceremonies. The religion of native Americans is full of complexity hence for a person to have full comprehension there was need of full submergence in its practices, beliefs and traditions of any of the respective tribes which is quite different from Judaism and Christianity (Fraser 97). Despite the reference of the Native American traditional practices ceremonies and spirituality as religion, it has a very different and diverse perspective quite different from the common Christianity. The lack of the proper description of the practices and beliefs of this group by different scholars, settlers, American writers and soldiers led to the name Native American religion. The Native American people had a full believe in their rituals and practical ceremonies that were seemingly part of their integral living. The main beliefs amongst these people were highly under the influence of the method of food search just like any other group of aboriginal originality. Hunting and agriculture were the main economic activity hence their religion is known to revolve around these two main practices (Washburn 37). Milestones and events like birth, puberty, marriage and even death were also treated in accordance to the activities supporting these two ways of acquiring food. The tribe need was also very influential in any of the changes in the traditions, rituals and practices as per the religion. Different tribes exhibited diversity concerning the ritual involvement. The main reason behind this diversity comes from the impact of various cultures isolation amongst the tribes from different parts of the continent of North America date back for thousands of years. Contrary to the geographical isolation, all the members of this spirituality had a belief about the existence of a very strong supernatural power, which had a connection to the land. This invisible power is believed to have the mandate of addressing great deal of happenings in the society. Many people in the present society have the notion of God as the supreme, but these individuals had the formulation of abstract and complex of power series control in the universe by some special practices (Pointer 156). The rituals and beliefs of the Native Americans were completely incompatible with the Christianity. The societal balance and unity contrasted with the one for the settlers. Natives chose to base their religion in the cultural practices without any form of extinction as per their daily practices while Christianity has a common belief in existence of one powerful God. The native religion is diversified in polytheistic, animistic and henotheistic form where the beliefs were orally passed down from generation to the other and heavily relied on hierarchical subject. The subjective level of influence of the environment towards the spiritual belief influenced a common ritual in the power of the gods of the tribes. A big contrast emanates in Christianity hence the two groups could not coexist in the same environment without clashes (Wuthnow 32). The first European immigrants have the accreditation for religious transformation in America although, prior to their presents, the continent had the inhabitation by the indigenous people. These first settlers arrived at North American east coast and met different Indian tribes who spoke different languages. These tribes had a vast knowledge in the trade, farming and hunting. They had big tracks of the land unknown to them that the land was a symbol of wealth. The arrival of first Euro-American settlers was welcomed with no qualms. The Christopher Columbus arrived in North America in the late fifteenth century. Columbus presumed the land as Indies and referred to the inhabitants as the Indians later to have the title of the Native Americans (Washburn 28). Several people from the Native American group lived in the East coast of the present United States. The people in this land spoke different languages and had different practices for a living that range from farming, hunting. Some people were hostile while others were peaceful. The name tribe refers to these groups. Seneca, the Seminole, the Mohawks and Cherokee are some of these tribes. These tribes had very strong cultural and spiritual practices long before the arrival of the first European settlers. Each tribe had a powerful spiritual belief although there was a common relation amongst a few tribes. The various European groups on the other side had a different linguistic, religious and cultural heritage. Unfortunately, they had a very sophisticated and conquering mentality, which was quite different from the Native American perspective. The Native American people had no issues with land hence found a room to accommodate the settlers with no sigh of territory fight. Gradually, the difference in religion brought a strong resistance since the two groups could not cohesively run different practices in the same locality with each of them having a strong belief in their religious superiority. The European settlers had a belief in true faith in their Christianity hence needed all people to believe in it. They later came to the realization that the Native American people by then had neither learning interest nor compromising their beliefs for the preference of the Christianity (Pritzker 140). The onset of seventeen century brought additional European settlers to the land of Native Americans. They were welcomed with excitement by the Native American people who had a burning eager to learn more about the new weapons brought by the settlers. The native people were more accommodative since the weapons provided additional technology in the hunting activity. Contrary, the Europeans took the advantage of the native’s generosity, embarked themselves in acquiring more land, and over occupied by their eager to convert them to their religious beliefs (Preston 96). There were various conflicts cases concerning language, culture and religion, but the settlers lacked the ability to respect the Naives culture. The misunderstanding between the two groups led to another series of conflicts and warfare with each group ready to guard its religion. Trust is also another factor that contributed to vital conflicts between the Americans and the settlers. Many settlers came to a common belief that Native Americans could not earn their trust in any common activity because they were not Christians. The settlers group raised a concern of fear from the American Indians. They thought of the native people as an evil group describing them as people void of religion. The fear eventually materialized into a barrier as the settlers tried to outweigh the option and utilized violent ways to convert the other non-Christian group to their doctrine. The natives did not find any reason to convert to Christianity hence offered resistance resulting to warfare. The clashes between the Europeans and the American Indian group were inevitable since their religious beliefs were different in all aspects. Their religion had a vast respect to the land and animals, adapted their lives, and needs to suit what their natural surrounding could provide. The European group treasured land as a sign of wealth. They also had the mentality that they had powers to acquire any land irrespective of the consent from the inhabitants. Native Americans found no other option but to defend their motherland, which hosted everything inclusive of their supernatural powers. Despite the pretense in the protests that the European group needed freedom of religion, they gave no room for consideration of the spirituality of the native group whom they referred to as the heathen superstitious group (Bowden 72). In conclusion, religion forms a very strong component of humanity. Different people have different beliefs and practices. The range is beyond description that accounts for the stability of Catholic community, Judaism, Protestants to mention a few. The strong belief in an individual religion as the best revokes the feeling to disregard other forms of religious practices as inferior, and this is evident in the clashes between the ancient Native Americans and the Euro-American Settlers. These two groups had very big religious differences, which led to conflicts and warfare. Some communities were converted to Christianity; others sacrificed to fight for their faith either losing or even emerging as the guardian of their doctrine. Fear, mistrust and warfare were dominant factors in the clashes. The uttermost personal faith should always be respected to coexist as a human race with no religious discrimination. This would reap the ultimate price is harmonious and peaceful life and stands out as a lesson to learn from the religious clashes between the Euro-American settlers and the native people. Works cited Bitterli, Urs. Cultures In Conflict. 1st ed. Stanford, Calif.: Stanford University Press, 1989. Print. Bowden, Henry Warner. American Indians And Christian Missions. 1st ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1981. Print. Fraser, James W. Between Church And State. 1st ed. New York: St. Martins Press, 1999. Print. Kozlowski, Darrell J, and Jennifer L Weber. Colonialism. 1st ed. New York: Chelsea House, 2010. Print. Olson, James S, and Heather Olson Beal. The Ethnic Dimension In American History. 1st ed. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons, 2011. Print. Pointer, Richard W. Encounters Of The Spirit. 1st ed. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2007. Print. Preston, David L. The Texture Of Contact. 1st ed. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 2009. Print. Pritzker, Barry. Native Americans. 1st ed. Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-CLIO, 1998. Print. Washburn, Wilcomb E. History Of Indian-White Relations. 1st ed. Washington: Smithsonian Institution, 1988. Print. Wuthnow, Robert. America And The Challenges Of Religious Diversity. 1st ed. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 2005. Print. Read More