ANT221 - Essay6 08-12-2015

Yunwi
tsunsdi

Kip
(Clifford) Sudham

Native
Peoples of North America - ANT-221-19Z1

<sdfield typeATETIME sdval="42222.5978019802" sdnum="1033;1033;MM/DD/YY">08/06/15</sdfield>

Why
did the European, and ultimately the American people,

see the
First People of North America, as one group,

and how has the
fate of the Aborginal population resulted from this stereotyping?

Essay
#6 - Final

***

Mark
Q. Sutton in "An Introduction to Native North America",
Third edition writes:

"...primitive
savages who did not 'properly' possess the land. They believed it
their duty to drag the native populations from their state of
savagery into the light of civilization..." (Sutton, I)

But
what wasn't known, was that the First people was an amazing set of
people. With diverse populations, complex cultures, and above all,
survivalists. The only aspect that could be a negative was that the
stagnant level of sophistication that kept them several centuries
behind Europeans.

This
essay attempts to bring an understanding to three questions:

Europeans
thought of the First People, as one set of people in all aspects.
This ethnocentric attitude continues to this day, but why?


What
is the foundations of this unique, ethnocentric attitudes?


Why
does the fate of the Native Americans continue to this day?

Ethnocentrism;
the concept that one's culture, is superior to any others. Such a
person thinks, or states that if they are not part of
their culture, they are strange, inferior or may even be openly
hostile to the other person. This attitude can lead to
several negative aspects such as prejudice, and stereotyping.
(Accompany)

Ethnocentrism
colors humans perspectives of another person. A lot of people believe
that if a person with a stutter, to more severe aspects such as ADHD,
are mentally 'retarded' even today. The Appalachian people are
considered "backward hillbillies" simply because the
culture is different from the standard american capitalistic
consumption culture of today. Yet, such people are as intelligent, as
any average person. The concept of 'different' taps into the
xenophobic fears of all humans. Rules, laws, and learning (can)
forces people to be tolerant of another who is different, but that
doesn't change the person itself, if they do not wish to change.
Gaining power though financial, religious or political power may
allow the barriers to lower or collapse, and with that, they are able
to change other's opinion, and to perpetuate their beliefs.

An
example of the egocentric view the Europeans had of the Native
population in general, can be seen by how the Pueblo peoples was
viewed. This group was farmers who lived in permanent towns. Because
a) they was farmers, and b) they lived in homes, they was "less
primitive"  (Sutton, 101). The only negative to the Spanish, was
they didn't practice Christianity. They tried several times,
ultimately failing.  

History;

There
seems to be several aspects that may explain this extreme
ethnocentric attitude early Europeans had at the time of Columbus and
persists to today:

During
this time, Europe had the great religious movement known as the
Reformation (Reformation)
, the scientific, and artistic Renaissance (Renaissance),
and the nation-state building of Europe.(Time).
Climatology, The transition from the Medieval Warm Period (AD 950 to
1250)(medieval)
to the Little Ice Age from 1300 to 1850. (Little)
was a force, that lead to several socialistic upheavals such as the
Irish Potato Famine in later years.  

Capitalism:

At
this time, Europe had swept away the feudal order and was developing
the merchant capitalism that fully evolved into modern capitalism.
Capitalism is a powerful force. The economic incentive drives people
to invent, and travel; hence the reason for Columbus' travel. To find
a way to India to improve the spice trade and spices was a major
commodity in those days to improve the tastes of food and people
would pay well for such. (Sulham)

Religion:

While
Capitalism is a powerful force, the other nearly unstoppable force in
human development is religion. The church was a major force in this
early time of Europe. Although during the Renaissance a lot of their
power was surpassed, but they still welled a lot of power. Even Kings
was subservient to the Church, as evident of King Henry VIII of
England, who needed the Pope Clement VII's permission to have a
marriage to Catherine of Aragon annulled.
(Henry)

When
Europeans found the aboriginal peoples they took them to be primitive
peoples. especially because they did not know of and/or practice
Christianity. This "evangelism" movement (Evangelism)
in Europe  had, over the centuries, changed all pagan, and
non-christian people into a form of Christianity. They was, more or
less successful, in converting Natives as well.  What is not known,
or unwilling to accept, is that religion is not just a belief in a
supreme deity which appears to be that of a urban, city-state based
view. But to people in a survivalist culture, religion is
a tool of survival.

Note
two aboriginal
people's
religious views:
The Aztecs of
Mexico practiced a bloody
form with human sacrifices (Aztec)
in order to "appease the gods, for good growing" While
the Cree and Innus "spoke
about the 'proper disposal of animal remains' as 'obligatory' else
hunting might fail."
(Krech)
Note the element of '...hunting may fail..."
An animism concept, that may
not be correct, but to people who had no concept of scientific theory
and testing it is what they observed, and thought. To look at this in
another aspect, understand they lived day by day, at the whims of
gods, or spirits or the seasons. By taking up Christianity, they
developed a centralist concept. Both of a fraternal parental god, and
a fraternal government. Why worry about appeasing a pantheon of gods?
Even if their anger stops food from being available, the government
will provide.

Sociological:

One
aspect that isn't as well known, is the physiological reasons; Large
scale events can alter people's perspectives; WWI laid the
foundations for WWII, the Nazi party, Italy, and Japan, due to the
ethnocentric attitudes after WWI. Clarence Darrow, the lawyer of the
Leopold and Loeb trial in 1924, stated in the trial that "...after
the Civil War in 1865, crimes of this sort increased, marvelously..."
(American).
Hence consider what Europe was going though at the time of Columbus.
Europe, just 136 years before had gone though the Bubonic Plaque,
also known as the Black death, the greatest pandemic in history;
With an estimated 200 million dead, the aftermath was still being
felt by Columbus' day, in social, economic, and religious upheavals,
and it took that 136 years to regain the population that was lost.

At
the same time, Lloyd deMause a Physiologist of the British
Psycho-Analytical Society and the Heidelberg Psychoanalytic
Institute, points out another aspect. Childhood and infant rearing
was radically different during this time period. Starting in the 12th
century, to the late 16th century, child rearing was based upon two
modes: Ambivalent; the change from the middle age method of
abandonment of children, to the child being considered an independent
being with rights. By the 16th century, the "Intrusive model"
became standard. This mode lead to more freedom and individuation,
however the concept of corporal punishment, threaten with damnation,
and sexual repression brought about the Puritan child. (DeMause)
Not all Europeans was puritans, but the majority of Europeans was
highly religious.

Borders:

One
aspect that developed all over the "old world" was the
concept of borders. (Simply)
The very basic answer of what political borders are for, is the
control of people's movements. During human history, a leader always
wished to control his people, and their movements was one major
reason of control. However Europe's idea came during the Renaissance,
with the social order around wage laborers. To increase the power of
the state, they saw the 'wreath in people'. To keep their own
countrymen within their borders, and drive out 'outsiders' caused
major cultural strife. European borders are ridged, inflexible, and
designed just for control.

You
see such today. When the Allies in WWII broke up the Ottoman Empire,
they bordered three hostile people's into Iraq; Kurds, Sunni's and
Shiites. But to keep a civil war from ripping up the country they
installed dictators, and tyrants. Now take the same aspect and you
have reservations. Group a set of people, most often than not on
their former lands, (Cherokee's for example) and you now have a set
of people subjugated. Driven from their lands they occupied for
centuries.

The
concept of the difference between the first people, and European
borders is easy to see. Native American’s borders are like animal
territories. A broadcast, rule based border system in which one
animal knows by some sign that another animal -- usually of the same
species -- lives and has selected it for themselves, and will defend
it the borders then are fluid, which fluctuate with several needs.
Culture is taken into account with their borders, with a core area
they have lived in for centuries, and the outer layers is designed
for food. A good example is the cultural area of California(Sutton
179) From the tiny area of the Cupeno peoples, to the dual Chumash,
who lived on islands, AND the mainland, to the large territories of
the Serrano, or Southern Valley Yokut peoples. They are not rigid,
straight lines but of all different shapes, and textures. Lastly, the
concept of 'land ownership' was not part of the native peoples. Even
if some form of economic existed, they considered themselves stewards
of the land, not owners.

Conclusion
of history:

When
you look at the radical change, and the trauma that Europeans went
though from early on, until the industrial revolution you can get an
idea of why this developed. Europe had dug itself out from the middle
ages and the dark ages coming from the collapse of the Roman Empire,
and was recovering from the Black Death. Being the financial hub of
the known world, and a religious zeal that was coming from the
powerful Church they developed a superiority mindset.

Such
exists in today's United States culture. Notice how people who are
financially wealthy or political powerful, have a strong presence in
our lives such as celebrities, or a sports figure are thought of, as
gods. They are successful, though sheer hard work, or connections.
This breeds more like themselves, since people want to 'be like the
Jones'  The concept of 'hard work, and you will be successful' is
very similar to what the Europeans seem to felt during Columbus'
time. However just a mindset is one thing; to have the ability to use
that, is what made Europe become what they was until the 1850s, when
the U.S. started it's own major shift.

Combine
that with Religion (to convert more to Christianity), Economic (more
trade partners), and the desire for travel, adventure, or just an
area to do as you desire (Such as the Mormons escaping religious
persecution.) and you have an unstoppable force. To subjugate someone
weaker than you is a trait that wasn't evolved out of our ape
ancestors.

This
need to control people is one major problem with governments. Ignore
cultural aspects, move people around from their homes breeds unrest
and anger against the governments. which could ultimately backfire.

Today:

Sadly
in the 21th century, this European superiority culture still lingers
in the U.S. Propagated by social engineering, government control, and
the same  'hard work, and you will be successful' mindset that is
taught in schools.

Look
at some of the changes: The LBGT group is starting to finally shed
the shackles the government and the culture has used to subjugate
them for centuries. Gender roles are also changing. Woman can vote,
and are steady becoming equals to men, in corporate settings.

Native
Americans are changing as well. Their victories against Federal
governments continues to grow.

In
1999, part of the North-West Territories of Canada was subdivided
into "Nunavut" now home to the Inuit natives.


The
Canadian government banned the Potlatch in 1885 of the Northwest
peoples, and was finally restored in the 1950s (Sutton, 132).


Land
is being returned.


But
more positively, they are taking control of themselves, and moving
back to what they was at one time. Even young people taking the
initiative. Fighting to preserve their culture, and language. (Meet)

However,
there will be setbacks, much like the exportation and rape of
Appalachia from corporations a century ago, powerful corporations,
with the backing of the Federal government attempts to take with no
regards what so ever of the people living there. All in the name of
profits, dating back to the very same European ideas (Dokoupil)

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