Well we can understand if we study the subject. I have read a lot about native americans because my grandfathers was a little -- tall with black hair, but blue eyes. So when he was a kid tourists wouldn't hire him to paddle them out to the indian island festivals.

by Anonymous 7 years ago

Your grandfather was discriminated against because he wasn't Native American enough? That's a new one. I suspect Native American's live styles were so dissimilar to ours that we simply cannot put ourselves in "their shoes". Thanks for the comment.

by Anonymous 7 years ago

Ya things are different here in Maine. As far as I have seen native americans are not discriminated against by anyone except if they don't have enough of the blood. That original blood is getting so very thin- mixed with the french people and there is no way to tell them apart.

by Anonymous 7 years ago

They weren't distracted by Facebook. Lucky them.

by Anonymous 7 years ago

Such as what? Everything I have heard suggests that the so called native Americans were all as dumb as a bag of rocks. Olive Oatman was captured by Apache Indians and lived in the Mojave valley for five years. She wrote a book about her experience. The only medicine they knew was to put a sick person in a teepee and burn some wet leaves. She said about two hundred families lived in poverty in a valley where ten times that number of white families would find prosperity. So what are you talking about?

by Anonymous 7 years ago

I admittedly know very little about Native American society. The very little I have heard though suggests that their societies and attitudes were much different than ours. And yes, technologically they lagged behind many other people. I'm sure there are many reasons for this. However, just because they seemed wanting to Europeans doesn't mean they were any less intelligent. They survived, flourished, and they led full and imaginative lives in America for thousands of years. When I wrote this post I was thinking about things that they appreciated because their lifestyles were so different. I wonder how they might have viewed their individual lives, how they might have viewed their place in this world, etc. For example, I believe they felt a stronger connection to the Earth and other living creatures. They seemed to have a much better sense of living in balance with nature than we do.

by Anonymous 7 years ago

Your interpretation of oatmans experience is tainted. The natives she was with suffered a draught and were shot of food for one season. She could have escaped, but hid when white folks were around. Many white and black people from early on assimilated themselves with indigenous people because of the freedom and joy for life they had. And love of the earth. You are clearly misinformed and bigotted towards native people. Too bad, they could teach you a thing or two

by Anonymous 7 years ago

Anybody can buy the book at amazon.com and form their own opinions. Just because you disagree with me, that does not mean that I am misinformed or bigoted. Please try to keep your posts sociable.

by Anonymous 7 years ago

I apologige. But...i have enough cherokee blood in my viens to be insulted. Wasny it you who said "if a cherokee is trapped in a cage, leave him"? How sociable was that?

by Anonymous 7 years ago

Your words are what define you here

by Anonymous 7 years ago

"The noble savage" has always been a popular notion among English speaking people. They were blown away by Caribbean islanders having such straight, beautiful teeth, when English teeth looked like the finish line of a road scraper race. They assumed that naked savages must have some superior philosophy, untainted by English corruption. You are merely continuing the centuries old meme.

by Anonymous 7 years ago

The reason they had good teeth is because they had good hygiene, unlike the europeons. And they did have superior philisophy. People ask what if you could go back in time, when would you go. I would go to the time when columbus and his murderers came here. I would send messengers far and wide, gathering warriors. I would call them to the shores of the east. I would tell them of future horrors and pray them to slaughter every single white man that would dare come to shore. Turn the foam of the waves red with their blood. I would gladly disappear as i would never have been born. The genocide of whole tribal nations was hideous and inhumane. The tribes of this land knew that the earth is sacred. The savages were the european people, the native people civilized. I can hear but whispers of my ancestors. If only they could beat like drums so that all could hear.

by Anonymous 7 years ago

That was true in Mexico and South America, but the population of the eastern coast of North America was 90% wiped out by an epidemic just before the Europeans started coming. That's why there was no resistance, but there was resistance when they started moving west.

by Anonymous 7 years ago

It was the europeans that brought the plague flu and themselves. They treatied whole tribal nations out of existance. Read deeper please.the cherokee nation was vast. Many others. Please educate before ypu disseminate

by Anonymous 7 years ago

Like what?

by Anonymous 7 years ago

I was thinking their "connection" with the Earth and its creatures, but of course their live styles were so different that there's probably a lot of knowledge that's been lost. Like how to hunt Buffalo when you have only handmade spears and bows and arrows.

by Anonymous 7 years ago

Although I agree with you that there was probably a lot of knowlesge that has been lost, including using the most out of what you have, I also believe that much of the hype about Indians being one with nature is more myth than reality. When it came to the buffalo, they would sometimes drive entire herds over cliffs, keeping and using only a small percentage of what they killed. They also slaughtered other tribes to gain land, hunting ranges and possessions. The story of the American Indian, is laced with as much fiction today as reality.

by Anonymous 7 years ago

You know little. When buffalo were run off cliffs, the hunters would gather the entire tribe, the meat was preserved. The hides were used the sinew was used. The bones were used. Natives people were indeed human. Being so, they waged war. Mostly over territory and resources. Being one with the earth is no myth. In the eyes of native people, the earth is the mother. If you speak of a culture, i reckon you should learn of it first

by Anonymous 7 years ago

Really Carla? I think you need to study "real" history instead of what is being put out as myth these days. Do you have an idea how much meat comes from even a small herd of buffalo? Lets just say a very small herd of 100 buffalo. An average buffalo, dressed out = 600 pounds of meat. A herd of just 100 would mean 60,000 pounds of meat. That means, 600 pounds of meat per person. Not to mention the weight of all the skins. (BTW, No amount of preserving meat at that time would make the meat usable for any amount of extended time) Are you still going to claim they used everything? What you WANT to believe about a culture, doesn't make it true.

by Anonymous 7 years ago

Tribes were not that small. And the meat, bones, brains innards, hides WERE used. Pemmican lasts for a very long time. This practice died out after the horse had become an intagral part of the culture. Around 1500. And even if it was 600 lbs of meat per person, that is enough for one year. And as i said tribes were larger and they were more capable then you apparently realize

by Anonymous 7 years ago