Introduction
Colonization refers to the act of possessing land by a group of people who feel that their culture is superior compared to the natives or the owners of the distant land. Colonizers aim at imposing their ‘superior’ culture to the natives ‘archaic’ culture and this is a gradual process although it may be supplemented by force when the need arises. The culture here refers to people’s way of life that is determined by their core values, norms, attitude, beliefs, and cognitive mapping skills. People’s cultures are different and they are generally dynamic and this means that they can be altered in order to ensure society’s survival.
The English moved from Europe to America in search of arable land and for trade purposes and they ended up destroying the cultures of the majority of American natives notably the Iroquois. This essay is going to focus on the cultures of the Iroquois and the English and the results and consequences that emerged from the contacts of the two cultural groups. First of all, I don’t agree with the term ‘superior’ and ‘inferior’ in reference to culture because there is no culture that is useless. All cultures serve one basic purpose: ensuring the survival and well-being of society. Basically, the contact between the two cultures led to the establishment of new regional cultures and I will focus mainly on Pennsylvania.
Discussion
Iroquois is an American tribal group made up of different communities who were originally foragers. This means that they survived on hunting and gathering and they generally led an egalitarian lifestyle. Their technology has been described as archaic because the items that made up their material cultural collection were very crude compared to those of the English. They made tools and weapons from stones, wood, and the bark of trees. Their housing structures were simple and they were constructed using trees, twigs, and branches. Their clothing was made from animal skins that were hunted in the plains. In addition, they were very religious and they strongly believed in the existence of a supernatural being and the spirits. To them, religion was part and parcel of their day-to-day activities and they often held ceremonies and in honor of their gods and spirits.
English on the other hand very superior items made from wood and metals and guns give a good example. Guns could kill instantly compared to the arrows and spears of the Iroquois. The English valued private property ownership of animals such as horses, land, and weapons. For the Iroquois, hunters could borrow spears and arrows from their neighbors. They put on clothes made from refined materials such as cotton and they were ideally capitalist. They believed in a market economy where goods and services were exchanged for money. Moreover, they were monotheists since they believed in the existence of one Superior God who is made up of God the Father, God the Son, and God the holy spirit. No sacrifices or animal offerings were made to this God.
Once the English moved to America they first disorganized the Iroquois societal structure. This was carried out by forcing the Iroquois to relocate from their ancestral land and they were put together in reserve camps in various frontiers. The missionaries then followed and preached the gospel to the displaced Iroquois in order to erode their traditional beliefs. The Nonacceptance of missionary teachings was met by force whereby the missionaries used their guns to kill the protesting Iroquois. The Iroquois then became traders where they created the link between the interior and the major trade routes. This is an indication that the Iroquois were slowly but sure beginning to be integrated into the ‘superior’ culture of the English.
The aftermath of colonization can be seen even today because in Pennsylvania we have big farms owned by the English men and women but at the same time Iroquois are still present and they have retained some of their cultures especially when it comes to religion and material cultures. Christianity is the order of the day and we have the Church of England, Anglican, and catholic and during the colonial time, Pennsylvania had the largest catholic population compared to other states. Conservative Iroquois are still present and this is portrayed by their rich material culture especially the false face masks ceremonies which are still even celebrated today. These false face masks are curved on a living tree before they are cut and then decorated according to the stringent Iroquois cultural traditions. Therefore Pennsylvania can be described as a multicultural society today and its members co-exist in harmony.
Conclusion
The colonization of Pennsylvania led to an establishment of a multicultural society. This is due to the fact that the native-Iroquois were relocated to reservation camps and forced to change their culture and adopt an English cultural version. Having said that it is worth stating that not all Iroquois were integrated into the new culture since some opted to retain their traditions and this is why even today traditional arts of the Iroquois such as the false face musk are still prominent. We should also avoid terms such as ‘superior’ and ‘inferior’ when were are discussing cultural issues because this term represents a lot of ethnocentrism which forces us to make very biased and wrong conclusions.
Work Cited
Clark, C., Lichtenstein, N. and Rosenzweig, R. (2000): Who Built America? Bedfod/st Martins Publisher.
Washburn, E. D (1981): The peoples of Pennsylvania: An anointed Bibliography of Resource Materials. Inquiry International Publishers.