Introduction
The history of the Native American community in the pre-Columbian era was incredibly rich and robust. Although centuries of colonialism have taken their toll on Native Americans, affecting their culture and identity. Being highly diverse, Native American culture shaped its representatives’ interactions with colonialists, which ultimately led to the appropriation of Native American culture and the following destruction of Native American people’s lives.
Discussion
The described outcomes defined the responses of Native Americans, which ranged from open confrontations to covert endeavors at preserving Native American culture. Overall, due to its immense diversity, Native American culture has produced a massive impact on European colonists, yet it has been adversely affected by the specified dynamics. Having been stifled for centuries, Native American culture has been damaged significantly.
The power of Native American beliefs and traditions was immense, making their culture distinctively different from that one of European settlers. In turn, being incapable of embracing diversity and appreciating it due to their colonialist mindset and thinking, European settlers appropriated a significant amount of Native American culture while striving to destroy the rest of it along with its members.
Conclusion
While European colonists acted in a mostly homogenous fashion in their efforts to conquer Native Americans and their lands, there were specific nuances of different cultures’ strategies. For instance, when detailing the specific approaches explored by different countries, one should mention French and Dutch colonists. Both tended to engage in friendly interactions with Native Americans. Namely, French and Dutch settlers strived to build trade alliances with Native Americans. The specified strategy contrasted sharply with the Spanish one, which involved aggressive colonization and focused on the use of force as the primary means of establishing their reign in North America. Specifically, Spanish conquistadors were the primary force behind the colonization process, whereas Netherlands and France tended to send their merchants as mediators in communication between Native Americans and Europeans.