Francis Jennings
Abstract: This article depicts Native American culture prior to Columbus’s arrival and refutes many stereotypical assumptions associated with Indians. Stereotypical myths regarding Indians such as their prowess as horsemen, their emphasis on hunting, their laziness, and their thirst for blood are examples of preconceived and uninformed notions that Europeans have of Indians. Through examination of Indian civilizations across North America, misinformation such as the aforementioned stereotypes are shown to be false, and the product of racism and blind European ethnocentrism. Tribes examined throughout the article include the Aztecs, the Natchez, the Cahokia, The Dalles, and the Huron. Each of these civilizations are examined in order to show prior to Columbus’s arrival, Indians often travelled by foot, hunted for sport, worked hard with an agricultural focus, and were committed to their religious beliefs. Examining these realities is essential in understanding the differences between Indians and Europeans, and in understanding that Indians were exceptionally more civilized than Europeans have made them look to be.
Keywords: Indians, Columbus, Europeans, North America, Myths
