Perceptions of Native Americans

Perceptions of Native Americans

There are preconceived notions about the native peoples of North America. The images best presented can best be summed up in the term "noble savage." This idea represents most people's views of the Native American. Here will be discussed some of the ideas of the noble savage and their differences from reality.

What is the "noble savage?" It is an idea that represents the romanticized notion of Native Americans as a race of people living in perfect harmony with their environment. They live in large groups or tribes, each containing an elder leader. They worship deities related to the forces of nature, and only take and use what they need (Sulham 2007). These people are, by nature, "good" and only become capable of evil with indoctrination into modern society. This idea has been perpetuated in the arts. Works such as "The Last of the Mohicans," "Moby Dick," and even "Frankenstein" portray noble savages. Queequeg was described as a caring and good soul, despite being a heathen; man in his purest form (Melville 126). His death even eventually saves the protagonist. Even figures in actual history, such as Pocahontas, have been romanticized in this model.

So how do we determine the facts from the fallacies? We must use a scientific process called Anthropology. Anthropology is the study of the development of man. It covers many aspects of human development, not the least of which is the study of culture. Many examples of culture, including the different ones of the native North Americans, provide examples that dispel the notion of the noble savage.

The perception of the religion is one aspect that is flawed. While it is true that some cultures worshipped the "earth spirits" as we see them, many cultures had complex and varied forms of spirituality. For example, the people of the Arctic based their religion mainly on maintaining a relationship with the game they hunted, hoping for future cooperation. They believed that animals, as well as humans, possessed souls that would be reincarnated and if the relationship were broken, reincarnated animals would not allow themselves to be killed (Suttton 59). The people of the Subarctic did not believe in deities, but rather a great unintelligent force that could be drawn upon for any purpose, good or ill. To them, all things contained a spirit, including animals, plants, and geographical objects. They also believed that they must maintain a friendly relationship with their game, as the animals loved humans and therefore allowed them to be hunted. These people would try to only kill as much game as they needed, and would try to spare younger or pregnant animals (Sutton 90-91). The people of the Plateau, in contrast, practiced religion on an individual level, with their rituals centering on "vision quests," where an individual would seek assistance from a protective spirit.

Another flawed view is that of the Native American as conservationist. The Cree, for example, would sometimes leave game after the kill to waste away where it was found (Sulham 2007). While this was necessary due to their diet, which required a high fat content to be useful, it stands in direct contrast to the idea of the conservationist.

Another misguided idea is our view of the concept of marriage and the family. Marriage, to us, equals a monogamous relationship between a man and woman (Kottak 290). The Plateau people, for example, were not always strict with this. In fact, if the husband could not impregnate his wife, she was free to seek assistance from other men in the group, with the offspring raised as their own (Sulham 2007). The Eskimo also participated in "wife-sharing," spreading the possibility of impregnation out of the marriage, although they believed only a husband and wife could conceive (Sutton 53). This contradicts the idea of pure bloodlines. There is also a practice known as "dowry," which is the family of the bride providing compensation to the groom in exchange for marriage (World Book Online). The people of the Plateau had the reverse custom, known as "bride price." This was compensation given to the family of the husband in exchange for the loss of the wife's contribution to her family (Sulham 2007).

Further, a common misperception is the idea of wealth. Merriam-Webster defines wealth as "all property that has a money value or an exchangeable value." The Native Americans are often mocked for a lack of what we consider wealth. When the Dutch purchased Manhattan in 1626, it is alleged that it was purchased for