Before the Europeans arrived, Native Americans lived a simple life. They never took more than they needed. They kept nature whole. The only problems they had were with other tribes. The tribes would war against another over land or food or other simple things. The disputes were never genocidal, eventually one tribe would lose and then move out. The elderly were respected for their wisdom. All was well. Plenty of food and land for everyone.
Then the Europeans came.
The Europeans seemed strange to the natives. They wore funny clothes and carried silly things. And the natives did not like the way the newcomers lived, because the newcomers wasted. They did not respect Mother Earth as the Native Americans did. And they did not expect things to happen as they did.
The Europeans got along with the natives in some areas, and fought with other tribes in different areas. They still settled. Taking the Native Americans’ land. And food. When the natives refused them they would take things by force. Including lives. Soon the Natives were being ravaged by disease and they did not know why. The “white man” brought over diseases such as small pox the natives had never been exposed to before and so they were not prepared, biologically or with equipment. The natives were pushed out of their land as more and more white men came over from Europe to take land. Pushed all the way from coast to coast in most cases. Many died. We are lucky their culture still survives today.
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