The previously thought notions of Native Americans shows stark contrast to the actual state of these groups of people. Before the Europeans came to the New World in 1492, when Columbus walked onto the shores of North America, these people had lives and complex cultures all to themselves. There wasn't just one kind of Native, in fact there were five main groups, each stationed in different parts of this country. And with each group, came individual strong points, from agricultural to architectural to spiritual. Each culture had their own 'governmental' system, their own source of nutrition, whether it were bison like those of the Great Plains Culture or dried fish and acorns from the Pacific Coast culture, each group was truly unique.
And although some groups did indeed have certain sacrificial customs, this didn't make them especially dangerous or savage. Just like the Jews of the Middle East in the times of pre- and post- Jesus' walk on earth sacrificed animals at the temple, these people would sacrifice objects and creatures as well. Religions varied from area to area, mostly depending on what the culture relied on the most heavily. Take for example, the Iroquois, who were a highly localized sub-culture of the Eastern Woodlands. Their spirituality was centralized around agriculture, more specifically, Harvest, which had certain times of years dedicated to the celebration and feasts of such.
The Natives had the ability to fight and defend their land that their ancestors had been living on for ages and ages, but this didn't mean that they were savage beasts who would kill anything that stepped on their land. Instead, as the Columbian Exchange mentions, it was an exchange of ideas and goods for the most part. This meant that someone must have been able to tarry onto their land without getting killed. These people were curious about other cultures and ideas, and knew the system of barter and trade. They were willing to learn and utilize other foreign skills and goods. It was when they felt that there was a threat to their culture and people that they fought back, as any sane human would. Imagine someone trying to come after you or your family, threatening to kill you. Would you not do whatever you could to protect your loved ones and yourself? Or would your rather stand there and let them go about their business? The answer is clear; protecting your society and the things you love the most would obviously be the most logical idea.
In short, I want to stress that the Natives that have usually been portrayed as animalistic human beings were so much more than that, and were highly socially structured, agricultural experts, and curious humans. It is pivotal to show this because we have to see these people in a different light than previously thought if we wish to make sure that we do not assume such in the future, and repeat the rather infamous part of the colonization of America.
