Even more than what you say here is the notion that the Native Americans were very open to peaceful co-existence. In almost all cases, it was the Europeans who pushed violence and aggressive acquisition of property and resources. In many instances, the natives tribes sought peace with the Europeans. There was a tradition among many tribes of living in a "multi-cultural" environment. Even with very war-like tribes like the Hurons and Iroquois, you had rather low-scale war parties bent on retaliation and not extermination like the Europeans attempted. Even the great Iroquois and Huron were played off against each other by the Europeans.
There are at least two instances when Natives posed a real threat to European hegemony of the continent: Tecumseh and the Ghost Dance. Tecumseh had the Federal government forces on the defensive. His pan-Indian appeal brought together tribes that never before had fought together. Only when Harrison tricked Tecunseh's brother into engaging in battle while the great chief was away, were the federalists able to defeat his threat.
The Ghost Dance also brought together tribes with very different traditions. There was no great leader like Tecumseh, however, who arose. The forces were less consolidated and the fighting was done in a very nihilistic, individual way. The promise of unity was there, but there was no one person or group to focus that unity into a concerted effort.
chuck miller
Tom Lehman wrote:
> Dear Doug and the Left Business Observers,
>
> I've been reading some of the threads about the native Americans and
> their experiences with the European tribes that settled in North
> America. I think there are some real lessons that we modern day
> Americans could learn from the native American experience.
>
> At first the European tribes came to trade with the native Americans.
> The Europeans brought with them in their canoes trade goods that the
> native Americans desired, guns, knives, axes, blankets and trinkets.
> >From the native Americans the Europeans desired furs, hides and roots.
> This was a pretty good deal for the native Americans because they had an
> endless supply of these things and in return they got things that they
> did not manufacture or have knowledge of how to manufacture.
>
> I would be willing to bet that anytime during the first 150 years of the
> European tribes attempted colonization effort of North America, if the
> native Americans had made a concerted effort to get rid of the Europeans
> they could have. Match-lock guns were no big edge in the North American
> rain forest. The numbers of the Europeans were not that big and they
> were spread out and could be knocked off one settlement at a time. Why
> didn't the native Americans do it? Well I think the answer is easy;
> why ruin what is perceived to be an advantageous trading relationship?
> You can almost hear a native American saying, " so what if the Europeans
> and one of the costal tribes of native Americans have problems,hey, no
> big deal its a big country and the costal tribe was always a problem to
> us anyway."
>
> By the time the native Americans started to realize in the 1750's that
> their fate was sealed it was to late. Even then they still persisted in
> killing each other over access to the Europeans trade goods.
>
> Being from an old American family of Dutch ancestry, I hope my ancestors
> were not mean to the native Americans. I think we have a lot to learn
> from their mistakes.
>
> Sincerely,
> Tom Lehman
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