Essay On Native American Colonialism

Prior to the 15th century, the Americas was home to the indigenous peoples, who were sovereign to act according to their will and had complete rights over their land. To prove their dominance and fulfill imperialistic ideals by gaining land and resources, various European nations came to the Americas in hopes of settling and colonizing the vast land. This required settlers to take unjust actions against indigenous populations, who became hindrances in the settlers’ path to gaining dominance. With the onset of European settler colonialism, which eliminated, removed, and assimilated Native populations, indigenous society experienced dramatic changes in their way of life, bonds of kinship, and perception of gender. Although these efforts of colonization

Being forcefully removed and having to become accustomed to a new lifestyle forced Natives “to chase their dream of independence and power [and] they found themselves dancing to other’s tunes” (West 67). With a lack of sovereignty over themselves or their tribe, the Natives became subject to European rule and were required to abide by their, often inconsiderate, decisions. With the indigenous “acquisition of horses” and dependence on European weapons, they were allowed “expanding […] possibilities of hunting bison” (West 59). However, this meant that indigenous peoples extensively traded with the Europeans and put the means of obtaining food sources, like bison, in the hands of Europeans who had been the reason behind their present situation, which seems contradictory and ironic. On the other hand, Natives adopted the term, “Nepantla” to describe their sentiments towards efforts of removal, elimination, and assimilation by European colonists and its positive, but detrimental effects on indigenous society (Chavez, September 14). Nepantla means “to be in the middle” and the act of keeping a neutral stance, which is correctly defines the indigenous reaction to these revolutionary changes. Despite being forced to physically relocate and modify a majority of their original culture, indigenous peoples have continued to abide by European desires, while attempting to preserve and endure Native traditions to avoid its complete