arose2011
Joined: 03 Jan 2011
Posts: 17
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 Posted: Sun Jan 09, 2011 10:50 pm Post subject: |
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Wow, I’m not sure what’s more stuffed with information, the reading or the forum. Unbelievable job all you guys.
First off, I almost couldn’t help but giggle a little bit about the concept of this whole thing. The Europeans were, in this case, like a defense attorney whose been given a case. The attorney has to convince himself that he can win his case, and that he’s the one in the right. The Europeans are the plaintiffs, the Indians are the defendants, and we are the jury! I also realize that the term “seasoned veteran” completely originated from Europeans using it to describe someone who had adapted to America’s environment.
Olivia’s point about the law of observation was great, and I completely agree. If the Europeans were never able to see America without the interference that they themselves brought upon it, then of course they were going to think that they were superior to the Native Americans! It’s a little fucked up that this is the human mindset, and that we cannot take ourselves out of the equation, step back, and sees how an environment is without our interference, but it brings up the same problems that make quantum physics so frustrating. If Europeans take themselves out of the equation, then they can’t pass judgment because they simply don’t know! If we don’t look at light, how can we possibly know if it’s a wave or a particle? We don’t know, so we theorize and we guess and we tell ourselves things until it becomes the truth.
I also wanted to go way back and try to answer Dylan’s question about whether the Native Americans adapted or the Europeans. The answer is that both definitely tried, but I’m not sure whether either succeeded. The Native Americans tried to use European tactics like fur trading to their advantage, but it ended up backfiring. The Europeans tried to adapt to the harsh winters in America, but as several people have pointed out, if it weren’t for the Natives, the Europeans might not have survived. I think that just by virtue of the guns, germs, and steel they spread into the Indian culture, the Europeans were able to force the Indians out and then take over, but I’d say that’s not the same thing as adapting to an environment. So to make a long answer short, both tried to adapt, and both failed.
All in all, this reading was good, bordering on very good, and I cannot wait to discuss it in class tomorrow. |
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