Native Americans vs. American Settlers Essay

There are a number of dissimilarities between the Native Americans and the American Settlers. Although the Native Americans wanted to live in peace with American Settlers, their cultural differences led to warfare. This essay will compare and contrast a couple differences of these two cultures. I will discuss both groups opinion on land and resources. Then, I will explain both groups’ views on Nature. Native Americans Conserved land and viewed its resources as scared, while the Americans felt as though the land was nothing but opportunity for their colonies. While hunting, Native Americans used every piece of the animal from the hide to the bones and everything in between. They respected the land and believed it belonged to mother-nature, so it could not be owned or sold. On the other hand, American settlers viewed the land and its resources as limitless opportunity. â€Å"It is little wonder they went land-mad, because there was so much of it† (Steinbeck 69). They invaded the lands claiming territory, killing buffalo, and plowing through the grassy plains to make room for their crops. American settlers often fought to try to obtain land that they thought was free for the taking, whereas, the Native Americans tried to live in harmony with nature and its inhabitants. In the movie, We Shall Remain, Native Americans would try and negotiate with the Americans only to be threatened with the violence of warfare. Native Americans believed the creator put everything on this earth to live together and be used respectfully. They accepted nature and did not try to change it. The American settlers, however, didn’t hold the same beliefs. â€Å"The railroads brought new hordes of land-crazy people, and the new Americans moved like locust across the continent†¦ Coal and copper drew them on; they savaged the land, gold-dredged the rivers to skeletons of pebbles and debris† (Steinbeck 69). They viewed nature as nothing more than an obstacle and commodity. American settlers engaged in warfare, defending what they thought they discovered, to claim as their own. They were land hungry and the more they got, they more they wanted. American colonist never tried to understand the Native American’s culture. Instead they tried to push their European based ways onto them. This, in turn, caused a number of wars between the two. Sometimes it’s better to agree to disagree rather than to wage war on what is believed to be right/wrong. Works cited Steinbeck, John. â€Å"Explaining Relationships: Americans and the Land. † the Composition of Everyday Life. 3rd ed. Boston: Wadsworth, 2010. Pgs. 68-70. Print. We Shall Remain. Dir. Ric Burns. Perf. Benjamin Bratt, Alex Meraz, Dweir Brown. PBS Home Video, 2009. Film.