Colonisation and Contact of the Native Americans

The traditional life of the North American Indians has changed greatly since the arrival of colonisers. The destruction of their way of life occurred when settlers took over the land and drove them from their homes. It was inevitable that the colonisers influenced their religious beliefs, clothing, warfare, hunting practices, and food sources.

The North American Indians lived very close to nature. The land was the main part of their religion. Before the arrival of the settlers, they believed that all living things had spirits. Spirits were grand and powerful forces that controlled the seasons, and the wind and rain. These were called the 'Holy People'. Sacrifices were to please the spirits. Sacrifices might include 'ritual suffering' such as dances involving self torture, for example the 'Sun Dance'. Dancers would thread leather thongs through their skin and dance until the skin ripped and they broke free. After the colonisers arrived, Christianity was forced onto them, and their...