Indigenous Continent: The Epic Contest for North America

Indigenous Continent tells the story of Native Americans in North America during the time since European contact. It paints a broad picture of all the different indigenous groups and their interaction with the various European groups. Key events in US history only appear in passing, as they are often of minimal importance to the natives. The various tribes had similarities as well as differences. They had adapted to the situations and made treaties, only to have those treaties disrespected by the white settlers when there was a new need for the land. 

Various parts of history are better understood from the context of the indigenous people. Texas had an Indian problem and wanted United States help. The settlers that moved in west of the original 13 colonies had a strong independent streak and would have formed their own countries if they could. However, the land was also occupied by natives, and they needed help. Most large Indian reservations are in the west because settlers had pushed the Indians out of the eastern areas.

There was a time when the indigenous people were treated as "real people". Treaties were made and each party was respected to some extent. However, the Europeans had a very different political system and had difficulty understanding the family-based political structure of the natives. They wanted to "civilize" them to be like Europeans. This seems to be a common theme down to this day. Whatever the dominant culture accepts is assumed to be "the best" and others are encouraged to join this "civilization" regardless of whether they want to or not. Even when natives did assimilate (such as slave-holding Indian plantation owners), they were still not respected. Reconstruction hit the Indians much harder than it hit the white southerners. The interaction of Europeans and the Native Americans has been sad indeed.