Hi all,

What was the impact of European exploration on aboriginal cultures in the Americas?

I would appreciate all thoughtful answers from you.

Thanks

oh my god dude

That would take me an entire essay


Don't make such obscenely general queries.

That would take me an entire essay

I believe that's what he's asking for.

here in North America i think the affect was somewhere along the lines of all the aborigonal people dying of smallpox...

The impact was that most of the native people died, and the few left got some casinos.

again, Spidergoat is right on track.

anyone interested should read up on four main groups, then do some follow up - these will just give you an overview of the differences between NA tribes, IMO.

1)Cherokee - first to accept Christian Schools, sued the Government over treaty violation around 100 years ago.
2)Souix- a lrge group of varying peoples, but Black Elk Speaks and Crazy Horse: Strange man of the Olgalas are both very educational books
3)Hopis- a very interesting group, who belives that all people were once one people, and when we spread over the globe, each culture recieved a stone tablet to re-unite them later on. Interesting note: Tibetan word for mon=Hopi word for sun and vise versa. also, the Hopi people are very close to the direct antipod of Tibet (opposite side of the globe)
4)Hodenoshonee- known today as the Iroquois (french translation of an Algonquin word meaning Devil People or something) were a warring group who apperently came sounth from the Heuron area, and took pver much of nothern New York/Canada. The formed a leage of nations complete with a constitution which was a basis for the US's curent constitution.

The seminoles have a very cool belief system about death and spirit roads, worth reading up on.

However, if you are a die hard Chrurch Christian , you may feel that European coming helped convered the natives to Jesus, and those who wouldn't listen to the word were the ones who died. Too bad most of those who died of smallpox, STD's and other deseases were the infants and the elderly :(

oops, I just realised you didn't specify North America. Other effects of exploration were new trade routes, the alteration of religious thought, first in Europe itself, and then aroudn the world.

Wars, death, better medicine, a flourishing of art and philosophy, education or many, the integration and death of many cultures. A real mixed bag.


European exploration, however, what not the first exploration. Chinese flotilla and trade routs through the pacific connects alot of the world prior to European conquest. It did both bad an good, depending on your point of view.