The European explores who visited and ultimately colonized the American indigenous people were superior in several ways of life. They had sophisticated weapons which helped them colonize America with ease. But the indigenous American people were also advanced in aspects such as culture, technology and agricultural practices. They had already invented several ways of making their lives easier and more rewarding. Understanding several ways in which American indigenous people were more advanced than the European explorers is vital in comprehending their ways of life.
Cultural and Social Systems
Different indigenous cultures had complex governance systems, cultural traditions, and social structures. Societies were governed and arranged in a sophisticated manner which in some instances was more complex than those introduced by the European explorers. Most of the cultural and governance values were based on spiritual aspects. Native Americans had deep spiritual values which dictated the cultural aspects in society. A good example is the Iroquois Confederacy, which had a complex governance system where leaders were some of the most spiritual individuals in society (Farrell et al 4.). Most of the cultural beliefs in Native America were not profit-driven, unlike the ones introduced by European explorers. Instead, the cultural beliefs of the Native Americans were meant to ensure sustainable resource management and communal values.
Most of the cultural practices in native America were meant to benefit communities and not individuals. Gains from these cultural activities would be used to uplift the lives of people in the communities (Farrell et al 5.). But the cultural and governance values of the European explorers were mainly aimed at making profits. Gains from the European cultural ways of doing things were deemed right or wrong depending on the profits they would generate. The profit-based cultural practices introduced by the European colonizers were more prone to failure. Different factors would affect the profitability of some of the European cultural ways of life. Consequently, they required more effort to make them viable and sustainable.
Technology and Planning
Europeans had managed to build ships and weapons by the time they arrived in America. But the Native Americans had more advanced technological elements in architecture and tools. The Spanish conquistadors described the city of Tenochtitlan as a more magnificent city than any of the European cities in that time. Monument structures such as Machu Picchu further confirm that the Native Americans had sophisticated urban engineering and planning techniques (Merrell 218). Most of the tools used in the construction of different structures in native America were hand made. There were craft men who would make tools to make work easier. Most materials for making these tools were readily available and everyone in society would contribute towards making the tools. Getting some of these materials required work and effort.
The governing authorities would identify people to help the craftspeople with getting the materials. There were also instances when entire communities would work together to get some of the materials. If a community did not have some specialized materials for making tools, they would buy from others. In most cases, the purchase mode was barter trade, where a community would get certain materials in exchange for other materials, or other goods (Merrell 218). The sophisticated urban planning in some of the Native American societies further shows that they were superior technologically. Some structures required highly specialized skills and accurate measurements. There are also structures with specialized qualities which could only be implemented by people with high technological and architectural skills. Therefore, even though the European explorers introduced some sophisticated technological aspects into native America, the natives already had several advanced technological aspects.
Medicine and Healing
Native Americans used herbal treatments long before the arrival of European explorers. They had extensive knowledge of plants with medicinal value and the ailments such plants could treat. Some of their herbal treatments were so effective that the European colonizers adapted them (Dunbar-Ortiz 9). Each society in Native America had specialized medicine men whose work was to treat sick and injured people. They also had the role of identifying the ideal treatment options for different conditions. Their work was highly respected because it provided solutions that could not be provided by ordinary people. Medicine men in Native America would travel long distances to get medicinal plants which were not readily available in their communities. The herbal treatments among Native Americans were combined with spirituality. Indigenous people believed that most of the ailments were a result of super-natural reasons. They would practice herbal medicine and still surrender to supernatural solutions to deal with health issues. Therefore, even though the European explorers had identified some advanced ways of dealing with diseases and injuries, they had to adapt some of the herbal practices among the Native Americans because they were more effective.
Conclusion
European Explorers introduced different advanced ways of life once they arrived in America. But the indigenous Native Americans already had advanced attributes in different aspects, including culture, technology and medicine. The integration of the two ways of life resulted in even more advanced ways of life. Despite the introduction of several advanced techniques by the Europeans, the Native Americans could still have survived and made more complex innovations. Therefore, indigenous Native Americans were superior in different aspects of life even before the arrival of the European explorers and colonizers.
Work Cited
Dunbar-Ortiz, Roxanne. An indigenous peoples’ history of the United States. Beacon Press, 2023.
Farrell, Justin, et al. “Effects of land dispossession and forced migration on Indigenous peoples
in North America.” Science 374.6567 (2021): eabe4943.
Merrell, James H. “Some thoughts on colonial historians and American Indians.” Establishing
Exceptionalism. Routledge, 2022. 218-243.
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