Journals of Discovery

The Europeans loved making themselves looked good. This was true in all three European journals we read this last week, La Relcion, Jamestown, and Plymouth Plantation. The one that kind of grinds my gears is the story of Jamestown as written by John Smith. What gets me is that John Smith is not only a braggart, but also a smart guy. He writes some of the journal in third person in order to make him look good. It is better to say John Smith became leader, then I became leader. He also talked about being the negotiator between the Indians and colonists after being overpowered by 100 Native Americans. I also think it is ironic that they call the Native Americans savages when the colonists are closer to being savages then the Indians. He also builds up himself by saying he was made sun of Powhatan because he could do stuff the Indians can do just as good as them, even though he did things that was meant for a women in that culture. This is all wrote for self brandishment, though some of it can be true, most likely none of it was true.

Native American Culture

I find that with the stories we have read recently, mostly with the last two stories, the Native Americans were judged extremely quickly, and this view didn't change throughout a long span of time. They were always considered savages that had no sort of sense of civilization or moral restraints, when in fact, they were more civilized then the pilgrims. The pilgrims always were fearful of them, even though the Indians brought them food so they can live and provided them shelter. They were even able to forgive the deaths of their fellow brethren to make a unneeded friendship of the pilgrims. This fascinated me that the pilgrims were so ignorant and high nosed to not have it cross their minds that the Native Americans were actually a well civilized and established people. It also continued and came up in the story of the Rainy Mountain were the natives were chased off by Americans from their ritual spot. This seams very undeserving even though calm, peaceful Natives was not always the case. Just, in these stories that we have read, the Indians play a major role as a the victims that keep on helping the problem. I think that says a lot about how their culture was and possibly still is.