Chapter Analysis

This document provides a summary and analysis of Chapter 1-4 from the book 'An indigenous peoples' history of the United States'. It discusses the importance of corn in the civilization of indigenous people, the culture of conquest, the treaties between indigenous people and Europeans, and the bloody wars fought for domination.

Running head: CHAPTER ANALYSIS
CHAPTER ANALYSIS
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1CHAPTER ANALYSIS
Chapter 1- Follow the Corn
Summary
This chapter narrates the importance of Corn in the civilization of the indigenous people.
Corn was not just a source of food and nourishment, but also reflective of the simple life that the
indigenous people led. It was the European colonization which had made the lives of the simple
folks complicated in the name of civilization. However, just like the resilience of the corn crop
which can survive the extremities of weather, the indigenous people too have maintained their
cultural values despite Europeanization.
Quote(s)
“Indian power limited European ambitions, and Europeans followed Indian practices
and adapted to Indian ways even as they tried to change them.”
This particular quotation shows that the indigenous people were very much faithful to
their cultural practices and nothing could dissuade them from it.
Questions
- What does corn symbolize in the lives of the indigenous people?
- How is corn related to the character of the indigenous people?
- How successful was Europeanization in transforming the cultural values of the
indigenous people?
- Why did the Europeans develop a liking for indigenous culture?

2CHAPTER ANALYSIS
Personal Response
The natural surroundings in which human beings are placed, exerts a lot of influence in
shaping the character, values and culture of the particular community. That is what one can call
as attachment to ones roots and to the soil from which one has received nourishment.

3CHAPTER ANALYSIS
Chapter 2- Culture of Conquest
Summary
This chapter deals with the reason behind the enslavement and rampant colonization of
America and the indigenous people who inhabited the land prior to it. Columbus had discovered
the land and ever since then the European started arriving into the continent. It was the greed for
acquiring the mineral wealth and the land resources of the continent that had driven the
Europeans to displace the indigenous people from the land which they solely inhabited at some
point of time, prior to the arrival of the Europeans. Not just conquest, but also ideological means
like the Civilizational and the Christianization mission had been used to dominate over the
indigenous people.
Quotes
“Once forced off their land, they had nothing to eat and nothing to sell but their
labor.”
This particular quotation shows that the domination of the indigenous people by the
Europeans was an orchestrated affair, done very by means of artificially creating the sense of
dependency of the indigenous people. Conditions were created whereby the indigenous people
were forced to accept the European domination.
Questions
- Were the Indians really dependent upon the Europeans?

4CHAPTER ANALYSIS
- How did the Indians become dependent on the Europeans?
- Was Columbus responsible for the predicament of the Indians?
- What was the real intention behind the civilization mission?
Personal Response
The real intention behind the civilization mission was to falsely claim that the Europeans
were actually doing good to the indigenous people. Rather, it sought to dehumanize the
indigenous people.

5CHAPTER ANALYSIS
Chapter 3- Cult of the Covenant
Summary
This chapter deals with the aspect of the various treaties which were reached at between
the indigenous people and the immigrant Europeans with regard to the sharing of the land
between the Europeans and the indigenous Indians. After having dispossessed the indigenous
people from their land which originally inhabited, there was a need to convince the indigenous
people to work for them as the Europeans needed labour power to carry out the business
activities and the cheap source of labour were the indigenous people whose confidence had to be
won as it was natural for them to nurture grieveances against the Europeans who had deprived
them of their livelihood.
Quotes
“With the onset of the colonialism in North America, control of the land was wrenched
away from the Indigenous people, and the forests grew dense,”
This particular quotation shows that prior to the European colonization, the indigenous
people led a life which was civilized and the farmlands which they had to abandon had grown
into forests.
Questions
- Were the indigenous people in need of European civilization?

6CHAPTER ANALYSIS
- Would it have been possible for Europeans to exploit the resources without the help from
the indigenous people?
- Was cooperation with the Europeans inevitable for the Indians?
- What was the significance of park-like woods?
Personal Response
This chapter shows the irony that the Europeans had to seek the cooperation of the ones
whom they had once dispossessed of all their rights and had captured their land and resources.
Had it not been the indigenous people, things would have been difficult for the Europeans.

7CHAPTER ANALYSIS
Chapter 4- Bloody Footprints
Summary
This particular chapter deals with the series of bloody wars fought between the
Europeans and the indigenous Indians in order to get a foothold on the new land by the
Europeans. The narrative of racial superiority was developed to invigorate the mission of
dominating over the indigenous people. Hence, the conclusion that can be reached is that the
narrative of racial superiority had come later and greed of acquiring the vast resources of wealth
was the main intention behind dominating over the indigenous people.
Quotes
“the out-of-control momentum of extreme violence of unlimited warfare fueled race
hatred,”
This particular quotation shows that the rhetoric of race was something which was
constructed to make the domination seem legitimate and worthy of embarking upon. It was a
mechanism to strengthen the expedition to North America. it
Questions
- Was the rhetoric of race orchestrated to manufacture the conception of moral right of the
Europeans to dominate over the indigenous people of the North American people?
- Did the racial superiority imply that the indigenous people were unable to manage their
resources?

8CHAPTER ANALYSIS
- Could the indigenous people not manage their resources prior to the European
domination?
- Was bloodshed inevitable in the domination?
Personal Response
As Antonio Gramsci had said that for a warfare to be successful simply military tactics is
not enough, one has to take recourse to the ideological tools to ensure that the war is won. Hence
the rhetoric of race was a means to strengthen the spirit of domination.

9CHAPTER ANALYSIS
Bibliography
Dunbar-Ortiz, R. (2014). An indigenous peoples' history of the United States (Vol. 3). Beacon
Press.