Native Tribes and American Identity
It is reasonable to suggest that the United States would not exist in its current form without the contributions and influences of the millions of Native Americans who already lived here when the first colonists arrived. Not only did these early Native Americans teach the new European arrivals how to survive in the New World, in some cases they even freely supported them for years while they awaited assistance from Europe, all with no real expectation of being repaid in kind or turn. Without this assistance, the settlement of the American continent might well have been delayed for several more decades.
In addition, and although many modern Americans may not realize it, the so-called “melting pot” that would characterize the American identity during much of the 19th and 20th centuries was the direct result of the influences of Native American tribes. Moreover, Native American tribes were also responsible for influenci8ng the Founding Fathers’ views about liberty and pluralism in ways that directly contributed to the contents of the U.S. Constitution. Indeed, some authorities suggest that the Iroquois tribe provided Benjamin Franklin with the notion of a democratic republic for the burgeoning American colonies. For instance, Loewen reports that, “Indeed, Native American ideas may be responsible for our democratic institutions. In the 1740s the Iroquois wearied of dealing with several often bickering English colonies and suggested the colonies form a union similar to the [Iroquois] League” (103).
Taken together, while the Native American tribes were poorly served by the United States, especially with Andrew Jackson’s notorious Indian Removal Act of 1830 and the Trail of Tears that followed, many have retained their cultures and continue to celebrate their colorful heritages in ways that remain influential for the American identity today. .
Works Cited
Loewen, James W. Lies My Teacher Told Me. New York: The New Press, 1995.
