The Response and fate of the first nations (the Amerindians) to the discovery of the Americas

Abstract

The original nations of the Americas represent hundreds of cultures which succsssefully adapted to a wide variety of environments that extend from the Arctic to the tip of South America. The diversity of Native cultures and kinds of social organizations which developed through time represent a high degree of complexity and variation according to the demands and necessities of the environment. The primarily economic motivation for exploration and settlement in the Americas had a direct impact on the lifestyles of the original nations of the Americas. Much of the knowledge and traditional teachings of these original peoples have been retained and are once again becoming a part of the modern reality of Native people. Native teachings can help us to understand our relationship with life and creation and expand our awareness of nature and natural cycles. As a global society we must examine our relationship with the earth and realize that our future lies in our ability to control the development we choose to impose on the environment. Native traditions have incorporated many ways to sustain the harvest of resources that do not destroy their future availability. With the assistance of Native traditions and teachings we as a global society can begin to identify patterns of nature which present us with alternatives to ecological and global crisis.