Euro-American Practices

Definition

Euro-American practices refer to the cultural, social, and economic norms and behaviors established by European settlers and their descendants in North America. These practices often prioritized individual land ownership, agricultural development, and assimilation of Indigenous peoples into Euro-American society, reflecting a worldview that emphasized progress and modernization over traditional Indigenous ways of life.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Euro-American practices were significantly shaped by the belief in Manifest Destiny, which drove territorial expansion and justified the displacement of Native American tribes.
2. The Dawes Act of 1887 exemplified Euro-American practices by promoting individual land ownership among Native Americans, undermining tribal sovereignty and communal landholding traditions.
3. These practices contributed to cultural assimilation efforts, often viewed as necessary for 'civilizing' Indigenous peoples, resulting in the loss of languages, customs, and traditional lifestyles.
4. Education was a major tool used in Euro-American practices, with boarding schools established to forcibly assimilate Native American children into Euro-American culture.
5. Resistance to Euro-American practices led to significant tensions between Indigenous communities and settlers, culminating in various uprisings and legal battles over land and rights.

Review Questions

• How did Euro-American practices influence land policies towards Native Americans in the 19th century?
  • Euro-American practices greatly influenced land policies through legislation like the Dawes Act, which aimed to transform communal tribal lands into individually owned parcels. This shift disrupted traditional tribal governance and cultural connections to land, as it favored Euro-American notions of private property over Indigenous communal ownership. As a result, many Native Americans lost their lands, leading to further marginalization and loss of cultural identity.
• In what ways did Euro-American practices promote cultural assimilation of Native Americans during this period?
  • Euro-American practices promoted cultural assimilation through various means, including the establishment of boarding schools where Native American children were taught Euro-American values and languages while being forbidden from practicing their own cultures. This approach was part of a broader strategy to integrate Indigenous peoples into mainstream society by erasing their cultural identities. Such policies aimed not only to alter individual behaviors but also sought to reshape entire communities along Euro-American lines.
• Evaluate the long-term effects of Euro-American practices on Native American communities and their cultures.
  • The long-term effects of Euro-American practices on Native American communities have been profound and often detrimental. Many Indigenous peoples experienced significant cultural loss due to enforced assimilation policies, which resulted in the erosion of languages, traditions, and social structures. Furthermore, the fragmentation of land ownership disrupted traditional communal living and resource management practices. These historical injustices have contributed to ongoing socio-economic challenges faced by many Native American communities today, including issues related to poverty, health disparities, and cultural revitalization efforts.

Related terms

Manifest Destiny: The 19th-century doctrine that the expansion of the United States throughout the American continents was both justified and inevitable.

Cultural Assimilation: The process by which a minority group adopts the customs and norms of a dominant culture, often losing their original cultural identity in the process.

Land Allotment: The distribution of land to individuals rather than tribes, particularly under policies like the Dawes Act, which aimed to break up tribal lands into individual parcels.