Aubrey Ernst

4/23/07

Indians in the making

Working the Waters

Thesis – why were things kept in a peaceful state for so long in the pacific north west?

Bp1- At first the whites were considered beasts or spirits but then were shortly recognized as human by the Indians. They were considered repulsive in looks, but were respected because of their wealth. Pg 15 “ To indigenous people, the King George men and Bostons were In many ways repulsive. Some were unnaturally pale; some had hairy faces; none had heads flattened… Nonetheless, the villagers respected the newcomers’ manifest ability to acquire extraordinary riches and approved their interest in trading.” 

Bp2 - Because the King George men were wealthy and had power it was believed by Indian culture that they had strong connections with powerful spirits. The Indians respected this and wished to create relationships that would give them connections to the king George men. Pg 33”… native people undoubtedly wanted to hear about the “supernaturals” from whom Britons obtained their extraordinary wealth and skills… some Indians hope to establish fruitful partnerships with spirits that only the foreigners knew about.” There fore the men were accepted and welcomed. Many indigenous families married off daughters and sisters in order build up connections that allowed them to take advantage of the power held by these new men.

Bp3 –  The trade that the King George men made readily available gave Indians of the lower part of the social scale, such as the poor and the slaves, a chance to build wealth.“ The prospect of advantageous trade gave native people and Britons alike such a strong incentive for peaceful relations that they devoted considerable effort to averting conflict.” Pg 24

Conclusion – Peace in the pacific north west was possible because of the habits of Indian culture and the possibility of wealth that the newcomers brought with them.