What if the native Americans were never invaded?

If the native Americans were never invaded, what would their society be like today? Would they avoid polluting the earth? Would they avoid civil war? It seems that it was ingrained in their philosophy to respect the earth and each other. But, population growth may complicate matters.

[WhiteWarrior]

Um. Civil war. Considering that the Native Americans were not one nation but rather a group of loose federations in which a fairly large amount of individual tribes had a limited amount of cooperation, it is a wonder that they did not have more wars than they had - never mind civil war. They definitely had armed conflicts but clashes were rarely on a large scale or destroying entire tribes. Before the European newcomers decimated NA numbers more through the illnesses they brought with them than will bullets, some NA cities could have more than 20 000 people living in them. Cities and tribes were governed by chiefs and several types of councils, where things could be debated for weeks before decisions were made. While the technology level might not be impressive to an European at time, especially in the area of metallurgy, farming was doing very well. While there could be periods of hunger anywhere due to nature being harsh. the same thing can safely be said of Europe up to as late as WW1!

But no culture gets to live for long in a vacuum, and the NA never did. They were in contacts with other cultures, from China to Europe to Southern America, for many hundred years before the Europeans began to arrive in real force. The trading stations on the eastern coast brought iron items in quite large amounts and a lot of clothing and fashions, from south came much farming knowledge and related items, and while the west coast trade has left less obvious marks it did so too. I think that if, somehow, the Europeans had stayed put then North America could have been a lot like Taiwan or Philippines today. Why should they close their eyes to technological advances? I am sure a lot of their culture from back then would be history. Just like the old European or Asian cultures. We move on, for better or worse.

[Belle]

It's a good question - and life is full of what would have happened if x hadn't happened.

I have a theory that if it hadn't been invasion, perhaps it would have been something else, perhaps the native americans would have got of synch themselves with the earth, but who really knows, who really knows.

My heart goes out to such cultures - native americans, aboriginal and others. They really knew the lands, and the earth and how to live. We need them back.

I would feel a lot safer with Natives around, serously. They were a lot wiser and had plenty of knowledge in their pockets.
I would so much rather be a savage than civil.

Originally Posted by Belle

It's a good question - and life is full of what would have happened if x hadn't happened.

I have a theory that if it hadn't been invasion, perhaps it would have been something else, perhaps the native americans would have got of synch themselves with the earth, but who really knows, who really knows.

My heart goes out to such cultures - native americans, aboriginal and others. They really knew the lands, and the earth and how to live. We need them back.

+1

A life beyond nature isnt possible! We need air to breath, water to drink... whatever Mother Naturr gives us.

native peoples are only human too-they fought, raided, owned slaves....but overall, they held on to their spirituality, love and respect for mother earth and held knowledge to heal and keep balance.

so, i think we'd be in a heck of a better place if that were true.

[Electric_Dreams]

I think about this quite alot...with the ever expanding scientific discoveries and endless technological inventions, I feel we as a society are losing alot of our natural instincts and abilities...If the earth did become victim to any of the end world scenarios, any survivors wouldnt live long due to a lack of survival skills. Just think how many eggs we have put in one basket so to speak, and how many things we would have to learn over from scratch if we lost electricity!
I totally feel we have lost all our basic human survival skills through our supposed advancement. We have made great technological advancements, but at what cost?
I would much rather have been born a native american or aborigiony than a civilised westerner, as I feel vulnerable to global catastrophe and worry about being able to provide for my children if we live to see such a time...maybe thats why I chose an outdoorsman to be father to my children :)

i remember some prophecies that say during the earth changes it will be the red man that leads people back to basics and teaches them how to survive.

some decades ago, i read about a terrible drought in the midwest. they tried everything. eventually, being desperate, they called in a medicine man from one of the reservations.

he did his ceremony and it shortly rained. they were amazed and asked him how he did it.

he just said 'it would take a lifetime to explain-because we have grown up from babies to elders learning how to be in tune with nature. what seems like magic to you is actually science.' and he wouldn't say anymore.

one of our laws is to leave the land as we found it and live life thinking of the 7th generation.

the modern world only thinks short term-never for the future of our children.

[Electric_Dreams]

That is interesting elisi...I have never heard of that prophecy but can so see it becoming true. Thanks for sharing ��

i believe it came from more than one; sun bear, bear heart, wallace black elk, and the man who had the vision of the ghost shirts.

i just got up-after my caffeine i should remember. :)