European & Huron Views on Nature

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European & Huron Views on Nature Huron's view of nature was widely different from that of European's view. Huron believed that the nature is what they live within and are part of it. Whereas European's believed that the nature existed as a resource, for the human beings to thrive in it. This different attitude among Europeans and Huron reflected in the way they treated the nature/ land around them. Huron believed that everything existed in the nature including animals; plants and rocks had spiritual power in them. Their view of nature reflected in their way of living. Being hunters and agriculturists, they lived in small villages in the midst of nature. Rather than seeking to own the land around them, they inhabited land and lived harmoniously with the nature. They made farmland in the forest by controlled burning in a small area and cultivating crop in that area. They would move to a new area after few seasons of cultivation. This relocation helped to protect the natural habitat of that area. They didn't believe in owning the land like Europeans. They lived in a barter system where everything belonged to everyone and shared between the dwellers of that community. Their animalistic belief also influenced their view of nature. They respected the other living creatures. In order to respect the spirit of the animal, they collected and preserved the bones of all animals they killed while hunting. Even the hunting itself was for their survival as a source of food, not for the mere pleasure. Whereas the Europeans had a capitalistic mindset and they tried to gather wealth by owning the land. Though the early settlers migrated to Americas for religious freedom, they have seen the power of money in their homeland. The property owners in Europe had more power in political matters including the voting rights. By the time the Europeans reached the Americas, they were more

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