Native Americans vs. Europeans

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Native Americans vs. Europeans English For Mrs. Robertson Jordan Russell September 1, 2012 For years we have studied Native American culture and Europeans adjustment to life in the colonies, but we have never studied the similarities and differences between the two. It is obvious they are different in many ways but there are a few ways in which they are similar. Oral language played an important part in both cultures. Story telling was a very important part in the way the Native Americans lived their life. They would pass each story down from generation to generation. They were valued and because nothing was written down, the stories became their identity. They built their lives around these stories and it shaped the people they became. Their stories contained the explanation of how they believe the world began. Stories were also a way to make sure traditions were maintained. They are very creative and everything has a symbolic meaning, even their names. Native Americans never evolved and oral language is still a major part of their daily lives. Europeans also began with oral language and it was a very important part in the way they grew as a nation. The bible, for example, was originally taught orally by the priest because there wasn’t an English bible. But eventually they evolved into written language; it symbolized civilization and permanent agreement. Now written language is a major part of our lives. Native Americans lives were based on rituals, and everything they did was a ritual. They believed the land was sacred and they worshiped it every day. They treated everything as if it was human. For example if they needed to kill an animal for the food, they would thank the spirit for its sacrifice and would have, what we call, a burial service to pay their respects. In everything they did, they honored and praised the land and thanked it for
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