Interaction between the European settlers and Native Americans (Essay Sample)

Arguably, there have been several contradictory ways portraying the interaction between Native Americans and European settlers. Since the Native American way of life is so radically different from the European way of life, it is not shocking to see their society portrayed in such a naive, poorly informed fashion. European cultures are incredibly different from those of Native Americans, and we have heard all our lives about the very different ways in which certain aspects of life were not perceived by these individuals. The language barrier between them was the main conflict between these two walks of life.
It was quite surprising that the letter Columbus wrote about his experiences with the Native American peoples painted the native people in a much more favorable light than the writings of this era usually did. He states in the text that "I have not found in these islands any monstrous men, as many had thought" (Columbus, 67). This showed the manner in which Europeans drew conclusions about the Native Americans and how they lived, while Columbus seemed to be pleasantly shocked by the actions of the native people. The relationship between the native people and the Europeans seemed to be improved by the experience Columbus has said he had, but when we examine the native texts, we are able to see the perspective they would have had regarding these relationships.