European Influence On Native American Culture

1396 Words3 Pages

The introduction of of European materials, tools, and techniques transformed Native American art aesthetically as well as it’s role within Native culture. European technology produced goods that made Native American art easier to create and allowed Native American art to become more elaborate and detailed. However, the distinctive styles of each unique tribes’ art was diluted as the tribes obtained the same European materials rather than what was native to the land they lived on. in many cases European encounter caused Native American artwork to become less culturally significant; For instance, many crafts that held religious ceremonial roles, or served spiritual symbolism, became available to anyone, as a greater emphasis on its economic …show more content…

Prior to European contact Native Americans created beads out of many materials: Rock, Bone and teeth are among the most common. Beads were carved and shaped of animal horn, turtle shell, Animal claws, and wood. Dyed porcupine quills were seen as very beautiful and were used to a decorate clothing, bags and other objects such as pipes. The earliest record of glass beads in the Americas is from 1492; Columbus recorded that the indigenous people of San Salvador Island were given European beads. Glass beads came in many vibrant colors, that the Native Americans could not create with their technology. The pre made beads were much easier to use than quills, which had to be obtained from the animal, washed, dried, dyed and sorted. Beads had the same atheistic appeal but were much easier to work with. Therefore, beads became a necessity for trading with Native Americans. In 1778, English explorer, Captain James Cook implied it was difficult to obtain furs from the Native Americans without particular …show more content…

This expansion coincided with the development of better forms of travel such as trains and steamboats which could bring travelers to destinations they would not have previously been able to reach. These new modes of transportation provided a trade route for handmade indigenous goods to find their way into private collections in Aristocratic European and white American homes. European Museums also began to exhibit the exotic “curios” and crafts. These trade items, representative of the indigenous culture, became an important factor in promoting tourism; they were not only useful as commodities for trade and art objects for collectors, but also as curios for

More about European Influence On Native American Culture

Open Document