| When Christopher Columbus first discovered | | | | Europeans viewed them as nothing more than |
| North America, he mistakenly believed that he | | | | nomads, with no claim to the land. |
| had discovered the Indies. This led to the | | | | |
| name "Indian." It is believed that the first | | | | Even though the Indians had inferior |
| North American Indian came across a land | | | | weaponry, they fought fiercely and the Indian |
| bridge across the Bering Sound, from Siberia | | | | warrior was feared for his viciousness in |
| into Alaska. This would have been during the | | | | combat. Many of them were excellent marksmen |
| last ice age about twenty thousand years ago. | | | | with the bow, and they knew the land |
| | | | intimately, making it hard for the Europeans |
| When the Europeans discovered America, there | | | | to conquer them. |
| were approximately ten million Indians | | | | |
| already living there. These Indians were | | | | But no matter how many of the Europeans the |
| amazed at the Europeans white skin and | | | | Indians killed, more would replenish their |
| technology, which would eventually prove to | | | | number from across the sea. |
| be their downfall. | | | | |
| | | | The Europeans came close to wiping out the |
| While the Indians were amazed by the | | | | existing tribes in North America, and the |
| Europeans, they also noticed that they were | | | | last great battle was fought in 1890, when |
| greedy, and viewed nature as a means to gain | | | | thousands of Indian children, women and men |
| wealth and power. The North American Indian | | | | were slaughtered by U.S cavalry. |
| viewed nature, and by extension life, as | | | | |
| sacred, and the Europeans views were | | | | That battle pretty much ended the wars that |
| abhorrent to them. | | | | plagued North America, and left a stain on |
| | | | North American history that remains today. |
| Not only did the white man bring outlandish | | | | The remaining Indians were either |
| tools, and a need to own land but also | | | | assimilated, or repressed. The culture that |
| diseases that hit the Indian tribes hard, | | | | the Indians had fought so hard for was almost |
| decimating their population. The Indians were | | | | lost. |
| outnumbered by the invaders, and had inferior | | | | |
| weapons to defend themselves. While the | | | | While the history of the North American |
| Europeans had metal knives and swords, the | | | | Indian is a tragic one, they still remain |
| North American Indian had bows and arrows and | | | | today, although they are a shadow of what |
| crude wooden spears. The arrows have | | | | they once were. They are, and were, a proud |
| remained today and this is where the sport of | | | | people, with a remarkable heritage and |
| archery originates from. | | | | because of them archery has been recognized |
| | | | worldwide. |
| While the Indians lived here first, the | | | | |