Indigenous American travellers in Europe
HistoryExtra podcast
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What Do You Think Native Americans Made of European Societies?
The idea of vast wealth alongside grinding poverty simply does not sit well in cultures that tend to have a more communalistic attitude. They also tend to be a bit surprised by people in charge who aren't very effective or aren't very adult. My suspicion is that they saw gender roles as rather peculiar because women in many Native American cultures are incredibly effective and important and hold influence. The other thing we get a little hint at is that beating your children wasn't considered was something they were surprised by. That they didn't understand violence against people you were supposed to be responsible for and caring for. But it is that theme of inequality that comes out repeatedly in the sources that we do have.
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