What Native Women Weren't

This reading starts out with Smith trying to justify colonization for the Native Women. He described the Native men using the women like exercise. The English men who visited America described a munificent land of natural abundance. Europeans had long argued that the Indian man's idleness demonstrated the savagism of society. This reading really compared English ways to Native ways. A main point viewed by the English is the Native culture corresponds less to reality than in their culture such as hunting and fishing are viewed as a huge labor force for the natives. That provides them food and what they have to live on. They rely on agriculture product to survive. The first English colonists in Virginia depended on hunting and fishing for survival until the Virginia colony became established they were diminished in economic importance. A main point in this reading I think describes how as the years went on the Native way disintegrated more and more until the states were colonized. Through this reading Native Women were always described as hard working. Their work was an important determinant of her social status by the whites. After this reading my understanding of Native Women in the 17-1800's is they were treated as slaves to a certain degree, they didn't have much say in their work. Most of their work was determined by Native men.