Don’t Circle the Wagons

If you got most of your history of the American West from cowboys and Indian movies, or from left-wing hate America first literature, then you should read P.J. Hill’s article, “Don’t Circle the Wagons” in Books & Culture, March/April 2007, page 10. Hill reviews the book, Indians and Emigrants: Encounters on the Overland Trails, and debunks the notion that there was a lot of conflict between the Indians and the settlers because they came from very different cultures. He also debunks the myth that today there must be clashes of cultures as well. On the contrary, history shows that two widely different cultures can coexist amiably if they want to.

Contrary to modern myths, “Indians and settlers interacted rather peacefully for a long period of time.” The prairie became a vast cooperative meeting ground where commerce and exchange were carried out for mutual profit. Much of the land was settled in a peaceful manner and wagon trains heading to Oregon or California were rarely attacked by Indians. Both sides saw incredible opportunities for potential gain through repeated peaceful interaction. Indians even settled along the trail to act as middle men in this exchange system.

While there was some misunderstanding between the two cultures, most of the misunderstanding came from the side of the settlers, not the Indians. There were a few skirmishes, and these “stories” were repeated numerous times, until they became well-embedded in the consciousness of those heading west. As a result, many settlers expected to be attacked, and so they began to treat all Indians with suspicion and fear. And even though there were very few attacks and Indians willingly offered themselves as guides, even putting their own lives in danger to help and rescue settlers, the fear grew.

From 1840 to 1860, only 362 emigrants were killed by Indians, a mere 18 deaths per year. By contrast, 426 Indians were killed by whites. Yet these were small skirmishes, usually as the result of the settlers misunderstanding the intentions of the Indians. There were few major incidents or organized plans of attack. Instead, there were only eight “massacres” between 1840 and 1870.


I like Hill’s conclusion: “We ought not to be too quick to assume that people of very different backgrounds will always find their interactions laden with conflict.”

As Christians, we need to be leaders in reducing fear and promoting peaceful interaction between groups with different backgrounds and worldviews. Fear leads to mistrust and misunderstandings, resulting in conflict. Love conquers fear and leads to trust, understanding and cooperation.


You can read the article at: http://www.christianitytoday.com/bc/2007/002/3.10.html