The Indians of Northeastern North America

In this excerpt from their essay, Jacques Rousseau and George W. Brown address the profound culture shock experienced by aboriginal peoples following their encounter with Europeans:

“The impact of 17th-century European culture on that of the Indian profoundly altered every aspect of Indian life and thought. That any remnants of Indian culture survived is a tribute to its strength and to the loyalty of the Indians to their traditions. The nature and devastating effects of this clash of cultures can be understood better now than by any observer at the time, though there are many penetrating recorded observations by both Indians and whites.”