The Conflict of Values Between European Americans and Non-European Americans

The basis of all societies is the social values that each member of the society acknowledges and practices. Today, we acknowledge that there are diverse ways to view the world and we practice tolerance, for the most part. This scenario was not always the case; when the Europeans first came to the New World, they exacted their religious and economic beliefs upon the Native Americans, who were deemed inferior to these pioneers. This trend continued to the days of civil unrest and the war that freed our nation of slavery. The newly freed African Americans were still subject to the deeply ingrained racism that existed throughout the nation. White Southerners were not willing to accept the equality of the black man and tried their best not to let African Americans become self sufficient. In the works by Ignatia Broker (Night Flying Woman) and Mildred D. Taylor (Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry), these differences and the conflicts related to these differences are noted. The African and Native Americans had their values subverted while maintaining some of their cultural identity.

Broker’s story of the Ojibwa Indians and their removal from their land is a case in point for the misunderstanding of one group’s values by another group. The Ojibwa held beliefs in community with their fellow man, with nature, and with the world around them. These beliefs were passed on from generation to generation. Oona speaks of the “Animal Brother” throughout her lifetime, how these creatures were part of the Ojibwa and how they helped the Ojibwa survive hard times. The Europeans, however, were not so concerned about the well being of nature as they were about their profits and the building of an empire. When they established their fur trade and later their lumber industry, the Ojibwa families were faced with a dilemma. Would they seek to save part of their culture or would they destroy their “Animal Brothers” for a life of convenience? In the end, sadly, many of these Native Americans chose the latter option. The power of these industries was too great and the Europeans promised great conveniences such as weapons and refined metals that would make life easier. The power of European ways turned some of these Native Americans against their very culture.

Another value that the Ojibwa promulgated and practiced were the fulfilment of intrinsic needs. The greater good of the entire villages was the most important thing: personal gains were very unimportant. The children were taught that they each had their place in the Ojibwa culture, whether it was healer or hunter. Each person had a role in the society that was important to the rest of the Ojibwa people. The Europeans, however, did not feel this way. They came from capitalist stock, where each person was in competition with others. That is why there was such a frenzy to move the Ojibwa amongst other natives out of the land; land was becoming rare on the eastern coast and many people wanted to survey this land. Even when the white people came through and established their damaging industry, the Ojibwa still looked out for each other. The elders decided to move into the newly established villages for the natives that were built by the Europeans, rather than enter a hopeless battle to preserve their land. When the native men were needed in the logging industry, they reluctantly worked to provide for their families. The Ojibwa still preserved this part of their culture despite Euro-American intervention.

The African American people during the 19th and early 20th century faced similar problems. Taylor outlines these problems in her story about the Logan family, who were barely able to subsist on their farmland and faced constant run-ins with the Southern whites of Mississippi. Mama Logan tries to instill pride and dignity into her children, in order for them to have a hope for a future where skin color makes no difference between people. However, Mama Logan also needed to curb excessive pride, because this would have drawn the ire of the whites. The Logans, as well as most African Americans, were hardworking because they had to be. They could not slack in their efforts to assert their equality or they would be fired from their jobs and forced into even deeper poverty.

The values of the African Americans were very much opposite of the affluent white Southerners. The whites were very much comfortable with their position and could assert all sorts of unfair advantages because they held powerful offices and had significant resources. These whites were seemingly lazy and commanded a respect that was unearned, indeed they had no proof that they were superior except that this was the myth they commanded. So, for example, when Lillie Jean Simmons pushes Cassie out of the way at Strawberry, she was attempting to put Cassie in her “place.” For Cassie, however, she would not have any of this. Despite her apology to Lillie Jean, she still found manners of revenge and did not respect Lillie Jean or any of the town’s whites for that matter because they had not earned such respect. The African American population still held their pride and spirit despite the best efforts of white affluent Southerners.

The African Americans and Native Americans still maintained some of their cultural identity despite the efforts to assimilate and subvert these groups by more powerful whites. The African Americans still maintain their cultural pride and their dignity and do to this day because many whites realized that this group was their equal. The American Indians maintained some of their communal ways and still harbor their long tribal histories despite being forced into reservations. These groups are progressing to be equals and have taken huge strides, though there are many more strides to go for a truly equal society.