Question

Define secularism and describe the role of secularism in Native and non-Native interactions. How does secularism influence Native and non-Native paradigms regarding natural resources? How has this difference influenced Native and non-Native interactions? Give an example.

Answer 1

The correct answers to these open questions are the following.

Define secularism and describe the role of secularism in Native and non-Native interactions.

Secularism can be defined as the separation of religious teachings, concepts, or dogmas from the civic issues, affairs, or consideration from the government, the state, and social norms in modern societies.

How does secularism influence Native and non-Native paradigms regarding natural resources? How has this difference influenced Native and non-Native interactions?

Secularism affected the Native American Indian tribe's culture and beliefs in that secularism completely tried to change the perspective of life and belief systems the Indian had, at the moment white Europeans colonized the North American territory.

Something similar happened with the Mesoamerican Indian tribes and the Spanish conquerors. Spain sent missions to evangelize the Indians into the Catholic Church dogma.

Secularization tried to change the paradigms of the Native Indians regarding natural resources, but it has practically minimum results. Native Indians always believed that Mother Nature provided everything they need to live and that is why they respected and honored nature with dances and chants. That is the reason why they opposed giving their lands to white settlers to be exploited in order to get profits.