M2- Maps of Native American land and history

Patrick Coniff

         In module 2, the different maps in the Map-Based online resources i thought were particularly interesting. There are maps that show where each tribe is located by state, maps that show land and territory during and after treaties, and maps that show removal of tribes from lands. The map and page entitled “Indian-White relations in North America before 1776” from the encyclopedia of North American Indians, was interesting to me because it showed how change was happening between the different tribes and different European settlement groups in action and sometimes concurrently. It is interesting how the influx of native cultures were influenced and changed by the influx of European cultures. It is no more evident than in the map provided. The land from the arctic all the way down to the southwest were large territories of tribes and nations. Many of these lands were sectioned off and taken by European groups who were geographically convenient to many of these tribes (For example, the Spanish interacting with Florida tribes because of its location). Mapping these areas and territories out can give a picture of the immensity of land that was gained and lost for either side. A description of historical accounts that let to change or migration of a people or a changing territory are seen much clearer and put into perspective when conveyed through a map.