H OW DID THE E UROPEANS AFFECT THE N ATIVE A MERICANS ?

T RADE Every European empire traded with the Native Americans The Native Americans wanted tools, weapons, metals, beads and more from the Europeans The Europeans wanted things like food and furs The French did a lot of trading to make money on furs

D ISEASES The Europeans brought over diseases without realizing it Mostly smallpox and measles The Europeans did not die from the diseases, but the Native Americans did

R ELOCATION As the Europeans settled in the Americas, they forced the Native Americans off of their lands The Europeans kept forcing the Native Americans farther away

F ORCED L ABOR The Europeans enslaved the Native Americans and forced them to do work such as searching for gold and growing crops The Spanish enslaved the most Native Americans, but other Europeans enslaved them too Many Native Americans died from the work they were forced to do.

F IGHTING The Europeans and Native Americans fought many times They would fight over land, resources and many other problems The Europeans had better weapons, and many Native Americans had already died from diseases, so the Europeans often won

R ELIGION All of the European empires were Christian They wanted to spread Christianity by converting the Native Americans, usually by force The Native Americans already had their own religions

H OW TO ACT OUT TRADE BETWEEN THE E UROPEANS AND N ATIVE A MERICANS Make props of the goods you are trading Talk about what you think is a fair price Talk about why you want the other person’s goods

H OW TO ACT OUT THE SPREAD OF DISEASES FROM THE E UROPEANS TO THE N ATIVE A MERICANS Show that the Europeans are sick (sneeze, tell the audience you have dots like smallpox) Show that the Native Americans catch the diseases (they may sneeze, put their hand on their head like they don’t feel well, lay on the floor) Show that the Native Americans died (lie down on the floor and close your eyes)

H OW TO ACT OUT THE RELOCATION OF THE N ATIVE A MERICANS Have the Europeans talk about settling on empty land Have the Native Americans talk about how it is not empty and they live there Have the Europeans take the land from the Native Americans (fighting, buying the land) Have the Native Americans walk away (talk about how they are losing their home)

H OW TO ACT OUT THE ENSLAVEMENT OF THE N ATIVE A MERICANS Show the Native Americans doing work while the Europeans fight (planting food, digging for gold) Show the Europeans capturing the Native Americans in a fight

H OW TO ACT OUT A FIGHT BETWEEN THE E UROPEANS AND N ATIVE A MERICANS Make props to use in the fight Show one group starting the fight Talk about what you are fighting over Show one group win

H OW TO ACT OUT THE E UROPEANS CONVERTING THE N ATIVE A MERICANS Have the Europeans talk about why they want to convert the Native Americans Have the Native Americans say they have their own religion

C ONCLUSION Long lasting effects for Native Americans – continued to lose land and power for centuries Today there is more awareness for Native Americans’ rights Many Native Americans still work to preserve their culture.