1. View of Land and Ownership

This was perhaps the most significant point of conflict.

• Indigenous Americans: Land was not a commodity that could be owned by an individual. It was a shared, sacred resource, the literal source of life for the community. Families or tribes had traditional territories they used for hunting, fishing, and gathering, but this was a right of use and stewardship, not private ownership. The land "owned" the people as much as they belonged to the land.

• White Settlers: Land was the primary measure of wealth and opportunity. Driven by the ideology of Manifest Destiny, settlers believed they had a divine right to claim, "tame," and "improve" the land. Their entire economic and legal system was based on dividing land into parcels (like farms and town lots) that could be individually bought, sold, and passed down as private property.

2. Relationship with Nature

The two groups did not just see the natural world differently; they existed in it differently.

• Indigenous Americans: Humans were seen as one part of a complex, interconnected natural world, on equal footing with animals, plants, and rivers. This relationship was based on reciprocity and respect. For example, practices like the "First Salmon" ceremony were vital. This ritual honored the salmon for returning and giving their lives to the people, ensuring their return the following year. Nature was a living entity to be in relationship with.

• White Settlers: Nature was viewed as a collection of resources to be controlled and exploited for human benefit. The "wilderness" was seen as something to be conquered and subdued—forests were to be cut for timber, prairies plowed for crops, and rivers dammed for power. This perspective separated humans from nature, placing them above it.

3. Spiritual and Religious Beliefs

Their spiritual beliefs informed their actions and worldview.

• Indigenous Americans: Most tribes held animistic beliefs. This is the understanding that everything—animals, plants, rivers, rocks—possesses a spirit or consciousness. The spiritual and physical worlds were not separate; they were one unified realm. A person's spiritual life was deeply tied to the natural landscape and could involve personal vision quests to connect with guardian spirits.

• White Settlers: The settlers were overwhelmingly Christian (primarily Protestant). Their worldview drew a sharp line between the profane, material world on Earth and the sacred, spiritual realm of God in heaven. This belief system fueled Manifest Destiny, framing their expansion as a "civilizing" and "Christianizing" mission to save the "savage" Indigenous peoples from their non-Christian beliefs.