WebLog III: Zinn

Zinn’s approach to history is to “emphasize new possibilities by disclosing the hidden episodes of the past when, even if in brief flashes, people showed their ability to resist, to join together, occasionally to win.” Zinn uses historiography when he adds the excerpts from the journal of Columbus and Cortez. Through these writings it reveals the sentiment feelings the Europeans had towards the Indians. Europeans of this time period believed the Indians to be savages, uncivilized, with no religion, and no hierarchy of power. However, Zinn does describe how the Natives were quite advanced, they grew corn, made rubber, had priests, elected leaders, women and men were equal, and children did not get beat for punishment like Europeans. Zinn approaches history to uncover both sides of the story to reveal how the Natives were persecuted and how their rich culture were unnoticed by the first Europeans.
The curriculumn guide developed by the National Museum of the Native American approaches their history in a watered down conservative manner. The curriculum focuses on mostly treaties and does discuss some war, bloodshed, and diseases brought over by the Europeans. However, I think the guide still filters to much of the truth because it is less graphic and never describes the genocides Europeans put the Native Americans through which eventually destroyed their culture.
What would America look like if the Native Americans and Europeans lived together, peacefully? And how would the complete history of America be changed?