Final answer:
Individuals affect change in contemporary society through actions like entrepreneurship and activism, while European colonization has profoundly impacted regions globally, often leading to conflicts with indigenous populations over land and cultural preservation.
Step-by-step explanation:
Individuals contribute to political, economic, social, and cultural changes in contemporary society through various means such as entrepreneurship, political activism, cultural production, and technological innovation. These contributions can lead to significant shifts in how societies operate and interact. European contact and colonization have had a profound influence on contemporary regions around the world, introducing new political structures, economic systems, and cultural practices, which often disrupted and displaced indigenous societies. As a result, many regions still contend with the legacy of colonialism.
Conflicts between indigenous people and governments generally arise from disputes over land, resources, and the preservation of indigenous culture and autonomy. The imposition of foreign rule, the extraction of resources, and the alteration of traditional lifestyles have all fueled these conflicts. Indigenous groups often find themselves defending their rights in the face of governmental policies that favor economic development or reflect historical injustices stemming from colonization.