Question

When Sacagawea gave the Native American chief a taste of sugar, the authors claim that brought a new sense of freedom. But the Native Americans were never as free as they were before the settlers showed up? Explain what was meant by this idea.

Answer 1

The 'new sense of freedom' refers to the novel experiences and goods introduced by Europeans to Native Americans, like sugar. However, it contrasts with the broader context of Native American loss of freedom with European settlement.

Step-by-step explanation:

The phrase 'brought a new sense of freedom' when Sacagawea introduced sugar may allude to the introduction of European goods and ideas, which in a sense provided novel experiences for Native Americans, translating to new 'freedoms' in their consumption and use of such items. However, these 'freedoms' come with a poignant irony, as the overall impact of European settlement on Native American life was a dramatic reduction in their actual freedom and way of life.

The exchange of goods could represent temporary liberating experiences, but at a high price. True freedom for Native communities was significantly compromised as a result of European conquest, which imposed alien concepts of land ownership and restricted native practices.

This sense of freedom is relative and contrasts sharply with the extensive loss of liberty and traditional ways Native Americans faced with the arrival of settlers, such as the European concept of individual land ownership versus the Indigenous belief in land as a shared resource.