Final answer:
The concept of empty indigenous land is challenged by the different understandings of land ownership between Indigenous peoples, who viewed land as communal and Europeans who saw it as private property. Puritan ideology further justified taking land they considered unused, leading to conflicts and erasure of Indigenous philosophies.
Step-by-step explanation:
The challenge to the notion of empty indigenous land arises from the differing perceptions between Indigenous peoples and Europeans regarding land ownership. Indigenous communities did not practice or generally even conceptualize private ownership of land; they believed the land was shared among all and saw no need to delineate individual parcels of land for personal property. European settlers, however, arrived with the idea that land was a private commodity, the ownership of which was a display of wealth and power, often backed by their religious beliefs. This led to the notion of 'terra nullius' or nobody's land, which was used as a justification for European colonization, despite the presence of native populations.
Additionally, the influence of Puritan ideology, particularly in New England, fostered beliefs that the land was divinely given to them and that they may take what was 'left over' after ensuring enough for the native inhabitants. This, along with European advancements such as the introduction of firearms, fundamentally altered the balance of power between tribes and intensified conflicts as native territories were encroached upon and taken over by settlers. Furthermore, Indigenous philosophical thought and customs have been disregarded and undervalued, adding to the historical erasure of native perspectives and complicating discussions about their beliefs and rights regarding land today.