Chapter two-Takaki

In chapter 2 of A Different Mirror written by Ronald Takaki I feel that he was trying to say that the English were being slightly hypocritical when calling the Native Indians "savages". In the first part of the chapter Takaki talks about how both the Irish and the Indians were savages,because they were not "civilized". However when reading further, it seems that the Indians were far more civilized than anyone else. They farmed extremely well, they noticed weather changes and established seasons which helped them determine when and how to grow their crops. Takaki mentions that when the white man because desperate for food they started turning on humans and eating them, and they called the Indians savages? It seems that the English was just trying to make excuses as to why they needed the Indians, they took them over to be slaves and just ended up killing them. For all of the English's' mistakes they would claim (or blame) God and say that it was his doing, or it was meant to be because God said it was.
When Thomas Jefferson was President he said that it their own fault (the Indians) that they were dying, but all he wanted to do was help them become civilized so he could then take their land.


The Chapter was an easy read, and i somewhat enjoyed it. These are not the same view points I've learned before. However, he ONLY mentions the savagery from the English, does this mean there was none from the Indians? I somehow doubt that. Takaki should compare the Indians and the English, they were both savages, however the Indians could have turned to savagery in self-defense.

When reading this chapter i agree with the majority of the facts Takaki was giving, however i would have liked to see some of the "finger" pointing on both sides. Everyone knows that both groups were savages, i just would have liked to see it from BOTH perspectives. When reading this i was Shocked at some of the things the English did when they got desperate for food, and how the killed off the Indians. I was familiar with some of the information, but not the details and i never realized how gruesome it really was.