While there are some who may assume that all Native American tribes were exactly the same, it is quite evident that they were not. The two examples in the research project, the Calusa and the Iroquois, may have had similarities however there were many differences. The Calusa and the Iroquois both had tribal leaders yet their ways of governing were greatly different. In regards to trading, they both differed on which aspect of trading was most important, giving or receiving. Both tribes also had religious leaders and followed rituals that were important to their particular tribe. These differences became even more apparent with the coming of the Europeans.
After the arrival of the Europeans the changes between the Calusa and Iroquois are made evident. The Calusa wanted nothing to do with the Europeans while the Iroquois leaders welcomed them with open arms. When European missionaries arrived, the Calusa remained resilient and refused to allow missionaries to infiltrate. The Iroquois at first held the same views as the Calusa however they eventually succumbed to the Jesuit missionaries. Finally, their views on trade were also vastly different. The Calusa, once again, would have nothing to do with trading with the Europeans. They would pillage shipwrecks and take captives; however that was the extent of their contact with the foreigners. The Iroquois, once again, had a very different approach and were ready and willing to trade with the Frenchmen they first encountered. In conclusion it is quite safe to say that all Native American tribes were not the same. While they may have had a few similarities, there were also many differences that distinguished them from one another.
