The Theme of Middle Ground among the Algonquian Indians of North America

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History indicates that the Algonquians were a large group of North American natives composed of several tribes. The Algonquian occupied extensive areas in North America, extending from the Atlantic coast towards the Great Lakes Region (White 21).

They occupied fertile lands along River St Lawrence and around all the Great Lakes. Although the group was composed of several tribes with varying tongues, their languages were related. Historians use the term “Algonquian” in reference to all tribal groups of Algonquian that spoke some related languages. Arguably, the Algonquians’ desire to own guns, clothing and utensils and the European scramble for America led to the establishment of a “middle ground” because each group needed each other’s help.

Historically, most of the Algonquian tribes settled along rivers and lakes because their chief sources of food were hunting, gathering and fishing. However, southern groups also carried out farming, mostly cultivating native crops such as squash, beans and corn. Some groups such as the Ojibiwe also cultivated other crops such as wild rice to supplement their diets (White 26).

History also shows that most of the Algonquian groups did not settle in a permanent position. Instead, they shifted with seasons due to seasonal availability of aquatic foods, wild animals and crops. However, they would recombine and settle as a large community at other times, especially in winter seasons. In addition, some framing groups in the south, especially those in New England, developed a culture of shift farming, which involved cultivating land for two years before relocating their villages to new and fertile land for agriculture.

Middle ground is a term used by historians in reference to a state in which two different communities, with different traditions, languages and cultures, advance into a given geographical location and arrive at a common conception of suitable behaviours that benefit them in a certain way (White 32).

A good example of how middle ground is created is presented by the interaction between the French and the Algonquian tribes in the Great lakes Region and along the Atlantic Coast. According to White (50), the first French traders and settlers arrived at the coast in the 16^th century (White 52). Because the two groups were trading partners, their boundaries increasingly “melted away” as each accepted the other in its territories.

White (51) argues that it is not easy to determine whether the process of interaction between the two groups caused the dominance of any of the two cultures. For instance, it is not correct to argue that the native Algonquians became “Frenchfied” or the French settlers “became natives”. However, the historian argues that both processes might have taken place as each group increasingly accepted the other (White 50). The creation of the Middle Ground best explains the process through which the two groups came to co-exist with each other.

According to White, a “middle ground” was established for a number of reasons. For instance, both the Algonquian and Europeans were looking for land to sustain their needs. It began with a massive immigration of native Algonquian from the north as they flee from the Iroquois in the south. This event took place between 1640s and 1660s.

In fact, history shows that the Iroquois were dangerous because they had interacted with European traders earlier than the Algonquian. An expansive trade between the Europeans and the Iroquois made the natives obtain guns, which they used to raid other weaker groups, including the Algonquian.

As the Algonquian flee northwards, they encountered the advancing Europeans, especially the French. “…The two groups developed interaction through Intermarriages, exchange of gifts and ceremonies such as the calumet. In turn, this exerted force among groups of people living in a single refugee centre, but they lost their strength as they became part of a new society…” (White 22).

The calumet, for instance, was popular among the natives in North America. “The calumet originated among the Pawnee tribes, who claimed to have received it from the sun…” (White 21). Since the French settlers were facing competition from the Britons, they were keen to develop close relations with the Algonquian in order to achieve their support. As a result, the French wanted to interact with the natives in all possible ways, which led to intermarriages between the two groups.

According to White (18) “…Actual patrilineal organization in North America was heavily modified by some factors such as loss of the territory-based population, extensive intermarriage between different groups of people, and the creation of multiple ties of actual and symbolic kinship between neighbouring peoples…” In fact, the French needed the natives more than the natives needed the French due to the threat posed by the advancing British settlers and colonialists in the region. The Britons also did the same with some Algonquian groups, thus creating “the middle ground”.

The process of creating a middle ground involved the intervention of the two groups, the Algonquians and the French. The process took several years to be completed and involved a number of stages.

The first step involved a non-functioning state in which each of the two groups was suspicious of the other. In fact, being colonialists searching for minerals, raw materials and land, the French wanted to control all resources in the area. They wanted to obtain the rights to use land for both production and trade. However, the Algonquians were not willing to surrender their land.

The French captured or influenced some elements in the Algonquian groups and used them as porters and translators in trade. The French had the desire to use force to control the Algonquians, but they were careful because they depended on the inhabitants for their survival, including provision of native foodstuffs. The third stage involved a desire for the two groups to work with each other, especially in trade.

While the French provided the locals with European clothing, guns, household items and drugs, the Algonquian had the biggest role in finding a middle ground because they had plenty of local food products. In addition, they were able to interact with other groups and their populations were large. Therefore, although the French had guns and other war materials, they were not willing to involve the Algonquian in war. Therefore, each group had the obligation of engaging the other in mutual co-existence.

In developing a “middle ground”, the French, the Britons and the Dutch leaders assumed other roles in an attempt to contain the Algonquians. For instance, they took the role of the patriarch, in which they distributed gifts, covering violent deaths and mediating conflicts between the Algonquian and the settlers or between the Algonquian and other natives.

It is also worth noting that each group was also forced to drop some demands in order to establish and maintain the middle ground (White 64). For instance, the Algonquians lost some of their land to the settlers. They also embraced European laws, legal punishments, and style of authority (White 66).

On the other hand, the Europeans had to cover death after conflicts between members of each group. For instance, in some instances, European traders were attacked and killed by Algonquian warriors, but the French rulers would cover the deaths to avoid conflicts.

Moreover, the French was cautious when dealing with the natives because they did not want to interfere with the religion, culture and traditions, yet they wanted to introduce Christianity as a way of influencing the native mind-sets. Apparently, the desire to introduce Christianity was put on hold until the French settlers were sure of their dominance. In some instances, the Algonquian would allow some of their members to face punishment under European laws. Thus, a middle ground was achieved.

In conclusion, White’s idea of developing a “middle ground” as a means of interaction between Europeans and Native Americans during the European invasion of North America is supported by a number of historical facts.

For instance, history reveals that the process of interaction between the whites and natives took place in a different manner, depending on the prevailing circumstances. Evidently, the French- Algonquian interaction suits White’s ideology because it progressed in the exact manner the historian describes. From the invasion of the Iroquois to the development of trade and intermarriages between the French and the Algonquian, White’s ideas are applicable.

Therefore, some major aspects of history are significant in this case. First, the natives wanted to protect themselves from Iroquois invasions. They also wanted household items. On the other hand, the French wanted to control trade routes, land and resources. Thus, this analysis reveals that the Algonquians’ need for guns, clothing and utensils and the European scramble for America led to the establishment of “middle ground”.

Works Cited

White, Robert. The Middle Ground: Indians, Empires and Republics in the Great Region, 1650-1815. New York, NY: Cambridge university press, 2011. Print.

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The Theme of Middle Ground among the Algonquian Indians of North America

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