Did Native Americans Fight in Wars Before European Contact?

The Native Americans engaged in numerous wars and conflicts long before the arrival of Europeans. While the concept of a 'major' war may vary across different tribes and regions, there is ample evidence to suggest that warfare was a frequent and significant part of many Native American cultures.

Warfare Among American Indian Tribes

Pre-Columbian Wars in the Americas—Acquiring a comprehensive list of these wars is challenging due to the lack of written records from Pre-Columbian times. Nonetheless, it is clear that war was a common occurrence for Native American tribes, and in some cases, it was an integral part of their religious and cultural practices. Tribes fought for territory, resources, and revenge, and slavery was prevalent among many of them.

South of the Rio Grande—Several major wars occurred in regions south of the Rio Grande, where population densities were higher. For example, the Toltec invasion and occupation of the Maya lands in southern Mexico, particularly the state of Tabasco, is a well-documented instance. The invasion resulted in thousands of casualties and significantly disrupted Maya society, with lasting cultural impacts.

The Aztec Empire and Human Sacrifice

Further north, the Aztecs also engaged in extensive warfare. Under the rule of their chief god Huitzilopochtli, the god of war, human sacrifice was a common practice. The Aztecs were among the most prolific human sacrificers and ritual cannibals in history. To maintain a constant supply of victims, they frequently invaded new territories.

Warfare in the Mesa Verde Region

North of the Rio Grande, thelandscape around the Mesa Verde region of what is now the southwestern United States provides ample archaeological evidence of major wars. Kristen A. Kuckelman et al. (2006) conducted studies examining warfare in this region from the 13th century AD. Analysis of burial sites revealed that most victims had skull fractures inflicted by stone axes, and there was evidence of scalping. This warfare likely led to the reduction of a population of about 40,000 to zero in just 30 years.

Post-European Contact Wars

After European contact, written records document numerous Indian-on-Indian wars and battles. For instance, the Iroquois nearly wiped out the entire Huron Nation, their traditional enemy. Other examples include:

1712–13: The Catawbas and Muskogees killed over 1,000 Tuscaroras, with males tortured and females taken as captives. 1775: The Sioux extinguished an entire band of the Kiowas. 1820s: A surprise attack by Comanches killed 96 Osage men, women, and children. 1837: A war party of Kiowas killed 48 Cheyennes. 1854: A large party of over 300 Sac and Fox, with some Potawatomis, fought a mixed group of Cheyennes, Arapahos, Osages, and Crows, resulting in many of these tribes being slaughtered. 1862: A group of Shawnees, Delawares, Wichitas, and Caddoes massacred 137 Tonkawa men, women, and children, leaving only 163 alive. 1866: The Piegan Blackfeet killed over 300 Crow and Gros Ventres. 1874: The Piegans killed a large number of the Crows. 1883: A large number of Osages massacred a group of Kiowas. 1884: The Kiowas slaughtered a party of 113 Pawnees.

These accounts underscore the substantial and frequent nature of war among Native American tribes. According to John Canfield Ewers, an American ethnologist and museum curator, Native Americans had mistreated and killed far more of their own kind in inter-tribal rivalries and feuds than during wars with Europeans.

Conclusion

The evidence from both pre- and post-European contact periods suggests that Native American tribes engaged in significant warfare for various reasons. While military technologies were lower compared to Europeans, conflicts still led to significant casualties and changes in cultural practices. Archaeological and historical records provide a wealth of information about the scale and frequency of these wars, dispelling the myth of a peaceful pre-Columbian America.