--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When Europeans arrived on this continent…" description: "\"When Europeans arrived on this continent, they blew it with the Native Americans. They plowed over them, taking as much as they could of their land and..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63d/mary-pipher-10060_america_when-europeans-arrived-on-this-continent_2364969.jpg" --- # When Europeans arrived on this continent, they blew it… ![“When Europeans arrived on this continent, they blew it with the Native Americans. They plowed over them, taking as much as they could of their land and valuables, and respecting almost nothing about the native cultures. They lost the wisdom of the indigenous peoples-wisdom about the land and…” quote by Mary Pipher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63d/mary-pipher-10060_america_when-europeans-arrived-on-this-continent_2364969.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63d/mary-pipher-10060_america_when-europeans-arrived-on-this-continent_2364969.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63d/mary-pipher-10060_america_when-europeans-arrived-on-this-continent_2364969.jpg) > “When Europeans arrived on this continent, they blew it with the Native Americans. They plowed over them, taking as much as they could of their land and valuables, and respecting almost nothing about the native cultures. They lost the wisdom of the indigenous peoples-wisdom about the land and connectedness to the great web of life…We have another chance with all these refugees. People come here penniless but not cultureless. They bring us gifts. We can synthesize the best of our traditions with the best of theirs. We can teach and learn from each other to produce a better America…” [Mary Pipher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-pipher/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Colonial conquest destroyed indigenous knowledge, but modern refugees offer a chance to blend cultures for mutual growth. **In simple terms:** Colonialism erased native wisdom; refugees can bring new cultural gifts. Key Takeaway Embrace and learn from newcomers. Themes colonialism indigenous knowledge cultural exchange refugee integration Mood reflective hopeful Type essay social commentary When to use this quote - education reform - community building - policy making - media representation Key Concepts environmental stewardship social cohesion intercultural dialogue Questions to Reflect On - How can societies honor indigenous wisdom while integrating new cultures? - What policies best support mutual learning? A Different Perspective Assumes all refugees share beneficial cultures, which may not hold true. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) [Chance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chance/) [Connectedness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/connectedness/) [Culture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/culture/) [Immigration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/immigration/) [Indigenous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/indigenous/) [Indigenous Peoples](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/indigenous-peoples/) [Native american](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/native-american/) [Native americans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/native-americans/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Refugee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/refugee/) [Tradition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tradition/) [Web of life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/web-of-life/) ## Related quotes > [Using the latest in science and technology to shatter today's economic paradigm of 'insatiable individuals competing for scarce resources,' Planetary Citizenship brings us full…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-adamson/using-the-latest-in-science-and-technology-to-shatter-today-s/) [Rebecca Adamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-adamson/) > [Virtually all native cultures that have survived without fouling their nests have acknowledged that nature knows best, and have had the humility to ask…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janine-benyus/virtually-all-native-cultures-that-have-survived-without-fouling/) [Janine Benyus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janine-benyus/) > [Look at native cultures - they've lasted for tens of thousands of years, not doing everything right. 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Kelley Harrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-kelley-harrell/) > [“All across Italy, as Parasecoli tells me, food is used to identify who is Italian and who is not. But dig a little deeper…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-bittman/all-across-italy-as-parasecoli-tells-me-food-is-used-to-identify-who/) [Mark Bittman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-bittman/) > [And what they believe in real life is complicated. Theodor Koch-Grunberg wrote in his diary that indigenous peoples in the Amazon see these outsiders…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-cole/and-what-they-believe-in-real-life-is-complicated-theodor-koch/) [Tom Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-cole/) > [“The individual rights of many are at stake. The collective rights of many peoples to their culture are also at stake. I encourage the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheila-watt-cloutier/the-individual-rights-of-many-are-at-stake-the-collective-rights-of/) [Sheila Watt-Cloutier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheila-watt-cloutier/) > [“The global Indigenous cause reached a major milestone in 2007 when the UN General Assembly passed the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roxanne-dunbar-ortiz/the-global-indigenous-cause-reached-a-major-milestone-in-2007-when/) [Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roxanne-dunbar-ortiz/) > [Look, you are interested in trying to make sure that governments keep a clean environment, have regard for the lifestyles of indigenous peoples, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-robinson/look-you-are-interested-in-trying-to-make-sure-that-governments-keep/) [Mary Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-robinson/) > [“Echoing right-wing racist rhetoric, liberal organizations routinely smear "illegitimate," nonpacifist resistance as senseless and the work of irrational "thugs." 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We can synthesize the best of our traditions with the best of theirs.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-pipher/people-come-here-penniless-but-not-cultureless-they-bring-us-gifts-we/) [Mary Pipher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-pipher/) > [“Young men need to be socialized in such a way that rape is as unthinkable to them as cannibalism.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-pipher/young-men-need-to-be-socialized-in-such-a-way-that-rape-is-as/) [Mary Pipher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-pipher/) > [Something dramatic happens to girls in early adolescence. 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