John, I see what you are saying, but I take issue with the designation of Native American culture as being "stone age". We had a lot of societal innovations that people rarely give us credit for- everything from farming techniques to art, personal freedom, medicine and architechture (Central and South American tribes excelled here in particular), and democratic government. Many North American tribes were far ahead of the 'Old World' in regards to fair government and treatment of women and children. Just because we did not build factories and castles, nor wear the same kind of clothes, does not mean we were stuck in the stone age.
As for Specter's bullshit: so, if what you claim is true, and the Natives were killing the buffalos for the hell of it- why then didn't the buffalo get killed off before white people came here? Do tell, idiot. Afaik, the Plains tribes who did buffalo jumps *used* the carcasses afterward. But even if what you claim is true, how does that mean all of us deserved to be murdered, raped, robbed, and forced into foreign religions/lifestyles? Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. You are racist trash, please go away.
As for the whole 'noble savage' stereotype: I'll say this, it is a hell of a lot better than the 'unlearned, culturally bankrupt cavemen' stereotype that some people prefer to put on Native Americans. I'll be honest and say that I do honestly think that the 'noble' stereotype has some basis in truth. In other words, that some aspects of Native American society were indeed "noble", compared to their Old World counterparts. But that's just my opinion, and it is obviously biased.
Please understand, I am not in any way insulting or devaluing any other cultures. I think all cultures have made valuable contributions to humanity. But it is true that some aspects of Native American culture were very admirable and unlike anything in the Old World. So if the settlers saw our way of living as "noble", I don't have a problem with it.
Just my two cents as a Native American woman.
