The article, "The Unkindest Cut, or Who Invented Scalping" discusses the controversy surrounding the question of who did indeed invent scalping, white Europeans or Native Americans. A popular belief throughout American history is that scalping was introduced by Native Americans who scalped white Europeans trying to seize their native land. Axtell explains that in recent years a new theory of the evolution of scalping has become quite popular. This theory holds that white Europeans, not Native Americans, first introduced scalping in the New World. .
This article does a superb job of implementing various kinds of evidence in debating which of these two theories is most likely true, and shifting through different perspectives to make his arguement. To being with, the evidence which bases the argument for whites initiating scalping is presented. This evidence attempts to back up the argument Native Americans first learned of scalping when white Europeans offered bounties on head of other Native Americans. In 1820, Chief Cornplanter of the Allegany Seneca stated that the Native Americans "lived in peace and had no wars and no fighting". "The French offered to furnish us with instruments of every kind and sharp knives to take the skins of their enemies heads." (Axtell, 451).
In 1879, Susette La Flesche, describe in the article as "a spirited daughter of a famous Omaha family", responded to a newspaper reporter statement of Indian barbarity during war. She countered with, "Don't you know that the white man taught Indians that? It was practiced first in New England on the Penobscot Indians." She continued, "The General Court of the Province of Massachusetts offered a bounty of forty pounds for every scalp of a male Indian brought in as evidence of his being killed, and for every scalp of a female or male Indian under twelve years, twenty pounds." (Axtell, 452) In the 1960's and 70's there were examples given up televison reporters and personalities stating that scalping had indeed started with white Europeans.
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