As previously stated, tribes often enslaved war captives who were primarily used for labor within that specific tribe or to certain families. However, some were used in ritualistic sacrifices. While not much is known for sure about specific details of these sacrifices, there is sufficient evidence to state that these slaves were considered racially inferior since they came from other tribes and were, more or less, casualties of war (Davis). Captives were not bought and sold for any monetary value, but were often exchanged in order to reclaim previous members of a tribe; slavery may not actually be an accurate representation of how these particular people were treated. Warrior captives were sometimes forced to endure torturous forms of mutilation, such as having a foot or limb cut off so that they were unable to escape while also serving in a sort of grief ritual for those lost in war (Burton). .
The earliest known record of African and Native American contact was in April of 1502 (Halliburton). Spanish explorers brought with them an African slave and came upon a Native American tribe in their travels. The tribe interacted with enslaved Africans and African Americans in a multitude of ways. Early on in the Europeans settlement, Native Americans were enslaved alongside Africans and often worked with indentured laborers as well. Since both races had no form of civilized religion, white Europeans believed Native Americans to be inferior to their own white race. They worked diligently to make enemies of the two groups as well as make them hate one another. In some areas, Native Americans eventually began to absorb the white European culture. Benjamin Hawkins, who was the Superintendent of the tribes south of the Ohio River at the time, strongly and forcefully encouraged several southeastern tribes to adopt chattel slavery in order to have enough labor for their plantations and agricultural production, as part of their adaptation of European ways.
