In this article, Columbus Meets Pocahontas in the American South, Theda Perdue, shows how Europeans viewed the Native women. Perdue also compares the way the Native women were treated by the European men. .
Perdue starts off by explaining both Columbus and John Smiths encounters with the Natives. Perdue feels that John Smith is viewed in a more positive light then Christopher Columbus because John Smith was friendly and calm were as Columbus's crew was violent and aggressive. Columbus left a third of his crew on Hispaniola. When he returned he found all his men dead. His crew was killed by the local caciques. They were killed because they had no respect for the Native women. Columbus's crew violently beat the women, raped them, and used them however they wanted. When John Smith encountered the Natives he didn't receive any resistance from the Native women. They practically threw themselves at him and his crew. They walked around naked and danced passionately in front of him. The Native women invited Smith and his crew back to the lodges for some after partying. .
The Europeans viewed Natives to be extremely sexual, loose, and premisquise. The Native women would walk around naked having their breast exposed. When women revealed their private parts intentionally, they seemed to be flaunting their sexuality. When they did bare all the Europeans were in shock because the Natives believed in plucking their pubic hair. The Europeans do not believe in shaving or plucking genitalia hair. The Natives believe the hair to be animal like. The Europeans also describe the Natives tattoos to be makeup like. .
Native women achieved the opportunities to participate in the emerging market economy by engaging in sexual relationship with European men. Native men would have to perform some hard work to exchange for beaver pelts, or deerskin. Where as the women would have to engage in some sexual activity to obtain clothing, or house ware needs.
