White Gifts, Red Gifts, Relationships, and Misunderstandings

Cooper's writings on Indians and the chapter 7 from Deerslayer present fascinating incites about the relationships between white men and Indians. Through both works, Cooper also expresses the separate cultures themselves by the gifts that they give to one another: White gifts and Red Gifts. In Cooper's Notions of the Americans: The Indians, a gift of "peacock feathers" is presented to the Indian Peterlasharroo. The gift is regarded nicely from Peterlasharroo. I find that this gift of feathers presents the white man's interpretation of the Indian. This gift, which is not much more than pretty feathers to white men is considered a "brilliant" to red men. It may be my own speculation (and i understand that the gift was valuable to the Indians), but I smell exploitation, which was a very abundant aspect of the white and red man relationship.

In The Deerslayer, we are shown that the gifts of white men also come in the form of forgiveness, humility, fairness, and respect. Deerslayer attempts to settle his dispute with the Indian with common kindness (you go your way, I will go mine). Unfortunately, this gift of respect is not returned by the Indian who gives the gift of trickery, deceit, and a tomahawk. The Indian is the weaker man here (and in most relationships with the white man), his use of cunning is perhaps both his most powerful and damnable gift (although he fails in his trickery). It would appear that neither side has a strong grasp of each others gifts. The Indian recognizes the white man's gift of "go your own way" as simply an opportunity, while Deerslayer feels morally bound to respect and his word. However, the white man will surely come to recognize the success of guerrilla warfare.