Ever since 1492 when Christopher Columbus first discovered the America's, society has always held a fascination for the Native American Indian culture. Fear of the unknown established early a view of the American natives that was negative and misrepresentative. The western "white" man contrived a perception of the Native Americans as being inferior and savage. Not much has changed since the fourteen hundreds. Today we still hold a perception of Native American Indians that is misrepresentative and for the most part false. Modern day society has been influenced by traditional stereotypes that portray Native American Indians as being the classic Hollywood movie Indians. Stereotypes have robbed the Native American tribes of their individual identities and have clumped the many diverse Native American Indian cultures into one commonly held view of Native Americans.

             Since the fifteenth century and still today, American Indians have suffered a false stereotype forced upon them due to society's unwillingness to learn more about the traditions and cultures of the different Native American nations. Historically, society has educated itself with the names and locations of the different Indian nations, but has remained blinded by the ignorance of not knowing the diversity of the different tribal cultures. Western society has never cared whether a Native American was Iroquois or Creek, in society's eye they were all simply Indians and were viewed the same. The view that was held was of a ruthless and heartless savage. The Indian was an individual to be feared, an individual who was inferior to the "white" man, and an individual who due to his difference in color and traditions was viewed more of as a beast than a man. The "white" man feared what he did not comprehend, and his fears would establish a long lasting stereotype that would for centuries misrepresent the Native American Indians.