1491

The first chapter of 1491 describes the gaps and oversimplifications of the conventional accounts of the history of the Americas, prior to the arrival of Europeans. The author, Charles Mann, seeks to refute what he calls "Holmberg's Mistake"—the belief that no substantial cultural history existed in these regions before the arrival of European settlers and colonists. Built into this belief, Mann argues, is the prejudice that characterizes non-European societies as intrinsically "simple" and "innocent," and lacking the historical, cultural, and political sophistication of contemporaneous European societies. While Mann maintains that one of the main elements for this view is ignorance—there is a simple lack of materials with which to document and verify aspects of these societies—Mann also argues that the prejudices that prescribe and separate cultural identities simplify accounts. Mann emphasizes the distinct identities of "Indian" tribes, while looking to bring forth their complex political and social history. An obvious stumbling block in this effort is the term "Indian" itself, a misnomer that homogenizes the distinctiveness of indigenous peoples.