𝗦𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱

𝗦𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱

The phrase “Indian giver” has long been used as a derogatory term to describe a person who gives a gift, then takes it away. The implication is that gifts from Native Americans can’t be trusted because you might be asked to return them. The reality was, in fact, far more complicated, largely due to cultural barriers. White settlers came from a tradition of using money to make purchases, while Native American tribes largely relied on systems of bartering, which meant the objects they were offering weren’t actually gifts, but rather objects of value for which they understandably expected to receive something equivalent in return.