The Native American reaction to white travelers was one of curiosity rather than hostility. The manners and customs of the Native Americans were very different from their own, and many settlers were suspicious and afraid. Their distrust and fear ultimately came from a lack of understanding of the cultural differences between the two groups. For Native Americans, the word “land ownership” did not exist in their language (Geisler 56); according to them, the land, their air belonged freely to everyone and their culture never supported the concept of private claim on it. Say no to plagiarism. . Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Unlike the Native Americans, settlers believed in individual private land ownership. They declared that they could claim any uninhabited or unimproved land. But Native Americans believed that land was a free gift given by the creator. The earth was to be shared and used by every living creature for mutual benefit. The settlers ignored indigenous peoples' traditional systems and communal property rights and established their own territories. Some settlers used treaties as a way to gain control of Native American lands. Although sometimes these property rights were acquired peacefully through treaties, violent property conflicts have arisen. Because of these conflicting views, conflicts arose and the lives of the Native Americans were forever changed when settlers came to these lands and claimed them as their own. In North America, conflicts began before Europeans settled the territory. Clearly, the conflict is due to a change of location and a lack of understanding of cultural practices. For Native Americans and settlers, the understanding of land and the rights associated with it differed significantly, for most indigenous peoples, in contrast to the set of rights associated with Western culture..