Most Americans know that Native Americans did not believe in property rights. That’s how colonists were able to “buy” Manhattan with a handful of beads. The way it was taught in school, the natives were stupid and the white settlers were smart. And it’s true that the colonists were smart about some things — like how to cheat. Their particular brand of intelligence is what allowed them to take over North America. But it’s not “smart” to win a game when your opponent doesn’t know the rules — or even that they are playing. And it’s not “smart” to steal, murder, rape, and oppress.
