I can't remember all that much from my history classes, but I do remember that they learned the scalping practices from the various European and American fur trading companies, who were interested in getting as many furs as they might be able to... they fought vividly, and then began hiring the native americans to kill their enemies. However, the natives began to claim that they had killed several of the other group that they had, in fact, not. The traders caught onto this, and taught them to scalp... and, since the two groups (Don't remember what the two major ones were), had distinctively different hair colors, they could then prove that they did, in fact, kill them. Ok, so it may not all be right, but that's the jist of it... or so said my US History teacher. I'd appreciate it if someone who knew more about it would let me know?;)
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I can't remember all that much from my history classes, but I do remember that they learned the scalping practices from the various European and American fur trading companies, who were interested in getting as many furs as they might be able to... they fought vividly, and then began hiring the native americans to kill their enemies. However, the natives began to claim that they had killed several of the other group that they had, in fact, not. The traders caught onto this, and taught them to scalp... and, since the two groups (Don't remember what the two major ones were), had distinctively different hair colors, they could then prove that they did, in fact, kill them. Ok, so it may not all be right, but that's the jist of it... or so said my US History teacher. I'd appreciate it if someone who knew more about it would let me know? ;)