My new history class

I am taking Mexican American History from 1900 to the present. It wasn't my first choice in history classes because I feel I already know what I need to know to form my opinion but it was the only history class that fit into that time slot, so I dedcided to let go of my preformed opinions and take the class to actually learn something, gain some new perspective.

During our first class, the instructor went over brief history of Mexico and asked the question "when does Mexican/American History begin?" Would it be before the conquering by spain, after the mexican american war? etc. This lead us to a discussion of the conquest itself and how the New Spain government was pushing its northern borders, first they would set up a Presidio (military installation) and then the Church would follow with it's missions. I prosed the question "what about the people that were already here? The indigenous peoples of what we call the South West and what the Mexican's called their Northern Territory. Where did they go? What happened to their way of life? I find it interesting how the indigenous peoples of most all lands have been "improved" via Christianity and Catholocism ARRRGGHHH! I find this frustrating on the surface but def. something I want to study more. It's not the indig. Mexicans that were doin this but those damn Europeans from Spain looking to conquer the world with their stupid church of Reformation.

Catholocism could hardly be called a religion any more, they continually absorb the ways, means, rituals, fesitvals and belief structures of those they Conquer to make their ways seem more tolerable.