ives ▁were ▁also ▁subject ed ▁to ▁rit ual ized ▁tort ure ▁and ▁execution . ▁Alan ▁Gall ay ▁and ▁other ▁histor ians ▁emphas ize ▁differences ▁between ▁Native ▁American ▁ens lav ement ▁of ▁war ▁capt ives ▁and ▁the ▁European ▁slave ▁trad ing ▁system , ▁into ▁which ▁numerous ▁native ▁pe op les ▁were ▁integrated . ▁ ▁Richard ▁White , ▁in ▁The ▁Middle ▁Gr ound ▁el uc id ates ▁the ▁complex ▁social ▁relationships ▁between ▁Native ▁American ▁groups ▁and ▁the ▁early ▁emp ires , ▁including ▁' s lave ' ▁culture ▁and ▁scal ping . ▁Rob bie ▁Eth ridge ▁states , ▁" Let ▁there ▁be ▁no ▁doubt … that ▁the ▁commercial ▁trade ▁in ▁Indian ▁slaves ▁was ▁not ▁a ▁continu ation ▁and ▁adaptation ▁of ▁pre - ex isting ▁capt ivity ▁patterns . ▁It ▁was ▁a ▁new ▁kind ▁of ▁slave , ▁requiring ▁a ▁new ▁kind ▁of ▁occup ational ▁special ty … organ ized ▁militar istic ▁sla vers ." ▁ ▁One ▁example ▁of ▁this ▁militar istic ▁sla ving ▁can ▁be ▁seen ▁in ▁Nathan iel ▁Ba con ' s ▁actions ▁in ▁Virginia ▁during ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 6 7 0 s . ▁ ▁In ▁June ▁ 1 6 7 6 , ▁the ▁Virginia ▁assembly ▁granted ▁Ba con ▁and ▁his ▁men ▁what ▁equ ated ▁to ▁a ▁slave - h un ting ▁license ▁by ▁providing ▁that ▁any ▁enemy ▁Native ▁Americans ▁caught ▁were ▁to ▁be ▁slaves ▁for ▁life . ▁ ▁They ▁also ▁provided ▁soldiers ▁who ▁had ▁captured ▁Native ▁Americans ▁with ▁the ▁right ▁to ▁" ret ain ▁and ▁keep ▁all ▁such ▁Native ▁American ▁slaves ▁or ▁other ▁Native