Daniel Reinholz

Many indigenous North Americans did not eat a meat heavy diet. Many indigenous peoples foods consisted primarily of plants.  During colonization as a further means of dehumanizing indigenous people colonists were encouraged to view their diet of meat and dairy as superior. The line of thinking was if indigenous people ate the same grains and plants as cattle then they were less evolved and "savage" and at best required the "benevolence" of colonial rule or at worst should be treated as slaves or murdered outright. This along with other race stereotypes like skin color and body shape aided the spread of prejudice, genocide and control of land and labor. One can easily see how these ideas of dehumanization and racism could be passed down and extrapolated on through the years. One example can be seen in cinema and writings romanticizing the cowboy herding cattle to the slaughter while defending themselves against the vilified indigenous evildoer. You'd be hard pressed to find any steakhouse that doesn't in some way play into this narrative.