>>>>>I don't really think it's fair to say the indigenous people were living in the stone age in 1492. <<<<<<<

Stone age is a very accurate description. There was some gold and silver smithing going on in Mexico and South America, but most tools (virtually all of them in fact) were made from bone, stone, wood, or antlers.

>>>>>>Native Americans were living in relative security, had reasonably contemporaneous farming techniques and were the ultimate in recyling - used everything but the moo - to paraphrase a quote about pigs for buffalo. At least they never killed anyone for saying Jesus made jokes....<<<<<<<

My my, don't we have a rosy view of the noble savage. They fought wars and killed each other and raped each other, just like every other society in the history of mankind. Your right about them not killing people for Jesus, but they would certainly bend you over an altar and cut your heart out for the sun-god idol to feast upon(at least the Aztecs would anyway).

And it wasn't so much that they were environmentally friendly as they simply did not have the technology to make a major impact.