What were the common characteristics of initial encounters between Europeans and Native Americans?

The most important things that were common to most initial
contacts between Native Americans and Europeans was a certain amount of bewilderment on
the part of the Native Americans and a certain sense of arrogance and entitlement on the
part of the Europeans.

Most Native Americans did not know
exactly what to make of the Europeans.  They did not have any experience with people who
were physically so unlike them and had such strange cultures.  The Europeans' advanced
technology added to the difficulty that the Native Americans had in understanding
them.

The Europeans, on the other hand, had none of these
uncertainties.  They were well aware that people who were different than them (Africans,
Asians) existed.  They had the technological superiority.  These things made them much
more sure of themselves.  In addition, these factors and others (like Christianity) gave
them a sense that they were better than the Native Americans and were entitled to act as
if they had a right to dominate those people.

These were
the factors that were common to most initial encounters between Native Americans and
Europeans.