Why were Native Americans seen as different or inferior?

In a technological and economic sense none the of Native American really came close to European levels of technology. The Native American also had cultural practices which might have struck Europeans as odd or cruel.

But I really doubt they were generally viewed as inferior. You’ll find plenty of works praising their qualities in European works. The idea that scientific, technological or economic progress was determined solely by race and the innate intellect each races possessed only really came around in the 19th century.

Why did Europeans view Native American as inferior?

The Catholic Church viewed ALL non-white, non-catholics as inferior, and particularly assigned that Native Amercans (and slaves) were NON-HUMAN.

If they were baptized, then they still couldn’t go to human heaven, they could go to a heaven between human heaven and animal heaven.

(I’ve got my eye on animal heaven at this point!)

Don’t be tempocentric. Judging the past by today’s standards is an ignorant direction.