They were treated?

Does "they were treated" refer to "the 'white man' were treated"?

Background info:

In America's defense, I will add that the notion of a peaceful nation of natives living in harmony with each other is a huge myth. Many tribes were warriors who constantly killed and tortured each other over territory. When the "white man" began encroaching on their territory, they were treated the same way, attacked and killed without provocation. When news of such attacks made it back east, the government began replying with tremendous zeal and caused further rifts between the cultures. Neither people were right but the American Indian did suffer the worst mistreatment of the two. and they were dying i think around the 1500's