The land then gradually rises in wooded ridges and sunlit cliffs, ultimately culminating... ... middle of paper ... ...ccessfully within the confines of that culture for centuries before Europeans ever arrived on the American continent. Even though Americans had different opinions about the way the government should handle the Native American tribes, the myth accepted by most people was that the Indians were uncivilized and wrong in their way of life. Americans also believed that the government needed to take action, whether by obliterating the Indians entirely or by integrating them into society. In the end, both well-intended policies and actions of violence proved devastating to the natives. Many Indian tribes were either exterminated or relocated in horrible ways (The Humanities pg 1050-1051).
The "reservation" policy was made so they could remove Native Americans from direct contact with the white migrants who were pressuring the governments for each territory that will ultimately destroy the Indians culture. The "reservation" policy is said to be policy that shrunk Indian Territory to the Black Hills of the Dakota Territory and to Oklahoma. All of the Natives customs were threatened. "Indians used buffalo for food, clothing, fuel and even shelter" (Carnes and Garraty 456). As a result of the invasion Indians stopped hunting and many tribes became infuriated.
Thus, from the beginning of European arrival on the North American continent, the Europeans took land from others, and were soon after punished for it. One of the largest reasons for violence among Native Americans and Europeans peoples was the clash of militaristic cultures. Both sides relied heavily upon me men being considered more masculine after engaging in some sort of violence. For many Native Americans, this was after having killed another warrior. Black Hawk provides the most prominent example of
From the Sioux in the North, to the Tonkawa in the South, tribes filled North America when the Europeans first set foot on the soil that we now know as the United States. The relationship between the Native American tribes and the Europeans had its fair share of difficulties for the next thirty years. Faced with the threat of the westward movement, as well as the ruthless military treatment that came with it, the North Americans began their unjustified, inhumane battle for survival. The Europeans colonization of North America has forever changed the lives and cultures of the Native Americans. The white settlers, in many ways, destroyed the Native American population.
The Europeans in their campaigns to garner control of the land used the native peoples to gain control and ultimately stripped the rightful owners of their land and freedoms. The remainder of this short paper will explore the losses experienced by the Eastern Woodland Indians during these wars and will answer the question of which war was more momentous in the loss experienced. The Europeans invaded America with every intention of occupying the land, the bountiful natural resources as well as the complete domination of the native people. The Europeans desire for the land created an explosive situation for the native peoples as they witnessed their land and right to freedom being stripped from them. They often found themselves having to choose sides of which to pledge their allegiance to.
Andrew Jackson was known as the sharp knife among the Native Americans for his brutality toward Indians. He wanted to aggressively remove the Indians from the land that were on. He passed an act that allowed him to trade land that the natives were on for land far off past the Mississippi River. Many tribes disagreed and one Cherokee tribe challenged the state of Georgia to their rights to the land and won in the Supreme Court. Although they ruled that the Cherokee people had a right to their land, the state of Georgia and Jackson blatantly ignored the ruling.
On these reservations the Native Americans were forced to assimilate the rules and lifestyle of the white conquerors and settlers or die. In essence, Native Americans had to give up their identity or be killed (Mieder). Few can comprehend the tragedy inflicted upon Native Americans. During the 1850's the government negotiated a series of treaties ... ... middle of paper ... ...rs date back to the beginning of our interaction with Native Americans. Some of our proverbial slurs towards other minorities are actually taken from those that originated towards the Native Americans.
They had to deal with the same racism that the African Americans were dealing with in the South. No one was fighting a war for the Sioux though. The truth is white supremacy runs amuck everywhere and wreaks havoc on society. Racism separated the Sioux from the settlers, but the tipping point was something else entirely. The US made a binding contract, a promise, to pay the Sioux a certain amount of Go... ... middle of paper ... ...ventually limited to 38.
American Indian Movement: Activism and Repression Native Americans have felt distress from societal and governmental interactions for hundreds of years. American Indian protests against these pressures date back to the colonial period. Broken treaties, removal policies, acculturation, and assimilation have scarred the indigenous societies of the United States. These policies and the continued oppression of the native communities produced an atmosphere of heightened tension. Governmental pressure for assimilation and their apparent aim to destroy cultures, communities, and identities through policies gave the native people a reason to fight.
Red Cloud and Flyi... ... middle of paper ... ...se of these documents was to tell their recollections of the events that took place about Native Americans in their time period. Red Cloud and Flying Hawk’s speech was aimed at a world audience or anyone who would listen to their sufferings whereas Helen Jackson’s book was toward the government of the United States. In conclusion, the natives were horribly treated; the government took from them everything and forced them to join the American culture. The natives had no rights or liberty, and had their dignity taken away. The government broke promises and only did things if it made a profit.