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1871103 Responseshttp://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/native-americans-question-three/Native+Americans%3A+Question+Three2010-02-24+05%3A03%3A06Sam+Richards to Native Americans: Question Three
My answer to this is that, when it comes to people caring and wanting to make change it has to affect them personally. And unfortunately because this happen so long ago, our generation might feel like they have nothing to do with it or they may think that there is nothing they can do to change things. In my honest opinion, I care to a certain extent because again it happened so long ago that I feel like that there is nothing I can do or say to take back what happen and give Native Americans back their land. So the only thing we can do is just continue learning about this mass genocide and realize that what Sam said about it being one of the largest and most brutal genocides and no one knowing about it is because we don't want anyone to know about this and really just make sure to try our best so that it does not happen again. So the key here is just education, education, education.
I think the lecture about Native Americans was inherently confusing. It seems like the message was that we should accept “blame” for something that happened before our time. Repeatedly, Sam reminded us that we are living on “red land” and as a result we should feel morally obligated to take into account the reality of the situation. Part of me agrees with this, while my other half cannot get over the logical flaw. The notion that modern day white people are to blame, or that anyone alive today is to blame, is wrong. Save a few instances, I have never had an encounter with a person of Native American descent and I certainly played no role in the decimation of the Native American culture. Having said that, it is obvious that the status of the average Native American in the United States is dramatically lower than the average white American and for this, I acknowledge a responsibility to respond to the terrible living conditions that exist.
The idea of the Americas belonging to Native Americans prior to European is true in one sense, but flawed in another. The world is constantly shifting and peoples move around the globe accordingly. While the arrival of Europeans significantly decimated the Native American population and culture, it was a semi-natural occurrence. Disease accounted for an overwhelming majority of the “genocide” that Sam describes in class. Nevertheless, the colonists and conquistadors deserve no commendations for their actions; their brutal treatment and general negligence was the nail in the coffin of the Native American culture. Yet, what they did was no different than what the Vikings did to Northern Europe mark or what Alexander the Great did to Asia. It would be ridiculous to suggest that everyone in Sweden be “blamed” for the problems of Denmark and Germany, but this is exactly what is expected of white America. I bring this up because Sam’s main pet peeve is hypocrisy and this seems like fertile ground for it.
My reason for disagreeing stems for the usage of the term “blame”. In a sense, it’s degrading. It suggests that the only way for white people to act is to blame them for something. A more persuasive effort would be to appeal to the humanity of white people. It should be expected of anyone living in the United States that if an entire demographic of people is being oppressed so severely than something should be done. By “blaming” white people, you only ostracize them and lower the odds that they will join you. I understand the message Sam wants us to take away from the lecture: Modern day Native Americans are incredibly oppressed as a result of the unending encroachment of my ancestors on their land; that we have a responsibility to assist these people. My point of contention is only that he insists we are to blame, when in reality, history is to blame.
Well i feel like anyone with a so to soul cares. They have to care because if not then they are ignorant. I agree that education is very important in this because obviously we weren’t taught the correct things in middle school or high school about Native Americans. I can’t even remember in high school ever talking about the natives, and if we did it was like one paragraph. I feel like the teachers aren’t allowed to speak about it or some bull shit, and it’s insane. Maybe they just don’t care because they’re Americans and want to believe that they live under such a great government. But honestly, this makes me want to move and never come back. Maybe that is a little drastic, but it is difficult living under a government that did this to all these people and still make them live at shitty reservations for the most part. They all should get free rides through life, thats the least they deserve.
Well i feel like anyone with a so to soul cares. They have to care because if not then they are ignorant. I agree that education is very important in this because obviously we weren't taught the correct things in middle school or high school about Native Americans. I can't even remember in high school ever talking about the natives, and if we did it was like one paragraph. I feel like the teachers aren't allowed to speak about it or some bull shit, and it's insane. Maybe they just don't care because they're Americans and want to believe that they live under such a great government. But honestly, this makes me want to move and never come back. Maybe that is a little drastic, but it is difficult living under a government that did this to all these people and still make them live at shitty reservations for the most part. They all should get free rides through life, thats the least they deserve.
I think that this is another reason why awareness and education is important. I do not think that people realize how serious of an issue it is today. I didn't realize how prominent these issues are today, so I think it is kind of hard to take in how extensive the damage is still today. I think it is also the issue that many people don't want to accept that mistakes were made and do something about the injustices. I think it is amazing to see all the hardship that is still going on. I think for a lot of people it is just this idea of out of sight, out of mind and because it is not in their faces everyday, people tend to ignore it.
There are many reasons why this information may not hit home and stick with a person to the point they will not acknowledge it and try to do something about. For one this topic is brought up rarely and it is even rarer that when the topic is brought up the actual truths of the genocide are talked about. If the issue is not discussed and taught over and over again nothing will stick with you and instead it will just fade away. Another reason why the issue does not hit home with some people is because they feel such a deep hurt for these people that they would rather disregard the truths all together. It all comes back to the idea that we have been “programmed” not to question the happenings and to just look past it.
So in my opinion I think that people don’t get upset about our ancestors taking the land away from the Native Americans because we were not there when it happened and we had no control over the situation. Yes, it is depressing they way they live in poverty with a very high unemployment rate. I do feel sympathy for them when I see the news or watch programs to see the lives they live. The video that was shown in class when the Native Americans were pushing that car with the television in the back, when the car didn’t even run just so they could sell the television to get money for food to feel their families really upset me. To have to think about how you are going to feed your family on a daily basis is a tragedy I do not feel guilty that my ancestors took the land from them. It was cruel and very unethical, but as Sam also said most of our ancestors also were poor when they came here in search for a new life. That doesn’t justify what they did but it sort of gives a little reasoning behind the situation. He also used the example where he had a group of whites and a group of brown people and said the more the white people move in the more Native American’s more out and more die.
There is always the debate to give some of their land back to them, but what would you do with all the people that are on that land? There would then be more people living in poverty. Most people feel as if they don’t owe the Natives anything because our generation had no control over the what happened in the past. This might sound mean and I know that they were here first but if they are given land I feel like the other people that are living in poverty are going to want to get some help for themselves also.
Another thing is that the people that do get upset about the whole situation, I don’t think that they understand that if our ancestors did not take over they would not have the privileges that do now. They might not be at Penn State, live in the house they do, or even be in this area. It really does suck for the Native Americans but it just happened and that is the way it is. I don’t want to sound like a jerk or anything but as I feel that the past is the past and there really aren’t that many options that we can take now. Maybe we could just educate Americans about what did happen in the past. It just a stuff situation.
A large part of the reason for the poverty that Native Americans experience is due to the fact that not many people are aware of the lifestyles many of them tend to lead. And for the people that are aware, it's most likely that they are rarely reminded of this fact. I personally do not know one person that would identify his or her self as Native American or American Indian. Part of that reason seems to me that many Native Americans fall under extreme categories. I hear a lot about Native Americans being very poor and leading tough lives centered around drug and alcohol abuse and different kinds of violence, and I also hear about Native Americans that own casinos and are very wealthy thus leading good lives. I come from a middle class home, and that's how most of my area is. There certainly are not many Native Americans in my town, if any at at all. Because of that I was not really aware of the strife that these people experience. I'm currently 21 years old and up until this point in my life, I have never been told that I am to blame for the Native Americans losing their land many years ago. I can see why is tough for people to cope with the fact that they may be to blame. But then i question it again and say, am I really to blame at all for being born and living my life. Yes it is awful what poor Native Americans have to experience. But I haven't knowingly done anything to harm Native Americans. I am not sure what i could do to help them. I don't exactly lead a lavish lifestyle. By no means am I poor, but I do have to work for what I have. I have to work to pay for my own schooling. I don't know exactly what I can do in the already busy life, and I don't know of any reasonable items I even have to give Native Americans. Obviously It's not like we can just give them back their land at this point. What do we do for them? If they want an apology, well i would gladly say sorry just to appease the situation. But deep down you can't really be sorry for something that you don't feel blame for.
On a side note, perhaps I'm not understanding something because of lack of knowledge, but I do not understand why Native Americans cultures get as upset as they do about sports teams having mascots that are Native Americans warriors. What I've heard is that they believe it disgraces their heritage, but I don't see how. Having a mascot that is a Native American is paying homage to some of the greatest warriors of their history. My ancestry is Irish, and I certainly do not get angry that Notre Dame's nickname is the Fighting Irish. I don't feel like having a team name like the redskins is mocking their heritage. Sports are about winning and being agressive. I don't think having Native Americans warriors or tribes as team names is part of the problem in America. The poorest Native Americans don't have time to care about things like team mascots when they're wondering where their next mean is coming from. And if this country were to take away all Native American team names, it still won't put food on poor Native Americans table or money in their pocket.
I do see where this student is coming from. It is horrible for people to not care or feel bad about this topic. However, I do see how where the students that do not feel bad are coming from. Personally, I did not really know much about this topic before we discussed it in class or before I started reading one of the required books, Disposable People. So I could see how some people may bot feel bad about this issue because they do not fully know about it. Maybe if this topic was discussed more, especially in the classrooms, then students would be more educated. If they were more educated then they would probably be more like to feel bad, and want to do more to help this issue.
I am not sure if this is really answering the question, but one thing I would say is that we simply cannot get bogged down with every tragedy in this world. That may sound cold, but most of us are relatively poor students with no political pull, or anyway of helping these people. I mean there are small things we can do like protesting, and possibly trying to start an organization, but it’s all small stuff. So what I’m saying is why should we sit around and worry, when there is no available solution. However, having said that, many of us will some day have some money and maybe even some political pull, and it is at that time that we must remember that there are great inequalities in the world, and it is important to try and fix them.
Another one of the biggest reasons many people may not take this situation to heart is because there are very few reservations in this part of the country, and the poorest ones are out west. So it may be an issue of out of sight out of mind. Because we don’t see the reservations, we also don’t see the racism on a regular basis. It is simply easier not to think about it.
I also want to say is that Sam is pretty radical. I think he says a lot of legitimate things, but there is also some bullshit in there. So one should take anything he says with a grain of salt, and take a step back and make ones own judgments and maybe do some research for ones self. Furthermore, Sam is pretty black and white about this subject, which I think is funny in two regards. He earlier pointed out that black and white thinkers are very dangerous, which is the exact act he is participating in now, and he says one of the things he hates most is hypocrisy. Just something I thought was worth noting.
Now if this student is referring to what Sam says about how we are all responsible for Native American problems, and simply are not taking responsibility, I think it is because of Sam’s delivery. Maybe I have it wrong, but he places more emphasis on blaming all of us then he does on fixing the problem. The point I think that he is really trying to get across is that there is vast inequality between this group and others, and it is because they were forced off of their prime real estate, onto barren wasteland. Today this inequality is so bad that they are the most indigent people in the nation. He wants us to realize that our ancestors took their land, but more importantly he wants us to realize that if we grow up with all our needs met, and our parents are supportive and send us to college, then we have it better than these native people. He wants us to realize above all that we, for no reason other than luck, are advantaged and others deserve these advantages as well. I think if you frame the issue in that way, more people will be willing to agree that we are responsible for helping these people, because it is us that are in a position to do so, or at least will be someday.
I agree with the majority of all these posts. Sometimes the information that is presented to us is not fully affecting each and every individual in the classroom because they can not relate to it. The majority of the people do not know anyone that has been affected by this terrible genocide, therefore they feel it is useless to them. That does not mean that we do not care or feel bad for everything that happened; it is just not something that hits home with a lot of people. The fact of the matter is, there are not that many Native Americans around to stand up for themselves and express their beliefs on this topic because most of them were completely wiped out.
Some people may not find this to be upsetting because they have not ever been confronted by the problem personally. I feel like if those who do not care about this issue were sent to a reservation to talk to some of the Indians and see how they live now, then maybe they would feel more strongly about it. There is also the fact that the wrong doings happened a long time ago that most people are becoming desensitized to the whole thing. It is that mentality of I did not do anything and neither did my parents or their parents so why should we care? I do not agree with that kind of mentality, but it seems as if that kind of thinking will continue to be used since there is no real solution for how to deal with the wrong doings right now.
Additional blog Response # 2
People wonder why what happened to Native Americans is not heartfelt by Americans. Well the answer to that question is easy. The reason why this ignorance occurs is because we as Americans do not equate Native Americans into our culture. We as Americans do not think that it is important for them to be a part of our culture.
The genocide of Native Americans is something that is extremely serious to think about. We are living on their land. We stole their land and now we don’t even recognize them in our culture? The reason we act as if we do not care about the situation is because we did not see all the horrible things that occurred back then so we do not want the responsibility or blame for it. However, the longer we deny what happened to Native Americans or other people for that matter, the more discrimination will run free.
I think that people are brushing off the issue of the Native American genocide and plight because for some reason or another, they feel removed from the situation and like it does not directly affect them when in fact it does. I think people need to understand that even if they have no Native American heritage, they still have participated in the demise of Native Americans. Do you think that all of the land we now live on was peacefully traded, or that Native Americans willingly and happily gave away their rights? Even if you feel you have no ties to this issue, indirectly you do and I think it is time to begin thinking about the things we have discussed in class instead of letting in float in one ear and out the other.
I feel like this issue isn’t upsetting to some people because it just doesn’t relate to some of us. Those of us who are not Native American, or Latino, or African American are not living in the same everyday world that these cultures are living in. When we see those numbers all that some people see is that ok this is an issue, but this is an issue that is not affecting me personally. People have a selfish and uncanny ability to put themselves first, and while these are issues that are plaguing many Americans today, they are not problems that are at the top of everyone’s to do list because they are not directly affected.
This comment is great because I think it’s something a lot of people in class are struggling with. The main reason that I, personally, am shutting down every time Sam brings up the idea of blame is because I don’t know how to change what’s going on. There are a million issues and problems going on in the world today, and I wish they could be fixed, but how can we fix this? What can I personally do to change the injustices going on in the Native American cultures? That is what frustrated me the most during these lectures; the fact that we’re not given activities, ideas, actions that can be performed to change what’s going on.
I completely agree that the outcome of Native Americans throughout colonization was horrible, and wrong. There was a similar issue occurring in New Zealand not to long ago as the indigenous Maori population was being pushed off their land to make way for Europeans. They were cheated out of land and rights, but their situation is far better than Native Americans. All Maori tribes were given plots of land, and the government is providing a certain amount of financial support for a designated time to help the tribes cross over to being able to function independently. Maori culture is seen everywhere in New Zealand. The Maori language is seen alongside English on public signs and menus, and the culture has been integrated into the overall society of New Zealand. While there were still injustices, the tribes are all still functioning and accepted in society.
What I don’t see is why these outcomes are so different. New Zealand is significantly smaller than the United States, but why did the Native American’s loose so much? The answer can’t be as simple as ‘it was the white man’s fault’. There are so many other contributing factors: a vast array of different cultures, government functioning and rulings, schooling, finances. Events that happen in history are complex in that you can’t isolate just one contributing factor. There are several events that build up over time, affecting how people interact, communicate, make decisions, which ultimately compiles into one action that occurs for a variety of reasons. And what occurred was a gross injustice. I get it. It sucks. It really sucks. But it was years ago. I just don’t see how I can be guilty. The government should probably put more spending into reservations, to help the Native Americans preserve their way of life by allowing all natural resources to remain untouched as well as extend to the land and improve housing conditions. How can I help?
I wish this issue hit home with me. I guess I’m struggling with what we can do to change it. I feel helpless in a situation that is so huge and so fundamentally built into our society.
All of the information Sam gave us on Native Americans is shocking and upsetting, but I think the reason a lot of people on the class haven’t taken it home with them yet is simply because of a sense of “what can I do?” that is shared by a lot of people, and I include myself in this. Okay, we learn these facts about the genocide of Native Americans, and the stats show how they have the highest alcoholism, drug use, and suicide rate, but as a 21 year old college student, besides look into signing up for the study abroad that Sam has mentioned, there is not much that one person can go out and do that would bring about any change. When we were learning about discrimination from one race to another people could simply start being nicer to people and start having more understanding to someone of another race. But it is harder for someone to lend a helping hand while they are busy with school, and have their own expenses to worry about. Now I am not saying that this is a valid excuse to ignore what is going, I am simply saying that the effort to rectify the situation being done to Native Americans requires more effort, and it is effort that people in our age group feel they cannot spare. I feel the best thing we can do is to get the word out on what is happening. I know I really did not know any of these facts before, and why not? If people are aware of this they are way more likely to give a helping hand. From my memory, I have never seen any kind of organization devoted to improving the lives of Native Americans. If people were informed of what was going on and was given a place to donate money, I am sure that people would donate. It is way to large of an injustice to go unnoticed by the public if only more people talked about what happened and informed people. We do have the power to change this though, and just with how many people are being informed through this class I feel will help us make strides in the right direction. One day this generation will be in a position to change things in this world, and if we are aware of these issues that are out there but are not spoken about, we can bring them to the forefront of discussions that matter.
I feel like it is not upsetting to some people because most people think that this does not directly affect them and that what they do does not affect others. Personally, I know from listening to that lecture about Native Americans I sort of felt guilty about it, but not enough for me to go home and do anything different. This is where the problem lies in the United States, many people simply do not care enough or feel like they are not doing a whole lot to contribute, therefore, they do not try to help out the situation at hand.
I think it's sad people don't think that this affect them in any shape or form! People are out there suffering they are not in a different part of the world that we can't see, they are literally in our backyard. I find it very ignorant that people believe it's either not are fault…like Sam said we are ALL IN THIS TOGETHER! People are living not at the poverty line but dangerously below the poverty line I find it hypocritical that people are willing to help others in another part of the world, but you can't find the time to help the Native Americans! We practically stole this land and genocide a whole group of people and not even give an apology for it….this is really f—ed up. I believe that once we admit that we did this to the Native Americans we have to admit our founders were heartless S.O.B's and I do not believe we are willing to admit this. And to the people who strongly believe that this doesn't affect you picture your family struggling day to day, trying to find illegal ways to escape your problems, and ultimately feeling like you don't even matter in the world and want to kill yourself. If you had to live as an Native American for a day…No an HOUR I think your views would change.
As part of our neurological programming we are donned with this hypothetical keyboard which allow us to write our very mind to fit our capability and needs as we progress through transitions in our lives. Within that "programming" we find basic human instincts which determine our stability as beings, many being our ability to talk, see, eat, etc. Then we find more complex code which we have written which determine our state of being and our ability to assimilate as well as perform, i.e. what trigger emotions, who we hang out with, the hobbies we undertake, etc. Unfortunately the way our programming works is based only on the person writing it. As bad as it is our programming is made for a "me only" society in which case the reason for us programming ourselves to do something only relies on our wants. What a bunch of vain selfish people right? Thing is it is human nature. We care at the instant but as soon as we see it does not pain us in any way directly (of course according to the person) we disregard it and maybe talk about it after, but what is done? The answer is nothing. We as a society live a life without concern unless it affects us directly or someone that falls into our "circle" of life. Unfortunately this is the very same case. Of course we go by living and acknowledge what is going on and we put on the same "Oh my God!" face but that does not dictate our ability to react to these actions. What I mean by a reaction to this is an acknowledgment that allows us to perform. We must stop this "me" programming and transition to the "us" programming. It is easier said than done. We cannot blame ourselves for not caring in the first place because that is the way we think. On the contrary everything that has happened in which we have reaped the benefits there after are directly related to us regardless of how it was given to us and by who. Thus we are to blame as well. We reach a point in which we say: "Well I feel bad but what can I do?" This is usually the breaking point in which we probably 95% of us will drop this question and disregard it because our efforts seem useless. It takes a lot to be someone who reacts fully. We all have that very same capability but because of our "me" mentality we stop at a certain point and give up. So what can you do? We need to change the world. "Oh but that is hard how can I do that?" It is simple. We need to get everyone to accept this issue. The best way to change anything in this society is to hit them where it really will hurt: mentally. Our brains are probably one of the most complex systems that are known and if we can integrate this "us" mentality then we are taking one step closer to changing the world. Going back to what can you do: acknowledge. Once you can complete this take it to others to acknowledge. We do not need to change the world now, but if we can start getting people to change this mentality now future generations which we will produce will have the same to acknowledge and then they will pass it to the next generation. Hopefully when everyone can react mentally to this a physical change can occur and we can change our world. Hypothetically this should work, but we must now take the initiative in accepting a blame which has been placed in our hands and change the way others see it as well.
I watched a few video questions before this one but I chose to respond because I noticed the same thing in class that this kid is talking about. It is not that I feel like people should feel guilty about what happened to the Native American’s so long ago, but I really do get what Sam was saying when he said he just wants people to acknowledge that it happened. I feel like compared to some of his other lectures, people weren’t really paying attention as much during the past couple of lectures because they felt like it doesn’t really concern them. To me, I could tell that when Sam was talking, he felt really passionately about this topic so I really tried to understand where he was coming from, and I ended up coming to some conclusions.
It is not really that we should feel responsible or guilty about what happened way before our grandparents were even born, but we need to realize what is happening to the Native Americans now, during our lifetime. I never knew that Native Americans are some of the poorest people living in the United States or that they have the highest teen suicide rate in the country. There is nothing we can do to change what happened in the past, but I feel like there are things we can do now, to help improve the way these people are being treated. Even in small ways, like taking that class where you live with a Native American tribe and learn about them and their traditions, that someday soon may be completely gone. Vote for politicians who have plans to help out those people living on reservations, or write letters to politicians telling them of your concern for the original people of America. Even donate money to organizations that help out the poorest Native Americans.
I feel like I have grown up with this image of Native Americans as a peaceful people who love and respect nature. In grade school we learn about the origin of Thanksgiving and how the Native Americans taught our ancestors how to grow corn and live off the land. Society gave me this image of Native Americans that I never really thought to question, because like Sam said, people just don’t talk about the bad stuff. Even in high school, I learned about the trail of tears but until I was sitting in Sam’s class, I never realized that it was the largest genocide in human history. We spend so much time learning about the Holocaust, we read books on it, watch movies on it and visit museums to learn about, we know so much about the horror of what happened, yet we know so little about the terrible things that happened in our own country.
Basically, Sam’s last few lectures have really opened my eyes about this issue, and I really do now understand what he was saying about at the very least, acknowledging what happened and is happening to Native Americans.
I feel like this information is hard to grasp because it is not in our faces. We do not see this information everyday nor do we usually feel the effects of this genocide. We are aware now that Native Americans face a lot of issues with poverty and suicide, but we do not see these on a first hand basis. It is hard to imagine the numbers as tangible especially since the population is so small for Native Americans. It is hard to grasp for many Americans because we live in such an advanced era that we don’t think of these events as really taking place.
It was interesting to note two different perspectives about the plight of Native American's in this week's class. I guess you could say, among the other feelings towards Native Americans, there was a "defense" and "offense" side.
The "defense" team had a rebuttal to Sam's lecture that interpreted our professor's words into a sort of sick blame game. I as well as many of you undoubtedly heard the argument from a young woman in class that seemed to take offense at Sam's words almost, as she claimed that the plight of "Indians" was not "her fault" or anyone else's in the room, and that she was unsure of the next step into mediating the Native American "problem". For anyone who failed to make sense of Sam's overall message, I could see how this argument could manifest itself. I recall from Dr. Mulvey's book the progress that she was able to make in the race discussion when she sat back and actually listened to the opinion and meaning of the argument from the other side, rather than hearing an argument and "waiting for her turn to speak". Instead of filtering through one's words and excavating how they could someway effect us as individuals, and formulating a way to make a rebuttal that regards ourselves as innocent, or not in the wrong, why don’t we just listen to the message for what it is, objectively, to begin to tear down the wall we have built around ourselves.
On the other hand, I recall a young man who diverted our conversation about Native Americans to the king-of-the-mountain-slash-social-Darwinian explanation for this group's plight.
Sam is posted up in the front of the class making me consider switching my major. As a Comanche woman, I am all too familiar with my history and my ancestor's plight. Actually, I am familiar with my family's plight as well, because I have had the humbling opportunity to witness the horror of two of the hundreds of reservations that are formally recognized by this United States. My mother and father are divorced because, as statistics show, Native Americans have the highest level of substance abuse and my dad was unfortunately known to come home most evenings, sauced. When I went back to the Santa Clara Pueblo reservation two summers ago, my cousin told me a story of how she feared for her child’s life after he was playing in a sandbox and discovered an apparently used hypodermic needle right there, next to her son, in the god damn sand. I don’t know what the step in the right direction is. I’m not demanding anything from any white people. I just wish it was easier for people to recognize that we are not on a level playing field.
I agree with what you are saying. It is hard to imagine people don’t care that a group of people were mass murdered, stolen from and just plainly mistreated. I think that some people will always have the mind set that is the past; this is the present. I wasn’t involved so why should I care? Unfortunately there are a significant number of people so self-observed and uncompassionate that does not care. Hopefully, it is just a phase and they will mature in the future, but that is not always likely. I think the education of this massacre should be more wide spread so more people are aware.
i think what why most people tend to overlook the Native American genocide is for a couple reasons. I think the main one is, Americans tend to pride themselves on being the best country in the world. So when it comes to stuff like genocide, we kind of sweep that under the rug and celebrate it with Thanksgiving. I think the other reason is that so many people when they are younger are taught differently especially about people like Christopher Columbus and others that did terrible things, but still need to be praised for leading a voyage. Mainly its because it has to do with us directly. Look at the 9/11 attacks, the first thing to come from that was blame on someone else. When it really should have been the lack of airport security, and pilot safety,
it really is sad what happened i do a agree. it is horrible what had to happen to these people but I think the reason it doesn't hit home for a lot of people is becuase they didn't actually see it. There aren't any reservations around here that I know of, i don't think there are even any in pennsylvania. So that doesn't help much for the students around here that are from PA. I think in order to get even an idea of what happened you would have to see the place. People connect with things a lot easier when they can actually see a place or be where it happened. And there isn't even one close by that you can visit. I honestly dont really get it, don't really feel responsible or understand why it is still a big deal. It does not involve me and with all the committments required of all of us now a days people don't have time to worry about things that don't effect them.
We are like slaves in this world and we have no time for extra worrying, i have no time to care about anything besides my school work, money, and getting a job because if i dont do all that I will be living on the streets and not able to pay my $80,000 debt from school loans. I think there are quite a lot of people in the same position where if it doesn't have something to do with thier major or their field of work or is directly related to them or their family or friends they dont have time to care. And honestly I only know a few people that actually enjoy learning about history. And even when i was taught the history the teachers were not very enthusiastic about it and only taught it to get it over with. they were much more interested in other things that didn't put such a bad light on the US. I guess maybe if we were taught at an earlier age that might help our understanding a little or help us be sypathetic. but it would really help if we could see it.
it might help it stick a little better in our heads. however, it still has nothing to do with me and doesn't ever effect my daily routine so I dont really feel anything. i feel bad that they have a harder time with things but everyone is dealt different cards and it is all by luck. if i feel bad for them, should the people who are born into rihc families feel bad for people like me? I put my self through college without the help of my parents and that is hard. everyone has hard times somewhere in there life and it is just like sam said in class, some people have more obstacles than others but some people find smarter and faster ways to get around them.
I think that sometimes people don’t find this upsetting because of multiple reasons. One of them is that people believe that because the main genocide happened so long ago the blame shouldn’t be put on anyone’s shoulders at all. Another main reason people don’t feel as bad I believe is because a lot of people especially immigrants or kids whose parents are immigrants see this as the white man’s problem and by white man I just mean the people who immigrated here when this genocide was taking place. They see it as not their concern because it’s just not fair that they have to worry about something that they didn’t cause. This is wrong in my opinion but it is understandable.
I dont think that assuming that people dont care is fair, many people just dont know what they could do to help the situation. Sam has constantly made us think of/ and for some people become totally aware of , the history of horrible treatment that Native Americans have received from the time we arrived and took their land, until now. I believe that everyone in class "took home the message" of Native Americans and how they have been treated. We saw pictures, watched video, listened to songs and heard Sam's statistics. The problem for many is the fact that since the U.S. has done such a "great job" and cleaning away traces of its Native people, we are not forced to interact with or even see it in our every day lives. I know that many people do not travel. If you never travel then you can never gain a true view on other culture. I know that in New York you most likely will never run into a Native American. When i went to the grand canyon, we traveled throughout South Dakota. During my travel a Native American man spoke to us about how "The White Man" basically messed everything up. He told us of his tribe and explained the states name to me. Saying it was one of 3 tribes in the area. Some people will never know the history that has taken place, some people will never know that we were not given this land for free, rather we took it by brute force. The media tries to burn it into the brains of children early, depicting Native Americans as primitive savages in cartoons and children's movies. They often color these characters bright red, for example, in Disney's "Peter Pan" the tribe of Native Americans are referred to as the "Red Man" and the children are trying to figure out "What makes the red man red?" trying to figure out why they are different. Some people cannot be put entirely to blame for not going out and doing something about a cause they just learned existed. Denial could be a key factor as well as the want to ignore something like this. Humans naturally dont want to do things that they do not have to do. Though sometimes this is a selfish and horrible descision when the lack of action affects others, it is human nature to block out things that they do not wish to deal with. So though people all heard the same message Same gave, its all about how its recieved. many got it and dont know what to do, some got it and dont want to deal with it because they are not affected, and some just find that America can do no wrong.
I think that the Native American genocide is very sad for many people. I think that people are affected about it, but that do not know what to do. What can we do to help them now? America has changed and grown so much since then. I feel that because this did not directly affect the youth of today that we do not feel as responsible for it as we should. People do not show them any respect, and are treated like third class citizens in their own country. We should do something about it, but I do not think anything we do now will make up for all the damage America has caused to their people.
In 1492, the Europeans started to take over the Native American land in North America that killed ninety percent of the Native Americans due to disease and war. Between 1949 and 1966, Mao Zedong killed between forty nine and seventy eight million people because of communism in China and Tibet. In 1923, Joseph Stalin, leader of the Soviet Union, forced a genocide caused by famine that killed twenty three million people in Ukraine. In 1944, Che Guevara killed 69,000 people in Cuba because of the Communism in Cuba.
However, nobody did anything about any of these genocides. A couple of weeks ago, my dad called me and told me to watch a documentary on communism by Glenn Beck on NBC. It was very interesting and focused on all of the communistic leaders that I mentioned above including Mao Zedong, Che Guevara, and Joseph Stalin. This was the most interesting documentary I’ve ever seen because I honestly had never heard of any of the genocides that Glenn Beck’s documentary including. Now, I consider that the education that I have received through high school was better than most public school educations and I feel that I am more beneficial than most people coming to college because I attended a private catholic school that focused on academics and that is is it. So if I did not learn about any of these genocides, then how did anyone else (minus the select few teachers who did teach this to their students).
The reason I brought this up is because it relates the to Native American problem in America. Even though the Native Americans’ genocide occurs in America in 1492, some people believ that we should still feel bad about what our ancestors did to the Native Americans. Similarly, some people also believe that we should still feel bad about what we did to African Americans during the civil war. However, I completely disagree with that belief because it is a completely different time. I do not feel that we should be paying for what our ancestors did to people over a hundred years ago, but we should do something about what is happening during our time. For example, I do not feel like we should be paying for what our ancestors have done because that is not us, but I feel like if something is happening during our time period we should take action. Honestly, how can something that happened one hundred years ago be something that I should be sorry for. The problem that I do not get is that why did the United States take action when the nine million Jews died nin World War 2, but non eof the other genocides? And that is my final opinion. BOOOM!
I can honestly say the first time I heard the term, “genocide” to describe the removal of Native Americans from their lands was from Sam. He touched on this topic in my Soc 4 class freshman year. I had never heard the word “genocide” regarding Native Americans in any history class, peer group, or even through mass media. This term is both significant and shocking. Now most people associate the term “genocide” with the holocaust. Personally the term conjures up images of Nazi concentration camps, far away in WWII Europe, never here on U.S. soil. Now in response to my classmate’s question, the reason people cannot connect to this issue is due to the situation described above, they are simply unaware. I remember learning about “The Indians” in third grade social studies. I can even remember the tribes, their geography, their trades, and cultural structure. However, I never learned about the injustice, violence, and utter genocide that occurred to these people across the country. When I think back on those lessons, nothing was ever said about the “Indians” current status. A mystical, mysterious portrait was painted of these people and was simply forgotten when my class moved on to lessons on the Oregon Trail. Now I am not advocating teaching third graders about this horrifying point in American history, however like Germany takes responsibility for the Nazi revolution, America must acknowledge its own wrongdoing. If American children are taught about the Holocaust, why shouldn’t they learn about the genocide that occurred in their own country? As many of my classmates suggest, we should not be blamed for the sins of our forefathers, however we are committing our own form of genocide by not admitting these sins and denying an entire race of American people. There is obvious hypocrisy in this country to believe that this nation was “new” land, it was not, and it was red land. Numerous outlets in our society are to blame for this hypocrisy. Mass media, secondary education, and historians, have all worked together to conceal and ignore the horrifying treatment of Native Americans at the hands of American settlers. Some may say that these people have a better life, living on reservations, with no laws and tax breaks. These people are ignorant to think that being forced from your land and given a trailer is just cause for these sins. It makes me sick to my stomach thinking about this genocide and therein lies another reason people do not know or choose to ignore this issue; they simply don’t want to face the truth. But ignorance is not bliss and we cannot simply ignore the murder, theft, and discrimination Native Americans have experienced in this country and continue to experience. We must acknowledge this fact and teach our children. We must take responsibility for the sins of our father and at the very least recognize their faults.
I think the reason why I don’t take it as hard as I should is because I don’t see it. It’s like if I can’t see it then it isn’t happening. I know deep down it is, but I chose to ignore it until I see the pictures in class. Even then it doesn’t stick because it isn’t around me. I see the pictures in class or the videos and then I go on with my daily life. It’s like when you see the commercials on TV for kids in foreign countries starving. You might send a donation or sponsor a child but even then 9 out 10 people don’t have another thought about it. I’m not saying it’s right but I’m just answering the question from my point of view.
I agree with most of what is posted up as to why the genocide seems so foreign. I do have a few of my own points I would like to express. Obviously everyone begins with the fact that this took place more than a few centuries ago. Because it took place so long ago, we can’t really relate since we have no direct affiliation with it meaning the genocide. Centuries of discrimination against Native Americans has become engrained into society so much that it has become a norm. It has become normal for society to accept the fact that Native Americans live less privileged lives than most other minorities. Americans accept the fact that they live on reservations that are very poor and have high unemployment rates. Most of the Native Americans live in poverty on these reservations. I think it is easy for most Americans to accept these facts because this genocide happened so long ago that it is hard for us to relate to how severe it really was. I do not wish to offend anybody with what I am about to say; I simply want to express my opinion. I do believe that Native Americans have experienced the worst discrimination than most races. They have been held down for the longest time. Although this may be true, I still feel that Native Americans themselves should still be pushing to make themselves a better race. What I mean by this is that I think the Native American should be doing more for themselves. They should be pushing to get better education, more resources, and for equality in the work place. A better education will better them in so many ways. A better education from a young age enables and if not pushes them to attend college. Higher education comes with many benefits. Overtime, these could greatly increase the reach of the Native Americans throughout the U.S. economy. Native Americans would be able to hold more white collar jobs. They would also have incentives to leave the reservation for a better life. This would greatly improve their status if this could even be achieved. Simply better education and opportunities would help their future lifestyles. Although some reservations do make money off their casinos; this only applies to a small percent of Native Americans that live in the upper class. Although I can agree that the Native Americans have been discriminated for the long time, I believe that they still should try to persevere through their current circumstances. I’m going to explain why I have this opinion. I feel like this because honestly I’ve never been properly education on the Native American genocide. Growing up in the American school system, I learned the basic fundamentals of the roles of Native Americans during the first Thanksgiving Day and the settlement of the first colony. That is basically about it. After that, we don’t get into specific detail about the rest of the roles that Native Americans played in the United States; at least to my education level.
I think that people aren't as effected by this issue as sam richards is for a few reasons. First of all, most people in the room really can not relate to what he is talking about even with the pictures and data he shows us. There is poverty all over the world, and I think maybe it doesn't really hit home for people unless they experience it first hand. Also with that being said, there is poverty all over the world. It definitely sucks for Native Americans that so many of them are poor, but there are a lot of other people living in poverty as well. In my opinion, the story of the Native Americans being poor doesn't reach me any more emotionally than hearing about any other homeless or poor person. Sure, their land was taken from them, but that was a very long time ago, way before black people were slaves, and black people aren't just living in black colonies complaining about it, they are fighting for rights and making it a priority for things to become more equal.
I also just don't understand the issue fully, which is another reason that other people probably don't feel as bad for them also. In class, we learned that the native americans are poor, but thats about all we learned about them. Sam does a terrible job of giving specific examples on this topic, probably because either there are none or he just has no idea. We just know that they are poor, and he equates that in class since there are so many of them that are poor to racism. Maybe there is racism going on, but how am I supposed to know that. I've never seen or heard anyone say or do anything racist against a Native American. That doesn't mean that it doesnt exist, but I would understand better and feel more for their situation if I knew of some more specific examples. I don't include the whole red nigger thing because every racial, ethnic, color, anything group are called mean names and that doesn't hold them back and keep them in poverty.
Another reason why people really dont recognize this as a huge issue is because they don't know many or any native americans. I'm not talking about people who have native american blood, im talking about people who live on reservations and only associate with native american and nothing else. If you dont experience something first hand, its hard to understand well. Everyone knows a black person who feels as if they are being oppressed and countless other racist examples. I just have never seen any native american being held down because of their race, if anything, I have seen native americans who were proud of their race. I dunno, Im gonna die before anyone figures this out so who cares.
I found myself somewhat offended by your question even though I know I shouldn’t be at all. Perhaps because I feel as if you have grouped our class into one conglomerate inconsiderate group when I know that both you and I are playing on the same team. Through out our discussion, one that I though was much more important than the actual lecture topic that day, people began to grow uneasy. Kids shifted uncomfortably in their chairs and began to converse with their friends and neighbors instead of being immersed by the reality the rest of us were discussing. I cannot blame them however. It is much easier to put up an imaginary wall of not caring. From all directions I heard murmurs of “this is worthless” and whispers of “who cares?” And then you ask me how I cannot be moved? I want to stand up and say I do care, more than I carry on. Perhaps it was my upbringing, in fact I’m sure it was, that lead me to become passionate about American Indians. My grandmother has some Native American in her blood, nothing to change her appearance or anything of the sort. Perhaps we are even just claiming it and it isn’t true. My father’s side of the family has actually had an experience with American Indians that isn’t a good one. My family has been in the Pittsburgh area since pre-revolutionary war times. One of my ancestors, Massy Harbison, had two of her children murdered by American Indians. Here is the link if you want a brief summary. http://www.saxonburglocalhistory.com/MasseyHarbis... My father and I both share a love for the outdoors that very few people have and I believe part of that is due to our love of Native American culture. I can remember in my first room there were multiple “artifacts” that came from tribes in our region. All that was more or less just to give me some credibility when I say I am disheartened every time I hear the Native Americans story. I recently finished a book on the Lakota tribes ethics and morals that was very eye opening to me. There ability for compassion is one that I think everyone should learn from. From day one they have helped us. Some people forget that the pilgrims would not have lived through one winter without the help of the Native Americans. It was the Native Americans, Navajo to be specific, who created a radio code in WWII that the Germans could not crack. Yet today we continue to disrespect them. I feel very “moved” by every atrocity we have committed to them, but at the same time I am overwhelmed. I ask myself what I can do as an individual and the only thing I can come up with is speak up for them when I have the opportunity. I hope some day I have the resources to do more than that, perhaps lobby for laws or educate their children who normally wouldn’t have a chance. I am just another fish in the sea but before my death I am certain that I will see change for these deserving people.
I just do not see it. I never studied history or Native Americans and if it does not effect me personally now in life then I am not worried. It is like that saying not my chair not my problem. Like I understand some people are really interested in learning about his more and more, but for me I can care less. I know there are a lot of people who feel the same way and they just do not want to say they do not care. Maybe I am part of the race problems I do not care, or what to speak about it so I am not going to. Like someone else said in this section, we only think about it when someone talks about it. I think this is the first class i ever had that spoke about any problems like this or native Americans in general, or who knows maybe i am just not paying attention in history class. I am the complete opposite of the person who asked this question. I would say what makes people care so much about issues like this. How does it affect you? Really? to you personally? For me it is not just this topic though its every other one including slavery. I care about my grades and getting a job and my family and friends. Other then that what else do i have to worried about. Life is to short to worry. As Sam says were all gonna die soon anyway so who gives a BEEEP!
Then again there are those people that really care and i guess you have your opinions to care or not, but like Sam they have to convince the people that do not care to care. That is something hard to do especially when someone has their mind set on something. The person in the video sounds like they care so much about it which amazes me because i just can not see it.
I am trying to think of a way that would help me see it, but I can't. I think the only way I would see it would be if a real person in a situation would come explain. For instance a Native American guest speaker or something. When one white person is just talking to another white person, sometimes I just think why do they care and get involved in shit that is minimal.
If anyone reads this post let me know if you agree or not or just think I am living in a bubble or something. I do not like to think myself as living like that, but I guess the people that care about this will be mad at me for all that I said. The end result is if there is no connection to you personally then what is to worry about. You can not change any past happenings and you can not predict the future.
i think first and foremost people are not talking about it because it does not happen to them or they do not live in that area. we tend to stay out of problems that do not involve us, which obviously we need to change. this is a big issue but no one will step up because we did steal from them, reffering to white men. its almost like a guilt so deep we feel as if we avoid it long enough it will go away, kind of like a pesty ex girlfriend. but an entire culture is not your ex girlfriend it does not go away. we have to deal with this issue head on if we want it to change and sadly i do not see that happening here. we avoid it because we dont like change in our lives and we figure why change something that seems to be a norm.
I think that many people feel like what happened to the Native Americans is not their fault. I think that many people feel like we really can’t do anything about it anymore and that it happened so long ago to do something about it now. In addition, people haven’t been directly affected by it so it really doesn’t hit home for them. For something to really hit home for someone it think has to closely relate to them, and of course we can’t relate to someone taking land from us. But if you think about it, Native Americans have a similar obstacle because it’s not their fault that they had they’re ancestor’s land taken away from them. They were born into learning that many years ago all this land once belonged to them. Therefore, were in a similar position, nothing was our fault but it happened and we can do something about it. People should stop thinking that it’s not their fault and start thinking about ways we can give back. Seeing how they’re the poorest people in the United States we can get people together to start a sort of fundraiser to get them more school supplies, etc. Or we can also donate used books and just start a bond with these innocent people. I think that some Native Americans think that since it was not our fault the genocide happened that we’re not willing to do anything about it but we should show them the contrary. This I think will ease so tension or feelings about this history and will form a special relationship. We need to keep in mind that we can’t change everything but I think that even by trying to do something will count a lot. Ultimately, people will realize that this should disturb us and that just because we didn’t commit the genocide does not mean that we’re completely innocent. We can’t erase history but we can change the future by starting right now. People can make drastic changes as long as they set their minds to it. Coming together for this good cause should be the new “talk” right now and action needs to take place. How to start? By researching the different ways we can help and learning more about Native Americans. Going to visit the closest reservation to do some community service maybe? Most importantly however, is spreading the word. We need to let people know about what’s happened and how to help. By doing so we can move on to a more prosperous future concerning this subject.
My answer to this is that, when it comes to people caring and wanting to make change it has to affect them personally. And unfortunately because this happen so long ago, our generation might feel like they have nothing to do with it or they may think that there is nothing they can do to change things. In my honest opinion, I care to a certain extent because again it happened so long ago that I feel like that there is nothing I can do or say to take back what happen and give Native Americans back their land. So the only thing we can do is just continue learning about this mass genocide and realize that what Sam said about it being one of the largest and most brutal genocides and no one knowing about it is because we don't want anyone to know about this and really just make sure to try our best so that it does not happen again. So the key here is just education, education, education.
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I think the lecture about Native Americans was inherently confusing. It seems like the message was that we should accept “blame” for something that happened before our time. Repeatedly, Sam reminded us that we are living on “red land” and as a result we should feel morally obligated to take into account the reality of the situation. Part of me agrees with this, while my other half cannot get over the logical flaw. The notion that modern day white people are to blame, or that anyone alive today is to blame, is wrong. Save a few instances, I have never had an encounter with a person of Native American descent and I certainly played no role in the decimation of the Native American culture. Having said that, it is obvious that the status of the average Native American in the United States is dramatically lower than the average white American and for this, I acknowledge a responsibility to respond to the terrible living conditions that exist.
The idea of the Americas belonging to Native Americans prior to European is true in one sense, but flawed in another. The world is constantly shifting and peoples move around the globe accordingly. While the arrival of Europeans significantly decimated the Native American population and culture, it was a semi-natural occurrence. Disease accounted for an overwhelming majority of the “genocide” that Sam describes in class. Nevertheless, the colonists and conquistadors deserve no commendations for their actions; their brutal treatment and general negligence was the nail in the coffin of the Native American culture. Yet, what they did was no different than what the Vikings did to Northern Europe mark or what Alexander the Great did to Asia. It would be ridiculous to suggest that everyone in Sweden be “blamed” for the problems of Denmark and Germany, but this is exactly what is expected of white America. I bring this up because Sam’s main pet peeve is hypocrisy and this seems like fertile ground for it.
My reason for disagreeing stems for the usage of the term “blame”. In a sense, it’s degrading. It suggests that the only way for white people to act is to blame them for something. A more persuasive effort would be to appeal to the humanity of white people. It should be expected of anyone living in the United States that if an entire demographic of people is being oppressed so severely than something should be done. By “blaming” white people, you only ostracize them and lower the odds that they will join you. I understand the message Sam wants us to take away from the lecture: Modern day Native Americans are incredibly oppressed as a result of the unending encroachment of my ancestors on their land; that we have a responsibility to assist these people. My point of contention is only that he insists we are to blame, when in reality, history is to blame.
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Well i feel like anyone with a so to soul cares. They have to care because if not then they are ignorant. I agree that education is very important in this because obviously we weren’t taught the correct things in middle school or high school about Native Americans. I can’t even remember in high school ever talking about the natives, and if we did it was like one paragraph. I feel like the teachers aren’t allowed to speak about it or some bull shit, and it’s insane. Maybe they just don’t care because they’re Americans and want to believe that they live under such a great government. But honestly, this makes me want to move and never come back. Maybe that is a little drastic, but it is difficult living under a government that did this to all these people and still make them live at shitty reservations for the most part. They all should get free rides through life, thats the least they deserve.
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Well i feel like anyone with a so to soul cares. They have to care because if not then they are ignorant. I agree that education is very important in this because obviously we weren't taught the correct things in middle school or high school about Native Americans. I can't even remember in high school ever talking about the natives, and if we did it was like one paragraph. I feel like the teachers aren't allowed to speak about it or some bull shit, and it's insane. Maybe they just don't care because they're Americans and want to believe that they live under such a great government. But honestly, this makes me want to move and never come back. Maybe that is a little drastic, but it is difficult living under a government that did this to all these people and still make them live at shitty reservations for the most part. They all should get free rides through life, thats the least they deserve.
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I think that this is another reason why awareness and education is important. I do not think that people realize how serious of an issue it is today. I didn't realize how prominent these issues are today, so I think it is kind of hard to take in how extensive the damage is still today. I think it is also the issue that many people don't want to accept that mistakes were made and do something about the injustices. I think it is amazing to see all the hardship that is still going on. I think for a lot of people it is just this idea of out of sight, out of mind and because it is not in their faces everyday, people tend to ignore it.
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There are many reasons why this information may not hit home and stick with a person to the point they will not acknowledge it and try to do something about. For one this topic is brought up rarely and it is even rarer that when the topic is brought up the actual truths of the genocide are talked about. If the issue is not discussed and taught over and over again nothing will stick with you and instead it will just fade away. Another reason why the issue does not hit home with some people is because they feel such a deep hurt for these people that they would rather disregard the truths all together. It all comes back to the idea that we have been “programmed” not to question the happenings and to just look past it.
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So in my opinion I think that people don’t get upset about our ancestors taking the land away from the Native Americans because we were not there when it happened and we had no control over the situation. Yes, it is depressing they way they live in poverty with a very high unemployment rate. I do feel sympathy for them when I see the news or watch programs to see the lives they live. The video that was shown in class when the Native Americans were pushing that car with the television in the back, when the car didn’t even run just so they could sell the television to get money for food to feel their families really upset me. To have to think about how you are going to feed your family on a daily basis is a tragedy I do not feel guilty that my ancestors took the land from them. It was cruel and very unethical, but as Sam also said most of our ancestors also were poor when they came here in search for a new life. That doesn’t justify what they did but it sort of gives a little reasoning behind the situation. He also used the example where he had a group of whites and a group of brown people and said the more the white people move in the more Native American’s more out and more die.
There is always the debate to give some of their land back to them, but what would you do with all the people that are on that land? There would then be more people living in poverty. Most people feel as if they don’t owe the Natives anything because our generation had no control over the what happened in the past. This might sound mean and I know that they were here first but if they are given land I feel like the other people that are living in poverty are going to want to get some help for themselves also.
Another thing is that the people that do get upset about the whole situation, I don’t think that they understand that if our ancestors did not take over they would not have the privileges that do now. They might not be at Penn State, live in the house they do, or even be in this area. It really does suck for the Native Americans but it just happened and that is the way it is. I don’t want to sound like a jerk or anything but as I feel that the past is the past and there really aren’t that many options that we can take now. Maybe we could just educate Americans about what did happen in the past. It just a stuff situation.
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A large part of the reason for the poverty that Native Americans experience is due to the fact that not many people are aware of the lifestyles many of them tend to lead. And for the people that are aware, it's most likely that they are rarely reminded of this fact. I personally do not know one person that would identify his or her self as Native American or American Indian. Part of that reason seems to me that many Native Americans fall under extreme categories. I hear a lot about Native Americans being very poor and leading tough lives centered around drug and alcohol abuse and different kinds of violence, and I also hear about Native Americans that own casinos and are very wealthy thus leading good lives. I come from a middle class home, and that's how most of my area is. There certainly are not many Native Americans in my town, if any at at all. Because of that I was not really aware of the strife that these people experience. I'm currently 21 years old and up until this point in my life, I have never been told that I am to blame for the Native Americans losing their land many years ago. I can see why is tough for people to cope with the fact that they may be to blame. But then i question it again and say, am I really to blame at all for being born and living my life. Yes it is awful what poor Native Americans have to experience. But I haven't knowingly done anything to harm Native Americans. I am not sure what i could do to help them. I don't exactly lead a lavish lifestyle. By no means am I poor, but I do have to work for what I have. I have to work to pay for my own schooling. I don't know exactly what I can do in the already busy life, and I don't know of any reasonable items I even have to give Native Americans. Obviously It's not like we can just give them back their land at this point. What do we do for them? If they want an apology, well i would gladly say sorry just to appease the situation. But deep down you can't really be sorry for something that you don't feel blame for.
On a side note, perhaps I'm not understanding something because of lack of knowledge, but I do not understand why Native Americans cultures get as upset as they do about sports teams having mascots that are Native Americans warriors. What I've heard is that they believe it disgraces their heritage, but I don't see how. Having a mascot that is a Native American is paying homage to some of the greatest warriors of their history. My ancestry is Irish, and I certainly do not get angry that Notre Dame's nickname is the Fighting Irish. I don't feel like having a team name like the redskins is mocking their heritage. Sports are about winning and being agressive. I don't think having Native Americans warriors or tribes as team names is part of the problem in America. The poorest Native Americans don't have time to care about things like team mascots when they're wondering where their next mean is coming from. And if this country were to take away all Native American team names, it still won't put food on poor Native Americans table or money in their pocket.
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I do see where this student is coming from. It is horrible for people to not care or feel bad about this topic. However, I do see how where the students that do not feel bad are coming from. Personally, I did not really know much about this topic before we discussed it in class or before I started reading one of the required books, Disposable People. So I could see how some people may bot feel bad about this issue because they do not fully know about it. Maybe if this topic was discussed more, especially in the classrooms, then students would be more educated. If they were more educated then they would probably be more like to feel bad, and want to do more to help this issue.
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I am not sure if this is really answering the question, but one thing I would say is that we simply cannot get bogged down with every tragedy in this world. That may sound cold, but most of us are relatively poor students with no political pull, or anyway of helping these people. I mean there are small things we can do like protesting, and possibly trying to start an organization, but it’s all small stuff. So what I’m saying is why should we sit around and worry, when there is no available solution. However, having said that, many of us will some day have some money and maybe even some political pull, and it is at that time that we must remember that there are great inequalities in the world, and it is important to try and fix them.
Another one of the biggest reasons many people may not take this situation to heart is because there are very few reservations in this part of the country, and the poorest ones are out west. So it may be an issue of out of sight out of mind. Because we don’t see the reservations, we also don’t see the racism on a regular basis. It is simply easier not to think about it.
I also want to say is that Sam is pretty radical. I think he says a lot of legitimate things, but there is also some bullshit in there. So one should take anything he says with a grain of salt, and take a step back and make ones own judgments and maybe do some research for ones self. Furthermore, Sam is pretty black and white about this subject, which I think is funny in two regards. He earlier pointed out that black and white thinkers are very dangerous, which is the exact act he is participating in now, and he says one of the things he hates most is hypocrisy. Just something I thought was worth noting.
Now if this student is referring to what Sam says about how we are all responsible for Native American problems, and simply are not taking responsibility, I think it is because of Sam’s delivery. Maybe I have it wrong, but he places more emphasis on blaming all of us then he does on fixing the problem. The point I think that he is really trying to get across is that there is vast inequality between this group and others, and it is because they were forced off of their prime real estate, onto barren wasteland. Today this inequality is so bad that they are the most indigent people in the nation. He wants us to realize that our ancestors took their land, but more importantly he wants us to realize that if we grow up with all our needs met, and our parents are supportive and send us to college, then we have it better than these native people. He wants us to realize above all that we, for no reason other than luck, are advantaged and others deserve these advantages as well. I think if you frame the issue in that way, more people will be willing to agree that we are responsible for helping these people, because it is us that are in a position to do so, or at least will be someday.
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I agree with the majority of all these posts. Sometimes the information that is presented to us is not fully affecting each and every individual in the classroom because they can not relate to it. The majority of the people do not know anyone that has been affected by this terrible genocide, therefore they feel it is useless to them. That does not mean that we do not care or feel bad for everything that happened; it is just not something that hits home with a lot of people. The fact of the matter is, there are not that many Native Americans around to stand up for themselves and express their beliefs on this topic because most of them were completely wiped out.
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Some people may not find this to be upsetting because they have not ever been confronted by the problem personally. I feel like if those who do not care about this issue were sent to a reservation to talk to some of the Indians and see how they live now, then maybe they would feel more strongly about it. There is also the fact that the wrong doings happened a long time ago that most people are becoming desensitized to the whole thing. It is that mentality of I did not do anything and neither did my parents or their parents so why should we care? I do not agree with that kind of mentality, but it seems as if that kind of thinking will continue to be used since there is no real solution for how to deal with the wrong doings right now.
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Additional blog Response # 2
People wonder why what happened to Native Americans is not heartfelt by Americans. Well the answer to that question is easy. The reason why this ignorance occurs is because we as Americans do not equate Native Americans into our culture. We as Americans do not think that it is important for them to be a part of our culture.
The genocide of Native Americans is something that is extremely serious to think about. We are living on their land. We stole their land and now we don’t even recognize them in our culture? The reason we act as if we do not care about the situation is because we did not see all the horrible things that occurred back then so we do not want the responsibility or blame for it. However, the longer we deny what happened to Native Americans or other people for that matter, the more discrimination will run free.
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I think that people are brushing off the issue of the Native American genocide and plight because for some reason or another, they feel removed from the situation and like it does not directly affect them when in fact it does. I think people need to understand that even if they have no Native American heritage, they still have participated in the demise of Native Americans. Do you think that all of the land we now live on was peacefully traded, or that Native Americans willingly and happily gave away their rights? Even if you feel you have no ties to this issue, indirectly you do and I think it is time to begin thinking about the things we have discussed in class instead of letting in float in one ear and out the other.
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I feel like this issue isn’t upsetting to some people because it just doesn’t relate to some of us. Those of us who are not Native American, or Latino, or African American are not living in the same everyday world that these cultures are living in. When we see those numbers all that some people see is that ok this is an issue, but this is an issue that is not affecting me personally. People have a selfish and uncanny ability to put themselves first, and while these are issues that are plaguing many Americans today, they are not problems that are at the top of everyone’s to do list because they are not directly affected.
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This comment is great because I think it’s something a lot of people in class are struggling with. The main reason that I, personally, am shutting down every time Sam brings up the idea of blame is because I don’t know how to change what’s going on. There are a million issues and problems going on in the world today, and I wish they could be fixed, but how can we fix this? What can I personally do to change the injustices going on in the Native American cultures? That is what frustrated me the most during these lectures; the fact that we’re not given activities, ideas, actions that can be performed to change what’s going on.
I completely agree that the outcome of Native Americans throughout colonization was horrible, and wrong. There was a similar issue occurring in New Zealand not to long ago as the indigenous Maori population was being pushed off their land to make way for Europeans. They were cheated out of land and rights, but their situation is far better than Native Americans. All Maori tribes were given plots of land, and the government is providing a certain amount of financial support for a designated time to help the tribes cross over to being able to function independently. Maori culture is seen everywhere in New Zealand. The Maori language is seen alongside English on public signs and menus, and the culture has been integrated into the overall society of New Zealand. While there were still injustices, the tribes are all still functioning and accepted in society.
What I don’t see is why these outcomes are so different. New Zealand is significantly smaller than the United States, but why did the Native American’s loose so much? The answer can’t be as simple as ‘it was the white man’s fault’. There are so many other contributing factors: a vast array of different cultures, government functioning and rulings, schooling, finances. Events that happen in history are complex in that you can’t isolate just one contributing factor. There are several events that build up over time, affecting how people interact, communicate, make decisions, which ultimately compiles into one action that occurs for a variety of reasons. And what occurred was a gross injustice. I get it. It sucks. It really sucks. But it was years ago. I just don’t see how I can be guilty. The government should probably put more spending into reservations, to help the Native Americans preserve their way of life by allowing all natural resources to remain untouched as well as extend to the land and improve housing conditions. How can I help?
I wish this issue hit home with me. I guess I’m struggling with what we can do to change it. I feel helpless in a situation that is so huge and so fundamentally built into our society.
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All of the information Sam gave us on Native Americans is shocking and upsetting, but I think the reason a lot of people on the class haven’t taken it home with them yet is simply because of a sense of “what can I do?” that is shared by a lot of people, and I include myself in this. Okay, we learn these facts about the genocide of Native Americans, and the stats show how they have the highest alcoholism, drug use, and suicide rate, but as a 21 year old college student, besides look into signing up for the study abroad that Sam has mentioned, there is not much that one person can go out and do that would bring about any change. When we were learning about discrimination from one race to another people could simply start being nicer to people and start having more understanding to someone of another race. But it is harder for someone to lend a helping hand while they are busy with school, and have their own expenses to worry about. Now I am not saying that this is a valid excuse to ignore what is going, I am simply saying that the effort to rectify the situation being done to Native Americans requires more effort, and it is effort that people in our age group feel they cannot spare. I feel the best thing we can do is to get the word out on what is happening. I know I really did not know any of these facts before, and why not? If people are aware of this they are way more likely to give a helping hand. From my memory, I have never seen any kind of organization devoted to improving the lives of Native Americans. If people were informed of what was going on and was given a place to donate money, I am sure that people would donate. It is way to large of an injustice to go unnoticed by the public if only more people talked about what happened and informed people. We do have the power to change this though, and just with how many people are being informed through this class I feel will help us make strides in the right direction. One day this generation will be in a position to change things in this world, and if we are aware of these issues that are out there but are not spoken about, we can bring them to the forefront of discussions that matter.
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I feel like it is not upsetting to some people because most people think that this does not directly affect them and that what they do does not affect others. Personally, I know from listening to that lecture about Native Americans I sort of felt guilty about it, but not enough for me to go home and do anything different. This is where the problem lies in the United States, many people simply do not care enough or feel like they are not doing a whole lot to contribute, therefore, they do not try to help out the situation at hand.
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I think it's sad people don't think that this affect them in any shape or form! People are out there suffering they are not in a different part of the world that we can't see, they are literally in our backyard. I find it very ignorant that people believe it's either not are fault…like Sam said we are ALL IN THIS TOGETHER! People are living not at the poverty line but dangerously below the poverty line I find it hypocritical that people are willing to help others in another part of the world, but you can't find the time to help the Native Americans! We practically stole this land and genocide a whole group of people and not even give an apology for it….this is really f—ed up. I believe that once we admit that we did this to the Native Americans we have to admit our founders were heartless S.O.B's and I do not believe we are willing to admit this. And to the people who strongly believe that this doesn't affect you picture your family struggling day to day, trying to find illegal ways to escape your problems, and ultimately feeling like you don't even matter in the world and want to kill yourself. If you had to live as an Native American for a day…No an HOUR I think your views would change.
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As part of our neurological programming we are donned with this hypothetical keyboard which allow us to write our very mind to fit our capability and needs as we progress through transitions in our lives. Within that "programming" we find basic human instincts which determine our stability as beings, many being our ability to talk, see, eat, etc. Then we find more complex code which we have written which determine our state of being and our ability to assimilate as well as perform, i.e. what trigger emotions, who we hang out with, the hobbies we undertake, etc. Unfortunately the way our programming works is based only on the person writing it. As bad as it is our programming is made for a "me only" society in which case the reason for us programming ourselves to do something only relies on our wants. What a bunch of vain selfish people right? Thing is it is human nature. We care at the instant but as soon as we see it does not pain us in any way directly (of course according to the person) we disregard it and maybe talk about it after, but what is done? The answer is nothing. We as a society live a life without concern unless it affects us directly or someone that falls into our "circle" of life. Unfortunately this is the very same case. Of course we go by living and acknowledge what is going on and we put on the same "Oh my God!" face but that does not dictate our ability to react to these actions. What I mean by a reaction to this is an acknowledgment that allows us to perform. We must stop this "me" programming and transition to the "us" programming. It is easier said than done. We cannot blame ourselves for not caring in the first place because that is the way we think. On the contrary everything that has happened in which we have reaped the benefits there after are directly related to us regardless of how it was given to us and by who. Thus we are to blame as well. We reach a point in which we say: "Well I feel bad but what can I do?" This is usually the breaking point in which we probably 95% of us will drop this question and disregard it because our efforts seem useless. It takes a lot to be someone who reacts fully. We all have that very same capability but because of our "me" mentality we stop at a certain point and give up. So what can you do? We need to change the world. "Oh but that is hard how can I do that?" It is simple. We need to get everyone to accept this issue. The best way to change anything in this society is to hit them where it really will hurt: mentally. Our brains are probably one of the most complex systems that are known and if we can integrate this "us" mentality then we are taking one step closer to changing the world. Going back to what can you do: acknowledge. Once you can complete this take it to others to acknowledge. We do not need to change the world now, but if we can start getting people to change this mentality now future generations which we will produce will have the same to acknowledge and then they will pass it to the next generation. Hopefully when everyone can react mentally to this a physical change can occur and we can change our world. Hypothetically this should work, but we must now take the initiative in accepting a blame which has been placed in our hands and change the way others see it as well.
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I watched a few video questions before this one but I chose to respond because I noticed the same thing in class that this kid is talking about. It is not that I feel like people should feel guilty about what happened to the Native American’s so long ago, but I really do get what Sam was saying when he said he just wants people to acknowledge that it happened. I feel like compared to some of his other lectures, people weren’t really paying attention as much during the past couple of lectures because they felt like it doesn’t really concern them. To me, I could tell that when Sam was talking, he felt really passionately about this topic so I really tried to understand where he was coming from, and I ended up coming to some conclusions.
It is not really that we should feel responsible or guilty about what happened way before our grandparents were even born, but we need to realize what is happening to the Native Americans now, during our lifetime. I never knew that Native Americans are some of the poorest people living in the United States or that they have the highest teen suicide rate in the country. There is nothing we can do to change what happened in the past, but I feel like there are things we can do now, to help improve the way these people are being treated. Even in small ways, like taking that class where you live with a Native American tribe and learn about them and their traditions, that someday soon may be completely gone. Vote for politicians who have plans to help out those people living on reservations, or write letters to politicians telling them of your concern for the original people of America. Even donate money to organizations that help out the poorest Native Americans.
I feel like I have grown up with this image of Native Americans as a peaceful people who love and respect nature. In grade school we learn about the origin of Thanksgiving and how the Native Americans taught our ancestors how to grow corn and live off the land. Society gave me this image of Native Americans that I never really thought to question, because like Sam said, people just don’t talk about the bad stuff. Even in high school, I learned about the trail of tears but until I was sitting in Sam’s class, I never realized that it was the largest genocide in human history. We spend so much time learning about the Holocaust, we read books on it, watch movies on it and visit museums to learn about, we know so much about the horror of what happened, yet we know so little about the terrible things that happened in our own country.
Basically, Sam’s last few lectures have really opened my eyes about this issue, and I really do now understand what he was saying about at the very least, acknowledging what happened and is happening to Native Americans.
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I feel like this information is hard to grasp because it is not in our faces. We do not see this information everyday nor do we usually feel the effects of this genocide. We are aware now that Native Americans face a lot of issues with poverty and suicide, but we do not see these on a first hand basis. It is hard to imagine the numbers as tangible especially since the population is so small for Native Americans. It is hard to grasp for many Americans because we live in such an advanced era that we don’t think of these events as really taking place.
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It was interesting to note two different perspectives about the plight of Native American's in this week's class. I guess you could say, among the other feelings towards Native Americans, there was a "defense" and "offense" side.
The "defense" team had a rebuttal to Sam's lecture that interpreted our professor's words into a sort of sick blame game. I as well as many of you undoubtedly heard the argument from a young woman in class that seemed to take offense at Sam's words almost, as she claimed that the plight of "Indians" was not "her fault" or anyone else's in the room, and that she was unsure of the next step into mediating the Native American "problem". For anyone who failed to make sense of Sam's overall message, I could see how this argument could manifest itself. I recall from Dr. Mulvey's book the progress that she was able to make in the race discussion when she sat back and actually listened to the opinion and meaning of the argument from the other side, rather than hearing an argument and "waiting for her turn to speak". Instead of filtering through one's words and excavating how they could someway effect us as individuals, and formulating a way to make a rebuttal that regards ourselves as innocent, or not in the wrong, why don’t we just listen to the message for what it is, objectively, to begin to tear down the wall we have built around ourselves.
On the other hand, I recall a young man who diverted our conversation about Native Americans to the king-of-the-mountain-slash-social-Darwinian explanation for this group's plight.
Sam is posted up in the front of the class making me consider switching my major. As a Comanche woman, I am all too familiar with my history and my ancestor's plight. Actually, I am familiar with my family's plight as well, because I have had the humbling opportunity to witness the horror of two of the hundreds of reservations that are formally recognized by this United States. My mother and father are divorced because, as statistics show, Native Americans have the highest level of substance abuse and my dad was unfortunately known to come home most evenings, sauced. When I went back to the Santa Clara Pueblo reservation two summers ago, my cousin told me a story of how she feared for her child’s life after he was playing in a sandbox and discovered an apparently used hypodermic needle right there, next to her son, in the god damn sand. I don’t know what the step in the right direction is. I’m not demanding anything from any white people. I just wish it was easier for people to recognize that we are not on a level playing field.
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I agree with what you are saying. It is hard to imagine people don’t care that a group of people were mass murdered, stolen from and just plainly mistreated. I think that some people will always have the mind set that is the past; this is the present. I wasn’t involved so why should I care? Unfortunately there are a significant number of people so self-observed and uncompassionate that does not care. Hopefully, it is just a phase and they will mature in the future, but that is not always likely. I think the education of this massacre should be more wide spread so more people are aware.
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i think what why most people tend to overlook the Native American genocide is for a couple reasons. I think the main one is, Americans tend to pride themselves on being the best country in the world. So when it comes to stuff like genocide, we kind of sweep that under the rug and celebrate it with Thanksgiving. I think the other reason is that so many people when they are younger are taught differently especially about people like Christopher Columbus and others that did terrible things, but still need to be praised for leading a voyage. Mainly its because it has to do with us directly. Look at the 9/11 attacks, the first thing to come from that was blame on someone else. When it really should have been the lack of airport security, and pilot safety,
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it really is sad what happened i do a agree. it is horrible what had to happen to these people but I think the reason it doesn't hit home for a lot of people is becuase they didn't actually see it. There aren't any reservations around here that I know of, i don't think there are even any in pennsylvania. So that doesn't help much for the students around here that are from PA. I think in order to get even an idea of what happened you would have to see the place. People connect with things a lot easier when they can actually see a place or be where it happened. And there isn't even one close by that you can visit. I honestly dont really get it, don't really feel responsible or understand why it is still a big deal. It does not involve me and with all the committments required of all of us now a days people don't have time to worry about things that don't effect them.
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We are like slaves in this world and we have no time for extra worrying, i have no time to care about anything besides my school work, money, and getting a job because if i dont do all that I will be living on the streets and not able to pay my $80,000 debt from school loans. I think there are quite a lot of people in the same position where if it doesn't have something to do with thier major or their field of work or is directly related to them or their family or friends they dont have time to care. And honestly I only know a few people that actually enjoy learning about history. And even when i was taught the history the teachers were not very enthusiastic about it and only taught it to get it over with. they were much more interested in other things that didn't put such a bad light on the US. I guess maybe if we were taught at an earlier age that might help our understanding a little or help us be sypathetic. but it would really help if we could see it.
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it might help it stick a little better in our heads. however, it still has nothing to do with me and doesn't ever effect my daily routine so I dont really feel anything. i feel bad that they have a harder time with things but everyone is dealt different cards and it is all by luck. if i feel bad for them, should the people who are born into rihc families feel bad for people like me? I put my self through college without the help of my parents and that is hard. everyone has hard times somewhere in there life and it is just like sam said in class, some people have more obstacles than others but some people find smarter and faster ways to get around them.
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I think that sometimes people don’t find this upsetting because of multiple reasons. One of them is that people believe that because the main genocide happened so long ago the blame shouldn’t be put on anyone’s shoulders at all. Another main reason people don’t feel as bad I believe is because a lot of people especially immigrants or kids whose parents are immigrants see this as the white man’s problem and by white man I just mean the people who immigrated here when this genocide was taking place. They see it as not their concern because it’s just not fair that they have to worry about something that they didn’t cause. This is wrong in my opinion but it is understandable.
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I dont think that assuming that people dont care is fair, many people just dont know what they could do to help the situation. Sam has constantly made us think of/ and for some people become totally aware of , the history of horrible treatment that Native Americans have received from the time we arrived and took their land, until now. I believe that everyone in class "took home the message" of Native Americans and how they have been treated. We saw pictures, watched video, listened to songs and heard Sam's statistics. The problem for many is the fact that since the U.S. has done such a "great job" and cleaning away traces of its Native people, we are not forced to interact with or even see it in our every day lives. I know that many people do not travel. If you never travel then you can never gain a true view on other culture. I know that in New York you most likely will never run into a Native American. When i went to the grand canyon, we traveled throughout South Dakota. During my travel a Native American man spoke to us about how "The White Man" basically messed everything up. He told us of his tribe and explained the states name to me. Saying it was one of 3 tribes in the area. Some people will never know the history that has taken place, some people will never know that we were not given this land for free, rather we took it by brute force. The media tries to burn it into the brains of children early, depicting Native Americans as primitive savages in cartoons and children's movies. They often color these characters bright red, for example, in Disney's "Peter Pan" the tribe of Native Americans are referred to as the "Red Man" and the children are trying to figure out "What makes the red man red?" trying to figure out why they are different. Some people cannot be put entirely to blame for not going out and doing something about a cause they just learned existed. Denial could be a key factor as well as the want to ignore something like this. Humans naturally dont want to do things that they do not have to do. Though sometimes this is a selfish and horrible descision when the lack of action affects others, it is human nature to block out things that they do not wish to deal with. So though people all heard the same message Same gave, its all about how its recieved. many got it and dont know what to do, some got it and dont want to deal with it because they are not affected, and some just find that America can do no wrong.
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I think that the Native American genocide is very sad for many people. I think that people are affected about it, but that do not know what to do. What can we do to help them now? America has changed and grown so much since then. I feel that because this did not directly affect the youth of today that we do not feel as responsible for it as we should. People do not show them any respect, and are treated like third class citizens in their own country. We should do something about it, but I do not think anything we do now will make up for all the damage America has caused to their people.
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In 1492, the Europeans started to take over the Native American land in North America that killed ninety percent of the Native Americans due to disease and war. Between 1949 and 1966, Mao Zedong killed between forty nine and seventy eight million people because of communism in China and Tibet. In 1923, Joseph Stalin, leader of the Soviet Union, forced a genocide caused by famine that killed twenty three million people in Ukraine. In 1944, Che Guevara killed 69,000 people in Cuba because of the Communism in Cuba.
However, nobody did anything about any of these genocides. A couple of weeks ago, my dad called me and told me to watch a documentary on communism by Glenn Beck on NBC. It was very interesting and focused on all of the communistic leaders that I mentioned above including Mao Zedong, Che Guevara, and Joseph Stalin. This was the most interesting documentary I’ve ever seen because I honestly had never heard of any of the genocides that Glenn Beck’s documentary including. Now, I consider that the education that I have received through high school was better than most public school educations and I feel that I am more beneficial than most people coming to college because I attended a private catholic school that focused on academics and that is is it. So if I did not learn about any of these genocides, then how did anyone else (minus the select few teachers who did teach this to their students).
The reason I brought this up is because it relates the to Native American problem in America. Even though the Native Americans’ genocide occurs in America in 1492, some people believ that we should still feel bad about what our ancestors did to the Native Americans. Similarly, some people also believe that we should still feel bad about what we did to African Americans during the civil war. However, I completely disagree with that belief because it is a completely different time. I do not feel that we should be paying for what our ancestors did to people over a hundred years ago, but we should do something about what is happening during our time. For example, I do not feel like we should be paying for what our ancestors have done because that is not us, but I feel like if something is happening during our time period we should take action. Honestly, how can something that happened one hundred years ago be something that I should be sorry for. The problem that I do not get is that why did the United States take action when the nine million Jews died nin World War 2, but non eof the other genocides? And that is my final opinion. BOOOM!
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I can honestly say the first time I heard the term, “genocide” to describe the removal of Native Americans from their lands was from Sam. He touched on this topic in my Soc 4 class freshman year. I had never heard the word “genocide” regarding Native Americans in any history class, peer group, or even through mass media. This term is both significant and shocking. Now most people associate the term “genocide” with the holocaust. Personally the term conjures up images of Nazi concentration camps, far away in WWII Europe, never here on U.S. soil. Now in response to my classmate’s question, the reason people cannot connect to this issue is due to the situation described above, they are simply unaware. I remember learning about “The Indians” in third grade social studies. I can even remember the tribes, their geography, their trades, and cultural structure. However, I never learned about the injustice, violence, and utter genocide that occurred to these people across the country. When I think back on those lessons, nothing was ever said about the “Indians” current status. A mystical, mysterious portrait was painted of these people and was simply forgotten when my class moved on to lessons on the Oregon Trail. Now I am not advocating teaching third graders about this horrifying point in American history, however like Germany takes responsibility for the Nazi revolution, America must acknowledge its own wrongdoing. If American children are taught about the Holocaust, why shouldn’t they learn about the genocide that occurred in their own country? As many of my classmates suggest, we should not be blamed for the sins of our forefathers, however we are committing our own form of genocide by not admitting these sins and denying an entire race of American people. There is obvious hypocrisy in this country to believe that this nation was “new” land, it was not, and it was red land. Numerous outlets in our society are to blame for this hypocrisy. Mass media, secondary education, and historians, have all worked together to conceal and ignore the horrifying treatment of Native Americans at the hands of American settlers. Some may say that these people have a better life, living on reservations, with no laws and tax breaks. These people are ignorant to think that being forced from your land and given a trailer is just cause for these sins. It makes me sick to my stomach thinking about this genocide and therein lies another reason people do not know or choose to ignore this issue; they simply don’t want to face the truth. But ignorance is not bliss and we cannot simply ignore the murder, theft, and discrimination Native Americans have experienced in this country and continue to experience. We must acknowledge this fact and teach our children. We must take responsibility for the sins of our father and at the very least recognize their faults.
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I think the reason why I don’t take it as hard as I should is because I don’t see it. It’s like if I can’t see it then it isn’t happening. I know deep down it is, but I chose to ignore it until I see the pictures in class. Even then it doesn’t stick because it isn’t around me. I see the pictures in class or the videos and then I go on with my daily life. It’s like when you see the commercials on TV for kids in foreign countries starving. You might send a donation or sponsor a child but even then 9 out 10 people don’t have another thought about it. I’m not saying it’s right but I’m just answering the question from my point of view.
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I agree with most of what is posted up as to why the genocide seems so foreign. I do have a few of my own points I would like to express. Obviously everyone begins with the fact that this took place more than a few centuries ago. Because it took place so long ago, we can’t really relate since we have no direct affiliation with it meaning the genocide. Centuries of discrimination against Native Americans has become engrained into society so much that it has become a norm. It has become normal for society to accept the fact that Native Americans live less privileged lives than most other minorities. Americans accept the fact that they live on reservations that are very poor and have high unemployment rates. Most of the Native Americans live in poverty on these reservations. I think it is easy for most Americans to accept these facts because this genocide happened so long ago that it is hard for us to relate to how severe it really was. I do not wish to offend anybody with what I am about to say; I simply want to express my opinion. I do believe that Native Americans have experienced the worst discrimination than most races. They have been held down for the longest time. Although this may be true, I still feel that Native Americans themselves should still be pushing to make themselves a better race. What I mean by this is that I think the Native American should be doing more for themselves. They should be pushing to get better education, more resources, and for equality in the work place. A better education will better them in so many ways. A better education from a young age enables and if not pushes them to attend college. Higher education comes with many benefits. Overtime, these could greatly increase the reach of the Native Americans throughout the U.S. economy. Native Americans would be able to hold more white collar jobs. They would also have incentives to leave the reservation for a better life. This would greatly improve their status if this could even be achieved. Simply better education and opportunities would help their future lifestyles. Although some reservations do make money off their casinos; this only applies to a small percent of Native Americans that live in the upper class. Although I can agree that the Native Americans have been discriminated for the long time, I believe that they still should try to persevere through their current circumstances. I’m going to explain why I have this opinion. I feel like this because honestly I’ve never been properly education on the Native American genocide. Growing up in the American school system, I learned the basic fundamentals of the roles of Native Americans during the first Thanksgiving Day and the settlement of the first colony. That is basically about it. After that, we don’t get into specific detail about the rest of the roles that Native Americans played in the United States; at least to my education level.
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I think that people aren't as effected by this issue as sam richards is for a few reasons. First of all, most people in the room really can not relate to what he is talking about even with the pictures and data he shows us. There is poverty all over the world, and I think maybe it doesn't really hit home for people unless they experience it first hand. Also with that being said, there is poverty all over the world. It definitely sucks for Native Americans that so many of them are poor, but there are a lot of other people living in poverty as well. In my opinion, the story of the Native Americans being poor doesn't reach me any more emotionally than hearing about any other homeless or poor person. Sure, their land was taken from them, but that was a very long time ago, way before black people were slaves, and black people aren't just living in black colonies complaining about it, they are fighting for rights and making it a priority for things to become more equal.
I also just don't understand the issue fully, which is another reason that other people probably don't feel as bad for them also. In class, we learned that the native americans are poor, but thats about all we learned about them. Sam does a terrible job of giving specific examples on this topic, probably because either there are none or he just has no idea. We just know that they are poor, and he equates that in class since there are so many of them that are poor to racism. Maybe there is racism going on, but how am I supposed to know that. I've never seen or heard anyone say or do anything racist against a Native American. That doesn't mean that it doesnt exist, but I would understand better and feel more for their situation if I knew of some more specific examples. I don't include the whole red nigger thing because every racial, ethnic, color, anything group are called mean names and that doesn't hold them back and keep them in poverty.
Another reason why people really dont recognize this as a huge issue is because they don't know many or any native americans. I'm not talking about people who have native american blood, im talking about people who live on reservations and only associate with native american and nothing else. If you dont experience something first hand, its hard to understand well. Everyone knows a black person who feels as if they are being oppressed and countless other racist examples. I just have never seen any native american being held down because of their race, if anything, I have seen native americans who were proud of their race. I dunno, Im gonna die before anyone figures this out so who cares.
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I found myself somewhat offended by your question even though I know I shouldn’t be at all. Perhaps because I feel as if you have grouped our class into one conglomerate inconsiderate group when I know that both you and I are playing on the same team. Through out our discussion, one that I though was much more important than the actual lecture topic that day, people began to grow uneasy. Kids shifted uncomfortably in their chairs and began to converse with their friends and neighbors instead of being immersed by the reality the rest of us were discussing. I cannot blame them however. It is much easier to put up an imaginary wall of not caring. From all directions I heard murmurs of “this is worthless” and whispers of “who cares?” And then you ask me how I cannot be moved? I want to stand up and say I do care, more than I carry on. Perhaps it was my upbringing, in fact I’m sure it was, that lead me to become passionate about American Indians. My grandmother has some Native American in her blood, nothing to change her appearance or anything of the sort. Perhaps we are even just claiming it and it isn’t true. My father’s side of the family has actually had an experience with American Indians that isn’t a good one. My family has been in the Pittsburgh area since pre-revolutionary war times. One of my ancestors, Massy Harbison, had two of her children murdered by American Indians. Here is the link if you want a brief summary. http://www.saxonburglocalhistory.com/MasseyHarbis... My father and I both share a love for the outdoors that very few people have and I believe part of that is due to our love of Native American culture. I can remember in my first room there were multiple “artifacts” that came from tribes in our region. All that was more or less just to give me some credibility when I say I am disheartened every time I hear the Native Americans story. I recently finished a book on the Lakota tribes ethics and morals that was very eye opening to me. There ability for compassion is one that I think everyone should learn from. From day one they have helped us. Some people forget that the pilgrims would not have lived through one winter without the help of the Native Americans. It was the Native Americans, Navajo to be specific, who created a radio code in WWII that the Germans could not crack. Yet today we continue to disrespect them. I feel very “moved” by every atrocity we have committed to them, but at the same time I am overwhelmed. I ask myself what I can do as an individual and the only thing I can come up with is speak up for them when I have the opportunity. I hope some day I have the resources to do more than that, perhaps lobby for laws or educate their children who normally wouldn’t have a chance. I am just another fish in the sea but before my death I am certain that I will see change for these deserving people.
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I just do not see it. I never studied history or Native Americans and if it does not effect me personally now in life then I am not worried. It is like that saying not my chair not my problem. Like I understand some people are really interested in learning about his more and more, but for me I can care less. I know there are a lot of people who feel the same way and they just do not want to say they do not care. Maybe I am part of the race problems I do not care, or what to speak about it so I am not going to. Like someone else said in this section, we only think about it when someone talks about it. I think this is the first class i ever had that spoke about any problems like this or native Americans in general, or who knows maybe i am just not paying attention in history class. I am the complete opposite of the person who asked this question. I would say what makes people care so much about issues like this. How does it affect you? Really? to you personally? For me it is not just this topic though its every other one including slavery. I care about my grades and getting a job and my family and friends. Other then that what else do i have to worried about. Life is to short to worry. As Sam says were all gonna die soon anyway so who gives a BEEEP!
Then again there are those people that really care and i guess you have your opinions to care or not, but like Sam they have to convince the people that do not care to care. That is something hard to do especially when someone has their mind set on something. The person in the video sounds like they care so much about it which amazes me because i just can not see it.
I am trying to think of a way that would help me see it, but I can't. I think the only way I would see it would be if a real person in a situation would come explain. For instance a Native American guest speaker or something. When one white person is just talking to another white person, sometimes I just think why do they care and get involved in shit that is minimal.
If anyone reads this post let me know if you agree or not or just think I am living in a bubble or something. I do not like to think myself as living like that, but I guess the people that care about this will be mad at me for all that I said. The end result is if there is no connection to you personally then what is to worry about. You can not change any past happenings and you can not predict the future.
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i think first and foremost people are not talking about it because it does not happen to them or they do not live in that area. we tend to stay out of problems that do not involve us, which obviously we need to change. this is a big issue but no one will step up because we did steal from them, reffering to white men. its almost like a guilt so deep we feel as if we avoid it long enough it will go away, kind of like a pesty ex girlfriend. but an entire culture is not your ex girlfriend it does not go away. we have to deal with this issue head on if we want it to change and sadly i do not see that happening here. we avoid it because we dont like change in our lives and we figure why change something that seems to be a norm.
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I think that many people feel like what happened to the Native Americans is not their fault. I think that many people feel like we really can’t do anything about it anymore and that it happened so long ago to do something about it now. In addition, people haven’t been directly affected by it so it really doesn’t hit home for them. For something to really hit home for someone it think has to closely relate to them, and of course we can’t relate to someone taking land from us. But if you think about it, Native Americans have a similar obstacle because it’s not their fault that they had they’re ancestor’s land taken away from them. They were born into learning that many years ago all this land once belonged to them. Therefore, were in a similar position, nothing was our fault but it happened and we can do something about it. People should stop thinking that it’s not their fault and start thinking about ways we can give back. Seeing how they’re the poorest people in the United States we can get people together to start a sort of fundraiser to get them more school supplies, etc. Or we can also donate used books and just start a bond with these innocent people. I think that some Native Americans think that since it was not our fault the genocide happened that we’re not willing to do anything about it but we should show them the contrary. This I think will ease so tension or feelings about this history and will form a special relationship. We need to keep in mind that we can’t change everything but I think that even by trying to do something will count a lot. Ultimately, people will realize that this should disturb us and that just because we didn’t commit the genocide does not mean that we’re completely innocent. We can’t erase history but we can change the future by starting right now. People can make drastic changes as long as they set their minds to it. Coming together for this good cause should be the new “talk” right now and action needs to take place. How to start? By researching the different ways we can help and learning more about Native Americans. Going to visit the closest reservation to do some community service maybe? Most importantly however, is spreading the word. We need to let people know about what’s happened and how to help. By doing so we can move on to a more prosperous future concerning this subject.
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