Excellent article, thank you for sharing that!
Any thoughts/opinions about it?
Afternoon Jonny. As a kid growing up watching westerns (cowboys and Indians, or the 7th cavalry vs Indians) I always rooted for what were portrayed as the good guys against the baddies who were played by the Indians (mostly white blokes in make-up and poor wigs, led by blue eyed chiefs in the same garb - obviously couldn't give acting jobs to native Americans then for some reason).
As you get older you become more aware of the reality. I think the films Little Big Man and Dances with Wolves, started to show some of the realities of the conflict from the perspective of the native Americans. Then there was the film Geronimo, which I rewatched during lock-down!
Into the West was quite groundbreaking, showing life from the perspective of two families, one native American. It highlighted how the missionaries where responsible for many cruel acts, not least forbidding children from speaking in their native tongues, stopping the passing down of native history to younger generations (heathen views) and separating children from families, forcing them to leave settlements for 'schooling' in religion 100s of miles away. I often wonder why Hollywood in the modern era hasn't yet produced a gritty hard hitting high budget film, depicting the genocide and atrocities passed down on native Americans.
Anyway many years later I was working in an industry looking at the benefits of nature and green space on society and behaviour. I was taken by a study that showed the difference between native American children, children growing up on farms in the US and children growing up in urban environments. In a quick summary the urban kids had less respect for their surroundings than the others, thought nothing of littering, graffiti and the general environment. The farm kids grew up with an appreciation of nature but would take as much from the land as possible. The native American kids exhibited a culture that would take benefit from the land and animals but would consume only what they needed. Importantly, they would ensure that they left enough for nature to recover and thrive - a nurturing culture and I think a way of life that could teach the modern world a lot about protecting and nurturing the planet. Much of this was portrayed in a scene in Dances with Wolves. While hunting for a few buffalo for food and clothing, the native Americans found the herd had all been wiped out by the white man - greed. Taking just pelts and leaving hundreds of dead animals left to rot, leaving no animals to reproduce to provide for future generations.
A few years ago I read a book called Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, a book about the history of the native American tribes. It starts I think in the 1800's and charts the destruction of native tribes, spreading from the East coast to the West coast of the US, destroying their cultures and civilisation forever.
On a trip to New York a few years ago, after paying our respects at the 9/11 memorial, I wanted to go to the NATIONAL Museum of the American Indian. I cant tell you how disappointed I was. It was a huge building, a huge space with barely anything in it. Their history has almost been erased, with very few exhibits, beyond modern artists works.
As for the article, it's time to recognise that lands were stolen under false claims and great wrongs were done to the native people of America. I think we have a lot to learn from their culture, whats left of it and what has not been dismantled further by alcohol addictions and a reliance on revenue from gambling.