Genocide of Native Americans and the Contemporary Issues

Government funded American history books that are used a tool in public school will teach the youth of America that this land was discovered over 500 years ago by Christopher Columbus in 1492. That is a bold face lie. This land was actually discovered near the end of the last ice age over 11,000 years ago by nomadic tribes of humans wandering from modern day Russia over the Bering Straight to modern day Alaska. Since then, these people have been roaming the land and populating it with many different tribes, and eventually to become known as Native Americans. It is estimated that by 1492, there were roughly 8 million Native Americans inhabiting the Americas, north and south. Today, there are an estimated 5.2 million Native Americans.

After Columbus' arrival a great genocide of the Native Americans unfolded. The arriving Europeans preached of Manifest Destiny; that it was there destine, provided by God, to settle the new land. Settling this land meant by taking it by any means necessary. They soon realized that the Natives were not so keen on giving away the land that has provided them with life for thousands of years. The Europeans, being technologically more advanced, took the opportunity of being a stronger force and began wiping out the Natives. Methods they used were typical man vs. man warfare, killing of the Native's food sources and indirectly by bringing over "white-man's diseases" which the Natives had no developed bodily defenses for.

The man vs. man warfare was just the United States Army, but also civilians. The newfound government proposed the Homestead Act of 1862 which promised up to 160 acres of free land to any American citizen that could prove that the land would be productively utilized and that it would be defended against any attacks from "savages." This essentially employed any willing citizen as a soldier of the United States Army, without actually being a soldier. In the government's eyes, that was free guns for hire.

Not all Native Americans who fought back were killed, many were forced into slavery to do the dirty work that established the groundwork for the industrial nation that was soon to be booming from coast to coast. Many of the Native American children were abducted from their families to be forced into boarding schools where they were to "kill the savage/Indian, save the man." The boarding school were to teach the children American values and Judeo-Christian beliefs. This was to strip the upcoming generations of their culture so they would in turn accept their new and "better" lifestyle in hopes of their children being raised in the same manner. The plans was so that in a few generations and Native Americans would be dissolved into American society and no longer exist.

As a means to appeal the outraged natives, they were eventually granted reservations so they could live their lives to their satisfaction while the rest of America could live their lives to their satisfaction. Except the reservations they were given could not even amount to what was stolen from them. That is as if stealing a full course meal from someone then giving them back a spoonful.

The genocide and belittlement of Native Americans has ultimately led to them being stuck in time and invisible. Within all types of media and society, they are commonly represented as the traditional Indian from hundreds of years ago as if they no longer exist. This has led to Native Americans being "invisible" in today's society as most don't expect them to be integrated as they are. They are our local business owners, politicians, police, soldiers, teachers and neighbors. Although, without their traditional/ceremonial clothing, they are unrecognizable. This is saddening to see what racism has done to people. It has instilled stigmas in the minds of the majority and those not within the stigma simply do not exist.

This invisibility is greatly evident (technically not evident) in Criminal Justice records regarding the victimization of Native Americans. They are commonly mis-filed or not filed at all due to systematic racism and lack of care from Criminal Justice clerical employees. This is not excusable as they are also victimized at the highest rate compared to any other demographic.

What was done to Native Americans can never be undone, however, society could amend the atrocities committed by this nation’s forefathers by treating Native Americans of today with the respect that everyone should be treated with. They should not be treated as a lower group or as an extinct group. Indians (along with other minority groups) need to be given the same opportunities as those who are considered privileged. This would not undue the past but would be a step in the right direction to begin making amends.