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Post by Emma on Jun 5, 2010 11:29:35 GMT -5
In my upcoming history NEWT there is a bit about native americans, so we've been doing about Thomas Jefferson wanting them to relocate and the Indian removal act and things...so I just wanted to know - was it just a case of the white colonists wanting America to themselves? Was it purely a case of getting rid of them because they were selfish and wanted the land? I guess it was just a case of close mindedness, similar to Britain converting everywhere to Christianity to make them civil?
Kind of follow up question - I know you guys will obviously be fine with natives duh, but are there still people out there who dislike them? Or are the groups of natives so sparse and non-existant now that most of them are integrated into white life?
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Post by Scrumtrulescent on Jun 5, 2010 22:49:19 GMT -5
Most native Americans AFAIK live on reservations still (mostly in Oklahoma and out west) - and it's terrible, cases as high as 90% unemployment and alcoholism + drugs are a huge problem, very few go onto college (which is sad/ridiculous - if you are Native American any college will give you a full ride - ANY). You might want to look up the "Trail of Tears" though it's seriously depressing, just to warn you.
Mostly white Americans feel guilty about the Native Americans as it's beat into our brains fairly early how awful we were to them - there's no real Anti-Native American sentiment among anyone I've ever met, though I guess the white purists KKK types probably don't like them. There's not enough of them to dislike. Some super Republicans will probably tell you that they suck goverment money b/c they all live off of welfare and government funded programs, which is true to an extent, but good damn whose fault is that?
Rachel can ask her history buff boyfriend for more info, I'm sure. I'm kinda sketchy at best about this.
And yeah the relocation was all about getting the right kind of farmland, so we "relocated" what NA's were left, as most of them were killed with smallpox and wars and such. And there was attempts to "civilize" them by forcing them to accept Christianity + European ways of life, which obviously most of them took offense to.
Some of them did marry into white life - just about every white person in America will tell you they're at least a very little bit Native American - Rachel and I have Cherokee and Algonquin in us (like great-great-grandmothers or something). As you can tell by our ethnic looks.
Random fact: Native Americans have no body hair. I met someone who is half-black, half-white/Cherokee who told me this. That would be so awesome to never have to shave.
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Post by Emma on Jun 7, 2010 9:49:28 GMT -5
Woah they get a free scholarship? No way how awesome. And yeah they were totally like the dodo, not used to illnesses and predators then suddenly they appear, they're not prepared and boom. So sad Stupid British diseases and shit. We do a lot about the Founding Fathers in history who are seen as demi-Gods it seems by some (mostly conservatives) but omg there was so much wrong with them. Like when Obama implemented those healthcare rules and some people were all "omg the founding fathers will hate this!" I was thinking 'lol the founding fathers thought blacks were 3/4 of a person but k.' Like the founding fathers are the moral compass in american life Even people in my class were like "they just wanted the best for America!" Which I agree they did but some of what they did was slightly questionable But thanks Liz! Maybe I will actually get a pass grade in my NEWT now wah
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Post by Scrumtrulescent on Jun 7, 2010 23:30:54 GMT -5
Yeah the federal government has to basically guarantee a college education to any Native American, which is like, the least they could do.
I read "Lies my Teacher Told Me" and I think you would really like it - its' all about historical myths and how everything we know about founding fathers/basic history is wrong. I loved it. I think there are two, actually - an American history one (the one I read) and one about World history? I'm not sure.
Eeek I don't want to actually be held responsible as your source of info about Native American history, lol. In school we learn a lot about the different tribes and wars and the first Thanksgiving, and they are better now about including stuff like the Trail of Tears but it's definitely glossed over some. Kinda like Thomas Jefferson having a secret black family and a lot of the founding fathers being slave owners/pot growers + smokers and such. And Columbus/Spainards killing 95% of the Natives they came across within 5 years due to slavery and disease. You know, the "downer" stuff.
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Post by Emma on Jun 8, 2010 10:55:06 GMT -5
I will use your knowledge to supplement my own ^_^ I also love hearing about it from a different point of view!
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