Analysis: The Age-Old Native American Fight

The Age-Old Native American Fight To preface this paper, the reader ought to keep in mind that individual tribes have unique cultures that are defined by their music, language, art, cuisine,etc. In efforts to maintain a succinct paper, the experiences of individual tribes are generalized by using specific examples. The treatment of Native Americans, African Americans, and the Japanese are three stains on the United States’ record. They are the ugly parts of history that are uncomfortable and slightly taboo. Of the three, the Native Americans stand out because prior to the arrival of European settlers,the natives lived in self-sustained communities spread out across America with unique and defining characteristics. Tribes were connected …show more content…
This type of condescending tone rationalized the sometimes forceful conversion of natives to Christianity. In a sense the Americans were “colonizing” the natives, although they are the ones that aided the Americans economically by giving advice to help them expand their country and survive. Also the natives were forced to abide by the American’s laws. Also colonizers believed that they are obligated to “civilize” the rest of the world, but major philosophers like Immanuel Kant and Adam Smith actually viewed colonialism as barbaric and immoral (Kohn and Kavita). The Americans justified encroaching on and extorting the Native American’s land by saying that they were there to promote “ commercial agriculture, Christianity, an alteration in the gender-based divisions of labor among Indians, and, most importantly, private ownership of land” (Braund). With this new lifestyle, the natives would not need their land for traditional practices. Some natives adapted parts of their lifestyle, but retained most of their culture. It became problematic for the Americans when the natives did not move or give up their land. Then they utilized brute force to push the natives out of their lands through the Indian Removal Act. By forcing their laws onto the natives, the American government recognized the natives as a part of the US, although they were not treated humanely …show more content…
In the 1800’s, policies, like General Sherman’s attack now, talk later, were common amongst the American government when dealing with the natives (Bellew). The military would bulldoze over the Native Americans, and prioritize the American issues. Although not as harsh a physical harm, respect for Native Americans and ignorance to their problems are evident from the verbiage used to talk about them, portrayals in mainstream media, and urban greed for land sacred to the natives. A man with his face painted, bearing a feather headdress and beads is a stereotypical representation of a Native American. The issue with using such imagery is how it leads to ignorance. Native American is a blanket term that encompasses so many diverse groups, that homogenizing them all under one face disregards their individuality. Redskins and Indian are commonly associated or branded with Native Americans. Using any Native American branding for unrelated causes is insensitive because it “perpetuate misinformation and stereotypes about American Indians, including the stereotype of the noble savage, the bloodthirsty savage, and that American Indians are a historic race that only exists in past-tense status” (Steinfeldt et al.). The public knows little or is ignorant about Native American culture. When people wear feather headdresses that represent something sacred as a costume or

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