I suppose today is Columbus Day, then.
Happy Columbus Day, everybody!
Now we acknowledge (for how many truly celebrate it?) the day that the Europeans realized the earth had another continent on it.
Who knew?!
Anyway, but before that there were people who lived in America. They were Natives (read: their ancestors had come from Asia SO long ago it didn't even count anymore. But actually, maybe they just started out in America? Who can REALLY prove what happened?).
So the story goes that good ol' Chris and his band of merry men stole land from the poor unsuspecting Native Americans, beating them down and treating them as inferiors without just cause.
What horrible people.
But are they? I mean, think about it- Europeans weren't starting anything new. Sure, Europe was very imperialistic. But in a way, so were the Native Americans.
Perhaps imperialistic isn't quite the right word to describe them. But many of the tribes were not very peaceful, and most tribes fought one another for land (e.g., warring tribe fights a peaceful one, gains land, thus peaceful tribe is involved too) and for resources. They pushed one another out of the good areas of the country in order to take for themselves.
Which is exactly what the Europeans did to the Native Americans.
And why not? They had been doing it for quite a long time, probably since one tribe discovered that another existed and had more buffalo than they did. They fought and kidnapped one another, just as the Europeans did to them. Europe shot, the Natives removed scalps. Honestly, I'd rather be shot dead than left with my head open and exposed until I died. *shudder*
You might say, "but the Europeans were much more advanced! How could they do that to someone so much weaker than them?" Bull. Of course, they were more advanced as far as weaponry and tools went. And of COURSE they used this to their advantage, just as the more streamlined fighters and workers of the Natives took advantage over lesser tribes. Besides which, the Native Americans certainly had something to offer. They knew nature very well, and could use it well, unlike many Europeans, who had some knowledge of nature in regards to hunting and logging but didn't use it well in terms of fighting. Thus, Guerilla Warfare- the Native Americans totally owned at it, and the Europeans still stood in their stupid little rows, waiting to be shot at. Certainly, bows, arrows, spears, and daggers were pretty nasty weapons, as well, especially considering the guns they were up against were not NEARLY as accurate nor deadly as they are today. (Well, that is debatable. Infection was much more difficult to treat at the time so the guns were deadly but also harder to aim properly.)
The point is that it did happen; the Native Americans were oppressed by the Europeans who came to the continent. But they were fighting and oppressing and stealing from one another long before the Europeans ever got a chance to. It was nothing new. So it is unfair that the Europeans should always come out the bad guys, with little or no regard to the often brutal ways of the Natives.
(Note: So much of this info could be screwed up... it's late and I'm tired and this is purely opinion, straight from my head and nothing more. Like, the only things are books and lessons I've learned from in the past that stuck with me. It doesn't mean I'm wrong, it just means some of this could be inaccurate.)
Post a Comment