Close Topic Options

Indians vs. Cowboys vs. Mexicans - Page 2

When I saw this story I was excited, because it focuses on the theme of this thread. If any of you see this story on Nightline, please follow up with it here. Thanks.

From: Leroy Sievers and the Nightline Staff
Nightline Offices
Washington, D.C

I don't want to be flip about this story, to not take it seriously, but I keep thinking of "The Music Man," and the whole "ya got trouble right here in River City" thing. Tonight, freelance producer Sean Fine will take you to a town in Upper Labrador, Canada. It's a Native American town, the Innu people. Now, we consider ourselves, and Canada, as First World countries. We look at pictures of Third World countries and the conditions there and feel badly, but we say to ourselves, "Well, that's the Third World." The town we'll look at tonight is in the "First World." But there is no running water. Toilets are buckets. There's no power. And things were getting so bad that a lot of the kids were sniffing gasoline.

So what did they do? A tribal police officer, who had abused drugs and sniffed gas as a child himself, led the drive to try to save the people. Not the town, the people. He videotaped some of the kids in town sniffing gas, and that tape so outraged people, and so embarrassed the Canadian government, that it built a whole new town - a new town with houses that had electricity, and running water, and working plumbing. None of us can imagine what that move must have been like, going from Third World to First in a day. It's an amazing story, and one that actually leaves you with some hope that good things can be accomplished.

Mexicans vs Cowboys vs Indians

JB this is a great topic, but it's also a very *unknown* issue with most Americans.  I know a little bit, but not as much as I should.

I think that the Downfall of the Indians was a combination of several factors, most of which you listed in the poll.   The Indians never united together; they had no idea the great numbers of the White Man.  But I think the major reason they fell was that they could not understand the motivation behind the White Man.  They had no concept of killing just for killing's sake, nor that the White Man would not hesitate to wipe them off the face of the Earth to take over the land.  I think the Indians always expected to end up living together peacefully and sharing the land, as they did with their own (other Indian) enemies, but which was never an option with the Whites.  This is why the Indians signed treaties with the US government; they truly thought they could live side by side with the Whites.

It's one of the saddest stories in history.

Did you know that nearly every major dam/reservoir in the United States - which supply water to our major cities - is flooding some of the best, most fertile, Indian Reservation land?  Or some other very useful or sacred part of a Reservation?  The US government was ruthless in their appropriation of the best lands, and throwing the crumbs to the "Native Americans."  Ridiculous, outrageous, and no one stopped them.   Some tribes managed to sue Congress for compensation, but received pennies for the land -- nowhere near "market value" or true compensation.

One of the human tragedies of our sad world that can never truly be corrected -- or even avenged.

In my opinion.
Roz

Indians vs. Cowboys vs. Mexicans History & Civil Business Politics

QUOTE

JB this is a great topic, but it's also a very *unknown* issue with most Americans.  I know a little bit, but not as much as I should.

Thanks, it is a part of history that many try to forget (except for Hollywood's directors), but I love Indian Lore and the way of the North American Indian. There was a period in my life where I even spent money to go to their museums and other places in the US, rented movies, studied the art, etc. I wish that in Trinidad such things were preserved for our own Carib Indians.

Page 2 Mexicans vs Cowboys vs Indians

QUOTE

... I love Indian Lore and the way of the North American Indian. There was a period in my life where I even spent money to go to their museums and other places in the US, rented movies, studied the art, etc. I wish that in Trinidad such things were preserved for our own Carib Indians.

They were a very spiritual people, and so attuned to life and nature.  I suppose many still are that way, but the casinos and other commercial ventures are making it difficult for that nowadays.  We have a good-sized tribe in this area, and each receives income (based on lineage) from the casinos and etc.  A great deal of that income goes right back into the casino with gambling and drinking  - a very sad situation.  

There are some really great websites run by tribes.   I learned most of what I know from these.  Public school here doesn't teach much at all -- I think the US is ashamed of what they've done.

IMO
Roz

Mexicans vs Cowboys vs Indians

I wonder why there isn't more done to help them return to the strong family and principled values they once had? How did you vote Farseer?

Indians vs. Cowboys vs. Mexicans

I voted other, so here is my commend: on school in history classes I have been taught that although the europeans had better technology the indians were just to nice. when they saw the colonists they wanted to make friends and offered them gold for friendship. but the europeans wanted more and attacked them. but the main cause for a lot of dead indians was strange european diseases. because they didn't have doctors like we did they died from them and we did not

Indians vs. Cowboys vs. Mexicans - Page 2

QUOTE

I wonder why there isn't more done to help them return to the strong family and principled values they once had? How did you vote Farseer?

The tribes do what they can, I think, but the US government pretty much ignores the issue.

I don't think there was just one thing that caused the downfall.  It was a combination of a number of things.  The one that you don't have listed is the complete misunderstanding of both cultures.  The Indians had no idea the white man would just wipe them out completely if they had to -- that wasn't a concept they understood.  The white man was woefully ignorant of how the Indians thought, and as has happened in many histories, just assumed that the "savages" were too primitive to be allowed to live on their own.  They had to be managed and taught how to live "modern" and assimilated -- or eliminated.  Total arrogance.

It's like the Hawai'i story -- the Queen of Hawai'i was recognized around the world.  The U.S. forced her at gunpoint to abdicate so that they could have the islands as U.S. property and have a military presence in the Pacific Ocean.  That's outright *theft*.

In my opinion
Roz

Indians vs. Cowboys vs. Mexicans Politics Business Civil & History - Page 2

Agreed, of course we can also go with prophecy, but this is not the correct thread to pursue that. The poll is mostly to stimulate thought rather than to give a decisive answer.

Offtopic but, QUOTE It's like the Hawai'I story -- the Queen of Hawai'I was recognized around the world.  The U.S. forced her at gunpoint to abdicate so that they could have the islands as U.S. property and have a military presence in the Pacific Ocean.  That's outright *theft*. Now that is a topic I am not familiar with. Please do start a thread on it.

Now that is a topic I am not familiar with. Please do start a thread on it.