The Other Side: A First Peoples View
[A film still from The Last of the Mohicans. I thought this was appropriate.]
European "discovery"? More like invasion....
Things I've been reading about in the book I purchased, "Native American History: A chronology of a culture's vast achievements and their links to world events" by Judith Nies, is unbelievable with our knowledge today. I'm only to the late 1700's. I still have through to 1996 to read about! From the beginning of this book, it's clear to me how the US has been shaped and molded into the nation we know now. The sheer cruelty and barbaric behavior thrust upon, not only the First Peoples [aka Native Americans], but of other Europeans and African Natives by the Spanish and English is astonishing in the least. I'm not necessarily rooting for the "darker" people here. The Irish, the French [I know what some of you may think or say, but that's not what this is about], Native Americans, Africans, and Jamaicans along with the other Caribbean Natives were thrown into slavery by the Spanish and English without a care or worry. If these people refused to serve them, they died. All because these several different cultures didn't "fit" with what the Spanish and English thought were proper. They were considered ignorant savages. These people were not of Catholic faith. Or in the case of the French they were allies of those that did not have the Catholic faith [though, some of the French Jesuit missionaries had a mindset similar to the English]. Many of the Iroquois were the first to accept conversion [which I think is because their belief structure was very similar], but it still didn't end well in their case. Most First Peoples were slaughtered, enslaved, or died off from disease brought to them. All of the Europeans brought disease with them that the First People had no immunity to. Smallpox, Scarlet Fever, Measles, and Chicken pox were the main players in the diseases spread. The worst horrifying thing that French Jesuit Missionaries did to the Huron, who refused to convert to Catholicism, were given gifts of smallpox infected blankets Yes, that is bad enough, in my opinion. However, the Spanish and English did far more cruel things than that.
I guess what amazes me is these are not the things taught in our American History books in school. The things taught in our History classes were very different from what I remember. The English were seen as "saviors" and "heroes". At least that's how it read to me 15yrs ago. I may have been more interested in my History classes if I'd gotten to see the other side, so to speak. For example, Columbus didn't "discover" anything. He took land that was occupied by others. Lied, saying he was respectable to the Arawaks. He was a cruel bastard that tortured and enslaved other human beings. He had even been tried for excessive cruelty in his homeland. That of course, didn't stop him from repeating those offences nor from others from doing the very same thing. The first of a handful of people that had a heart for the First People was Fray Bartolome de Las Casas, a priest that had traveled with Columbus on his 2nd voyage to America. He'd written about the horrifying things he'd seen Columbus and his men do to the Natives of American soil. He was the one to report Columbus's cruelty to Spain. That didn't keep Columbus from traveling to America two more times. His "punishment" was short-lived.
Both the Spanish and English just kept claiming lands that were not theirs to claim. , kicking the occupants off of the land, making false treaties, and enslaving or murdering those who did not comply. The French worked with the Natives [most often] by trading with them and forming mission, but no claiming of land with false treaties and slaughter or slavery. The First People didn't understand the cruel way of thinking. Sure, they had their wars amongst one another. People died. But it wasn't over land and to be of higher power. It was commonly about honor. It was an eye for an eye. Even if a death was accidental, it was to be punished by death. It took two men of different Nations to come together and begin peace amongst the Haudenosaunee, later known as the Iroquois Confederacy. The two men were Deganawidah, "The Peacemaker" and Hiawatha. Deganawidah was born within the Huron tribe. It was after watching a Mohawk be tortured by some of the Huron people when he had met up with Hiawatha [known to be an eloquent orator], an Onondaga, and told him of his vision of peace. It wasn't until the [misnamed] French and Indian War that the Iroquois Confederacy was torn apart. [pg 55-56 of "Native American History", by Judith Nies]
I just cannot comprehend the brutality the First People endured, "All in the name of Jesus Christ". I think that Jesus [if he's actually the man he was said to be] would be horrified at the torture and death in this nation, especially "in His name" by His followers/worshipers. The "Son of God" [again, based on the belief] would want peace, would He not? We've come a long way, but I personally feel not far enough. There are still far too many seeking power, money, and land. There are far too many hang-ups of man, generally speaking, to have it quite right yet. I'm not sure that feat is even possible. We humans are a selfish animal.
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Interesting tidbits about viewing American History from the "other side".
I still don't know 100% for sure if I'm of Mtis blood or not, but this still is something that hits home for me. Doesn't matter the person's ethnicity, we are human.
MsAubrey I completely agree with you. What happened to the Native Americans is inexcusable. It makes me mad to even think about it.
Hi Ms Aubrey,
I am 1/8thAlgonquin. The last of my people's blood line. It saddens me to think that my children will not be considered tribal members. The tribe is slowly dying out.
Everything that you said above is true, IMHO. But this isn't particularly true just of the US. This is done all over the world. It impacts on people like you and me,becausewe have seen it from our people's suffering. Columbus had good training. He was there for the SpanishInquisition, which oddly my mother's paternal side of the familyescapedby going to England.
We grew up in a generation, when this was never discussed in the history books. Ourgenerationdoesn't know thecrueltydone to native people here. How they ruined their culture and religious beliefs. How each new people who came here, were also abused. History is always told from the victors POV.
Yet, we have to be careful about rewriting history, too. I have seen that also in our history books. Inventing history to make a group feel better. History should be told from the best resources that we have and in full honesty. As a teacher, I have seen both sides of the coin, and both disturb megreatly
But thanks for sharing our people's history with others. This is one story that can never be told enough.
I certainly will!
I'm sure it will be told from the same view as it was about Columbus.
My suspicion from tracing my lineage [and stories from great-grandparents] is that I'm of Ojibwe, Iroquois [but adopted Ojibwe] from Canadian side of the "fence", and possibly some Abenaki [Algonquin-speaking].
Totally agree. We can only teach from both perspectives when in good company sometimes.
I found it interesting in my quest in ancestry that John Adams and John Quincy are distant relatives from my mother's father's side. In my learning of those former Presidents, they were against slavery and ill treatment. Also, in this book, it speaks highly of Ben Franklin and his love and curiousity for the First Peoples and their traditions.
My sister lives in one of John Adam's cousin's houses! But in fact, he, his son and Franklin are my favorite founding fathers. They were good men, who had values and stuck to them, even when it wasn't easy.
Ben was an amazing person. A trueRenascenceMan. I can't think of anyone today who could match him.
I have never heard of the Algonquin language as Abenaki. Is that what other tribes call it?
I know that the word Eskimo is an insulting word used in the Iroquois language. It means blubber eaters.
Great article!
Must be related to Bruce somehow or another...I'm 1/8th Cherokee too.
If anyone gets a chance to read the book "Zen and the Art Of MotorcylceMaintenance", Persig has a very intersting take on How Americansociety has progressed as a hybrid of the European and American Indian cultures.
Agree. Ben Franklin was definately outside the "norm". We need someone like him to help our nation now!!!
Abenaki isa small nation that resided in the Vermont area in the 1600's and got disbanded during a Iroquois/Huron battle and the Abenaki spoke the Algonquin language.
Sounds like a book I might be interested in reading!
Alright. It is true that atrocities were committed by foreign settlers to what is now OUR nation. However, there are also some misconceptions being conveyed in this article. It's no surprise really, considering that both sides of any debate will skew facts to their advantage.
One is that English and Spanish were the slavers of the day. While they did of course participate in such activities, the primary slavers around the world were actually African, Dutch, Portuguese, Aztec, Incan, and Mayan (at various times of course). Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca, a Spanish explorer, and three other survivors from his expedition, were enslaved for many years by several American Indian tribes residing along the Gulf Coast. Eventually, they escaped and led what amounts to a rebellion, and eventually fled to Mexico City. Point here is the American Indians did in fact participate in such endeavors themselves, which leads to the next item of contention:
"The First People didn't understand the cruel way of thinking. Sure, they had their wars amongst one another. People died. But it wasn't over land and to be of higher power. It was commonly about honor. It was an eye for an eye. Even if a death was accidental, it was to be punished by death."
They definitely did understand cruelty, and there are plenty examples of such within the histories of the native American peoples (at least, Clovis and beyond anyway). People did actually often die over territory and ritual sacrifice as well. It wasnt just about "honor". Trying to separate the mindset of native Americans from the mindset of the Europeans who came later is an attempt to alter the truth to garner sympathy. Some of the worst people in the world as far as inhumane acts were the Aztecs, Incans, and Mayans....unsurprisingly also the greatest nations of the New World pre-European settlers. It's no surprise that all the surrounding tribes in Mexico allied with Cortez. It's no surprise that Pizarro's people conquered the Incans. The Incans were going to castrate them, and so they fought their way out, then did what they did afterwards.
I dont buy the whole woe is me recounting of native Americans as a whole. Granted, there were definitely atrocities committed against them, and that shouldnt be forgotten, but lets not pretend that they were all innocents. They werent. In fact, the European mindset towards the native Americans was predetermined because of the experiences of Cortez, Pizarro, de Vaca, and many others who had run ins with the indigenous people. In fact, I would say the only peaceful accounts of colonization were those of the Templars like Henry Sinclair.
You know I will!
I agree. It's one of those bittersweet deals. We have a great nation now... It just wasn't a kind way of getting here.
It goes along with how I believe that everything happens for a reason. People may die for us toopen oureyes tosomething else. An example on a much smaller scale and not nearly as harsh... I feel that my ex husband and I were together for me to have my wonderful daughter in my life and so I'd find out how a marriage should NOT be.
Never said they were all innocent. AndI said it was COMMONLY about honor.
But if the Europeans never came to North America to claim lands as theirs [with people already occupying the land], things wouldn't have escalated as they did between the Native Americans and Europeans. That would be like someone currently holding a Govn't position, taking your home and all of your belongings without you giving them any reason in the first place. How would you feel getting pushed off of your property and "relocated" to the middle of Oklahoma? You'd be pissed, right?
As I stated in my article, the Apache were pretty damn brutal. I won't ever claim that the Natives were always peaceful.
As far as Aztecs, Incans, and Mayans are concerned... I have read similar. That's all southwest territory. What about the rest of the country?
It was just a readily available picture.
So, lack of technology and smaller numbers [of people] constitute a take over. Hm, looks as though things haven't changed all that much after all.
Totally joking. I swear.