Do present day Americans feel bad about the disposessing of Native Americans?

Question

Is it an uncomfortable issue in America that most Native Americans live on reservations which is a tiny fraction of their original land or is it all consigned to history now?

Answer 1

Well being that my Moms family is American Indian, Cherokee, Chaktaw, Blackfoot, mainly Chaktaw and Blackfoot) and my Dad's is German, Scottish and English. I look back at what happened to my family and I have mixed feelings!

My Dads family was not here in the USA when that happened. So for that I am grateful! It makes me mad to know that so many lies were told to my ancestors, by the white man. That was then and this is now!

I guess, I am happy that it happened like it did, if it hadn't I would not be me and my parents would not be mine. We cannot live in the past, we can learn from it and move forward learning from ours and others mistakes!!!!

GOD BLESS

Answer 2

It's not that cut and dry. I'll see what I can do to explain, as I used to live in the most populated city with Native Americans, with a 50,000+ population, in the entire U.S. Native Americans made up about 27% of this city, Flagstaff, AZ.

First off, the history of the U.S. in regards to the treatment of Native Americans is awful. I didn't do any of that, and hence find it difficult to feel really guilty for someone I didn't do. Perhaps it's because I had, and still do have, a number of Native American friends who know the situation, but don't hold it against me.

Secondly, We took their land, although their land didn't have any real "boundaries". They weren't drawn out like the States are. But we took it anyhow. The Reservations were at first a ploy to kill the Native Americans, as we'd put tribes that were mostly agricultural, onto land that no one could grow on. And we put hunting tribes onto land where we knew there was no game.

The latest Native American reservations are an attempt to right that wrong, although it hasn't, as nothing really can right the wrong of what happened. We attempted to make them geographically sound, pinpointing where most of the tribes came from.

The deal is that many Native Americans live on the Reservations, but many of them do not as well, and live in the cities, just like everyone else. One of the reasons that some Native Americans still live on the Reservations is because of Reservation sovereignty. They have a little bit different laws there, are able to regulate their own affairs, and have control over what happens. Even if the Federal Govt. wants to step in and do something there, they have to get their approval.

Example. The State of Arizona needs water. Some of the Reservations have huge untapped water resources. Everyone knows this. When the State finally comes to them, asking for the water, the Reservation is going to charge them a pretty price for it, as they can and should.

The Reservations as a whole are places that I would not like to live. But no one is restricted to them at all.

Answer 3

That is certainly not true. Most indians do not live on reservations; in my state they make up the largest minority group, and we have the second largest indian (as they prefer to be called, by the way) population in the nation. We don't have any reservations, our indians live fully integrated in our communities just like all of the various races and cultures. There are some indians on reservations in some states, but the majority of indians now live in urban areas, 1.4 million it is estimated of the total population of 2.3 million.

Some reservations are quite large, and in my state where there are no reservations, there is tribal trust lands, covering large areas and held in trust for either the tribe or nation or for individual families.
I grew up with indians, have many indian friends. There is no problem in my state, but certainly in Arizona and South Dakota where reservation unemployment is as high as 80%, it is a tragedy--which is why many are leaving their assigned reservations and moving elsewhere and assimilating into the general culture like my english and irish and german ancestors did.

Answer 4

Yep, we fought them with a scorched earth policy. Treaties were often violated by the U. S. government. Of course the culture of some tribes must be given some blame for the intense hostility and cruelty of non-Indians. There were war like tribes such as the Comanche and the Apache who's principal source of resources was stealing. They loved torturing their victims and they were very resourceful in causing great agony. This kind of behavior was why they were often called savages. The word "Apache" means thief and the word "Comanche" means "snake in the grass" Both tribes regarded their names as compliments. Dylan makes some very good points. It was U. S. government policy to destroy Indian culture and language. The much larger white population also wiped out many tribes all together through marriage. That is why it sickens me to hear whites brag about their Indian heritage.

Answer 5

I feel bad about most things I hear about in history where people were treated cruelly.. and NO people you do not have to be directly involved to feel the pain of others..I know my people had nothing to do with Native Americans being on reservations... but I still feel bad about it

Answer 6

Yes and no. My ancesters on both sides of my family came from Euriope many many years later after the pioneer age/treating Native American's like crap age. I feel disgusted by all the Americans way back then for there behaivor. Yes I feel a little disgusted with George Washinton too but I do wonder if some of his people were liars and he was fooled by there lies.

Answer 7

I think they do because when I tell people that I am part native american they always act apolgetically. It is unfortunate to see the declination of such a strong culture in this society. But then again, most places that were conquered by the "white man" saw a declination in the native people. So unfortunately this isn't anything the world hasn't seen before.

Answer 8

The bering straight migration is a myth. Look up recent articles about the clovis spear. Indigenous peoples were here long before 13,000 years ago. The artifacts found in the area now know as alaska and canada don't resemble those of mongolia from 13,000 years ago. Do some research on the clovis spear myth.

Answer 9

The indigenous peoples of the United States once possessed exclusive tenure to all lands. Today they are left with only 2.3% of the land which was once their exclusive possession. But what present day Americans should know is the the destruction of the Indians of the Americas was, far and away, the MOST MASSIVE ACT OF GENOCIDE IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD, with numbers that eventually totaled close to 100,00,00. Why is it that the Genocide of Native Americans is never taught in American classrooms?

Answer 10

Misconception no. 5 in a series: The existance of 'indigenous' Americans. Humans are not indigenous to this part of North America. They migrated here several thousand years ago over the Bering straights and up from South and Central America. None of the land on which they colonized was 'their original land'. If it had 'ownership' at all, it was owned by whatever animals lived here at the time and were killed for food.

NO culture survives intact it's introduction to a more technologically advanced culture. None.

I feel bad about the way MANY peoples were abused and mistreated by their conquerors all over the planet.