Why when you say it a white "culture" teaching, there is little or "NO" truth taught in the schools about the Native Americans. Not once in you history class will you hear, well the "Indians" had a right to be angry at the settlers, because they were forcing them off lands that had been their home for thousands of years. You will not hear how the "Indians" were lied to, tricked (easy to do because our Peoples lived by honor and respect), murdered, put bounty on, sold or traded blankets infected on purpose with disease, whiskey that cloud the mind and make sick lives, the women raped, treated as dirt and less, sold as slaves, beaten, and abuse in so many ways. No you will not be taught the "truth" of the "settling" of these lands, or the "taming" of the savage "heathens" who were "godless". No you will not be taught the truth that our Peoples were far more civilized, and advanced, socially, morally, medically, and spiritually because then they have to admit it was a genocide far worse than anything "Hitler" and the "Nazi" ever did!
2007-06-12 10:29:09 · 23 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Other - Society & Culture
Good question!
The answer is that racist and ethnocentric Europeans came here originally. There was no Internet back then. Books were limited. Children learned mainly from their racist parents. They became racist. They passed that on to their kids and they then passed it on..... and so on.
Racism and Ethnocentrism towards Native people has become so engrained in American Society that people don't even notice it!
Example? Washington Redskins. The capital of the United States has a football team with a RACIST team name! People openly support that because discrimination and racism towards Native people has become so engrained, people won't believe it's wrong.... http://www.treatycouncil.org/section_211417117.htm
Example? Tony Cornheiser a few years ago on PTI said, Hawaiian women are a dime a dozen." What if he had said black women are a dime a dozen? He'd be fired like Don Imus and Rush Limbaugh. He made the comments towards Native women so nobody said anything about, except me in some emails which were ignored. Racism towards Native people is so engrained in American society that people didn't see anything wrong with it. They were raised that way.
Also, to acknowledge what the United States did to the Native people would be to say that the US was based on evil. "Proud Americans" don't want to do that. They don't want to be "anti-American" so they don't dig into the attrocities or when they do, they sugar-coat it.
Example? My son brought home a Weekly Reader that actually celebrated Columbus! For those of you that are thinking, "so what." You have had that racism so engrained in you that YOU don't realize how wrong that is. Columbus was a rapist, murderer, slave trader and more.... To make little Native children celebrate that man is the same as making little Jewish children celebrate Hitler! It is so WRONG! That Weekly Reader sugar-coated that evil by saying Columbus did some bad things but he also did so many good things.... WRONG! http://www.transformcolumbusday.com/
Nobody said much about that Weekly Reader because that racism towards Native people is so engrained in American society....
So now you have teachers that just regurgitate the same stuff that they have had handed down to them from their parents and teachers all the way back from the guys who actually committed the attrocities.
Sure, there are some enlightened teachers that teach some of the truths, but many of the topics are controversial so they don't dwell too much or give the topic the time it deserves.
Example? How does a teacher teach a bunch of Christian children that the Reverend Colonel Chivington murdered women and children in the name of God? "Nits make lice."
I think it's getting better but until people open their eyes and question what they were taught, it will be a long road my friend.
Check out this cool Youtube video that attempts to open eyes about Native Mascots....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Rp4lRn9x5Y
Check out this Youtube video that teaches about the strength and beauty of Native women....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXgCwVF8rUM&mode=related&search=
2007-06-12 16:46:47 · answer #1 · answered by jody_jody_jody_jody 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Unfortunately, our world is forever changing. People fight for their place in it. Some win and sadly some must lose. I am one of the "white" people. My wife is part Creek and Cherokee and therefore so are my kids. I have always found early American history fascinating and was taught in school about the differences between the societies. I was not taught that the settlers were all good moral people. I was taught that the colonists did take advantage of the fact that the Indians didn't live by land ownership. None of this is simply good vs bad. It was two totally different societies colliding with tragic results for the Indians. As for history being written, I am from the south and fully understand that the whole truth is not told. The Civil War was fought for economical reasons. Obviously I don't believe in slavery, but do believe it was an afterthought for war propaganda. I believe people are victorious and people are conquered. The question is not whether it was fair but can we all get along as Americans now. I certainly hope so.
2007-06-12 23:42:23 · answer #2 · answered by andy 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Unfortunately, history is always written by the victorious - in this case, the "white man". The oppressor is never going to willing admit that they did any wrong - at least not until a long period of time has passed.
It doesn't make it right, but this is the way it HAS been - but as a society, it is our duty to learn the truth!
Our modern society is much more understanding than it ever has been - and there are a lot of us who know that we aren't being told the whole truth. History at least is willing to touch on these subjects - it is up to the individual to take it to the next step.
Part of the reason such atrocities are not taught in school is that "they" (meaning the schools) don't want to touch on such "sensitive" subjects - which is also why they never go into detail about the Holocaust either...
2007-06-12 18:15:35 · answer #3 · answered by kr_toronto 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would like to add from what I have been taught that the French were the ones who introduced scalping not Native Americans. They do not teach that in American History classes either, or what the Trail of Tears was all about concerning the Cherokee.
2007-06-12 20:32:32 · answer #4 · answered by TM 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't know, it should be. I believe that truth should always be taught. I didn't know anything about the Indians treatment by the white man until I dated an Indian man about 18 years ago. All I had ever known was what the westerns showed. I think the Native Americans should get a bigger, stronger lobby. God bless you.
2007-06-12 17:37:24 · answer #5 · answered by ? 7 · 5⤊ 0⤋
because unfortunately natives weren't then nor are we now considered people.still today we are denied many rights taken for granted by everyone else.still does white society try and impose this sorry way of living called "civilization" on native peoples.i say sorry way of living because i don't,cant see what is so civilized in it.what and where is the civility in lying,cheating,stealing as well as attempted genocide?
a good book to read is "custer died for your sins:an indian manifesto written by vine deloria. warning not for those who cant handle the truth or at least a truer look at white society.
2007-06-13 02:02:47 · answer #6 · answered by "uponthesoapboxagain" 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
WOW
and
THANK YOU for seeing it too.
The United States Government has never wanted we the people to know the great injustice that was done to our people and of and any people that were brought into this country against their will. The motto of this land when Europeans stepped foot on this land to make a better life for themselves,and because they didn't know or understand the ways of our people they destroyed the land and tried to killed off the native people of the land,so they could have it all to themselves.
That's how I feel
2007-06-13 13:46:07 · answer #7 · answered by lady_one_feather_44 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
its because white people "settled" this land and they also ended up being the ones who wrote the history books. i read this one book about the native americans and it was US history according to them and it seemed alot more true than the white mans history book. i used to complain about this in my school days and the teachers would just ignore it or go on the white mans side.
2007-06-13 14:43:33 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
You are right! It is a travesty of justice. They teach about slavery and all its atrocities, but the only things that are mentioned of our people is about Squanto showing the white man corn or something! I think that people just like to play ostrich sometimes and stick their heads in the sand. If they don't know about it, then they don't have to think about it or be ashamed of it. I guess no country wants to admit to near genocide.
2007-06-12 17:45:25 · answer #9 · answered by Starr 7 · 5⤊ 0⤋
Actually I was taught those things in school. There are lots of innaccuracies in our history classes across the country, though (including the one you mentioned).
I think its sad when our history is changed to suit the needs of others, and I agree with your frustration.
2007-06-12 17:33:27 · answer #10 · answered by eric54_20 4 · 6⤊ 0⤋