This Blog is a resource tool for the students taking the "FACING HISTORY AND OURSELVES" elective at Westborough High School, Westborough, Massachusetts.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Period 2 - "In The White Man's Image"
We watched the film, In the White Man's Image - please post your thoughts about the film and make sure to comment on at least one other student's post.
"In The White Man's Image" showed that Social Darwinism originated in America, contrary to some belief that Nazi Germany was the primary group to try this selfish plan. The U.S. government is fully responsible for the dying Native American race and the extinction of most tribes that used to cover the country. Social Darwinism is a dangerous idea in our society because once people start to buy into superior and inferior races, others folow close behind. As seen in history, one can be exterminated according to their race such as the Jewish during the Holocaust, or races can be wiped off the planet like the Native Americans are facing.
This film helped me realize how ridiculous the U.S. was to the Native Americans. We had no right to take the Native Americans away from their homeland and put them in much smaller areas. Then the Americans force the Native Americans to live like them. This video also showed how if enough people believe something everyone will. The Americans believed that they were superior to the Native Americans because they were told that. No one had facts that showed they were better. Because of that most Native American tribes have become extinct. Devin, I agreed with everything you had to say about the video and liked how you related this to the Holocaust.
This movie really made me aware as to what was done by the U.S, government to the native Americans. In all my previous history classes we are taught that U.S. was just fulfilling its manifest destiny and that it was our right to claim all the land that we could. Through all the interviews and stories that the natives told in the movie I realized what had actually happened to them because of the U.S. the government. The Idea of Social Darwinism and natural selection is a okay in theory but when it is actually used in society more harm is done then good. "In the White Mans Image", made me fully aware of the extent that the United States went to get rid of the Natives.
I thought that "In The White Man's Image" was a very interesting documentary. It showed the developement of Social Dawinism and how the whites believed they were superior to the Indians. One race believing they are superior to another happens a lot throughout history, most notably during the Nazi's during the Holocaust, but it was interesting to see it happen in the United States.
Dear Devon, I completely agree with you that Social Darwinism is a dangerous idea, and how it can completely exterminate races like it did to the Native Americans
Jake, I completely agree with your thoughts about how if people are told something, they believe it, when it may not always be true or right. No one had the right to claim they were superior to the other and it was upsetting to see how badly the Americans treated them.
I really liked that the film presented things from the Native American perspective because, like Mrinaal said, it seems like all the history classes we’ve taken have shown us things from the white man’s point of view. Which is understandable, but I think you can’t really create a judgment until you understand the full situation (like hearing it from both sides). The movie presented the ideas of social Darwinism and a pure race, which made life even more difficult for minorities at the time. Like Devin said, any time superiority and inferiority come up, things get dangerous because we lose the idea that all human beings deserve to be treated with respect.
I thought I had a good understanding of how the Native Americans were treated during this time period, but this video showed me a different perspective and the actual story behind converting the Indian into the white man. I thought that the Indians were pushed father and farther to the west into areas and territories unfamiliar and uninhabitable. And once they were pushed back eventually being placed in concentration camps. I did not realize that there was an effort and a movement to convert the Indians. I thought it was even more interesting how the man who started this “social experiment” was an army general who understood the Indians troubles. I thought the video was very informative and detailed in showing how the Indians were taken from their home and families and sent away to be taught how to be like one of the white men.
I agree that when we look back on it now I think everyone realizes how much damage and destruction we caused to the Indian nation. The saddest part is the loss of that culture, where parts of it we will never get back or fully understand.
This movie made me realize that sometimes people dont really have valid reasons for things they do. Just like today, people are more likely to go with the crowd and take on the accepted beliefs of the group rather then create their own opinions. Back in the late 1800's people believed that whites were more powerful than anyone else. The movie showed how white people pulled Native American children from their homes and placed them in a school to teach them white customs, make them become white. White people were completely ignorant of other cultures because they didnt take hte time to get to know them.
The film "In The White Man's Image" opened my eyes to how many Native Americans died and how the overall Native American race decreased severely during this time. The video showed how whites thought they were heavily superior to the Native Americans, just like during the Holocaust Nazi Germany believed that they were superior to the Jewish. I think that Social Darwinism can very easily spiral out of control, and has done so many times throughout history.
I completely agree with what you said about social Darwinism and how once a race declares themselves as superior, then people will be afraid to against them and instead just follow their orders. I also think that your two examples of the Holocaust and Native Americans were used well.
I think that the white man’s image video is very sad. I can’t believe that the white people could honestly believe that they are helping the Native Americans by trying to turn them into different people. The fact that the white people thought that they were really the “chosen” scares me a little because it makes me think that it is possible for something similar to happen again in the future. I was really disturbed by how much the white Americans lied and hurt the Native Americans. I don’t see why somebody could think that they are a better type of person than somebody else; it just doesn’t make sense to me. I think that this is a good video to watch because it is important for people to be educated about our history so that we can learn from out mistakes.
Kayla, I agree with you that it shows how often people give up and go with the crowd. This is a very good point and I think that it is something that we should all try to learn not to do. If nobody is brave enough to stand up for what they believe in, bad things can happen.
"In the White Man's Image" showed the terrible view of that time. The white people had zero right to treat the Native Americans in that manner. To trick, steal, and look down upon people such as the white people did is absolutely atrocious. I had learned about this before, but each time that it is reintroduced to me I cannot believe the ability humans have to tear apart other human’s lives. The exercised we did in class during the film was interesting. Being forced to see how each party thought of themselves and the others was something I had never done before and brought a new perspective to this topic. At the end of the day though, what was done was just terribly wrong.
Toni- I agree with you. The white people acted as though they had some sort of right and authority over the Native Americans, which they clearly did not.
Until i saw this film, i was never really sure just how Native American culture died. I always just assumed that over time, the values and traditions just vanished, but i never would have imagined that our own government would have taken such measures to eliminate their way of life. I do believe social Darwinism was at work here and that many Americans believed that "civilizing" Native Americans was the only way to save them. Devin, I also see an eerie similarity between the American's vision of a master race and Hitlers vision of a master race.
This film made me think about the situation we put the Native Americans in. They were forced into our society and were stripped of their land and all that they had. I think Pratt realized that helping the Native American adjust to white culture would ultimately benefit them, even though the cost of doing so was the Native way of life.
Alex, I have to disagree with you. I'm not at all surprise that our government forcely ended Native culture, especially after the "we/they" activity we did in class. The government did not view Natives as people, which in their mind justifies destroying the Native culture.
"In The White Mans Image" suprised me a lot to know that Americans were actually the first to assert their supieriority over other races. The government in the 1800's in the U.S. I believe was completley wrong in everything they did.
25 comments:
"In The White Man's Image" showed that Social Darwinism originated in America, contrary to some belief that Nazi Germany was the primary group to try this selfish plan. The U.S. government is fully responsible for the dying Native American race and the extinction of most tribes that used to cover the country. Social Darwinism is a dangerous idea in our society because once people start to buy into superior and inferior races, others folow close behind. As seen in history, one can be exterminated according to their race such as the Jewish during the Holocaust, or races can be wiped off the planet like the Native Americans are facing.
I was absent on February 21.
This film helped me realize how ridiculous the U.S. was to the Native Americans. We had no right to take the Native Americans away from their homeland and put them in much smaller areas. Then the Americans force the Native Americans to live like them. This video also showed how if enough people believe something everyone will. The Americans believed that they were superior to the Native Americans because they were told that. No one had facts that showed they were better. Because of that most Native American tribes have become extinct.
Devin, I agreed with everything you had to say about the video and liked how you related this to the Holocaust.
This movie really made me aware as to what was done by the U.S, government to the native Americans. In all my previous history classes we are taught that U.S. was just fulfilling its manifest destiny and that it was our right to claim all the land that we could. Through all the interviews and stories that the natives told in the movie I realized what had actually happened to them because of the U.S. the government. The Idea of Social Darwinism and natural selection is a okay in theory but when it is actually used in society more harm is done then good. "In the White Mans Image", made me fully aware of the extent that the United States went to get rid of the Natives.
I thought that "In The White Man's Image" was a very interesting documentary. It showed the developement of Social Dawinism and how the whites believed they were superior to the Indians. One race believing they are superior to another happens a lot throughout history, most notably during the Nazi's during the Holocaust, but it was interesting to see it happen in the United States.
Dear Devon,
I completely agree with you that Social Darwinism is a dangerous idea, and how it can completely exterminate races like it did to the Native Americans
Jake, I completely agree with your thoughts about how if people are told something, they believe it, when it may not always be true or right. No one had the right to claim they were superior to the other and it was upsetting to see how badly the Americans treated them.
I really liked that the film presented things from the Native American perspective because, like Mrinaal said, it seems like all the history classes we’ve taken have shown us things from the white man’s point of view. Which is understandable, but I think you can’t really create a judgment until you understand the full situation (like hearing it from both sides). The movie presented the ideas of social Darwinism and a pure race, which made life even more difficult for minorities at the time. Like Devin said, any time superiority and inferiority come up, things get dangerous because we lose the idea that all human beings deserve to be treated with respect.
I thought I had a good understanding of how the Native Americans were treated during this time period, but this video showed me a different perspective and the actual story behind converting the Indian into the white man. I thought that the Indians were pushed father and farther to the west into areas and territories unfamiliar and uninhabitable. And once they were pushed back eventually being placed in concentration camps. I did not realize that there was an effort and a movement to convert the Indians. I thought it was even more interesting how the man who started this “social experiment” was an army general who understood the Indians troubles. I thought the video was very informative and detailed in showing how the Indians were taken from their home and families and sent away to be taught how to be like one of the white men.
Jake,
I agree that when we look back on it now I think everyone realizes how much damage and destruction we caused to the Indian nation. The saddest part is the loss of that culture, where parts of it we will never get back or fully understand.
This movie made me realize that sometimes people dont really have valid reasons for things they do. Just like today, people are more likely to go with the crowd and take on the accepted beliefs of the group rather then create their own opinions. Back in the late
1800's people believed that whites were more powerful than anyone else. The movie showed how white people pulled Native American children from their homes and placed them in a school to teach them white customs, make them become white. White people were completely ignorant of other cultures because they didnt take hte time to get to know them.
The film "In The White Man's Image" opened my eyes to how many Native Americans died and how the overall Native American race decreased severely during this time. The video showed how whites thought they were heavily superior to the Native Americans, just like during the Holocaust Nazi Germany believed that they were superior to the Jewish. I think that Social Darwinism can very easily spiral out of control, and has done so many times throughout history.
Devin,
I completely agree with what you said about social Darwinism and how once a race declares themselves as superior, then people will be afraid to against them and instead just follow their orders. I also think that your two examples of the Holocaust and Native Americans were used well.
Brian,
I have to agree completely with you. This movie showed me really what was going on in the Natives minds.
I was absent on Monday (Feb. 22) and Tuesday (Feb. 23).
I think that the white man’s image video is very sad. I can’t believe that the white people could honestly believe that they are helping the Native Americans by trying to turn them into different people. The fact that the white people thought that they were really the “chosen” scares me a little because it makes me think that it is possible for something similar to happen again in the future. I was really disturbed by how much the white Americans lied and hurt the Native Americans. I don’t see why somebody could think that they are a better type of person than somebody else; it just doesn’t make sense to me. I think that this is a good video to watch because it is important for people to be educated about our history so that we can learn from out mistakes.
Kayla,
I agree with you that it shows how often people give up and go with the crowd. This is a very good point and I think that it is something that we should all try to learn not to do. If nobody is brave enough to stand up for what they believe in, bad things can happen.
"In the White Man's Image" showed the terrible view of that time. The white people had zero right to treat the Native Americans in that manner. To trick, steal, and look down upon people such as the white people did is absolutely atrocious. I had learned about this before, but each time that it is reintroduced to me I cannot believe the ability humans have to tear apart other human’s lives. The exercised we did in class during the film was interesting. Being forced to see how each party thought of themselves and the others was something I had never done before and brought a new perspective to this topic. At the end of the day though, what was done was just terribly wrong.
Toni- I agree with you. The white people acted as though they had some sort of right and authority over the Native Americans, which they clearly did not.
Until i saw this film, i was never really sure just how Native American culture died. I always just assumed that over time, the values and traditions just vanished, but i never would have imagined that our own government would have taken such measures to eliminate their way of life. I do believe social Darwinism was at work here and that many Americans believed that "civilizing" Native Americans was the only way to save them.
Devin, I also see an eerie similarity between the American's vision of a master race and Hitlers vision of a master race.
This film made me think about the situation we put the Native Americans in. They were forced into our society and were stripped of their land and all that they had. I think Pratt realized that helping the Native American adjust to white culture would ultimately benefit them, even though the cost of doing so was the Native way of life.
Alex,
I have to disagree with you. I'm not at all surprise that our government forcely ended Native culture, especially after the "we/they" activity we did in class. The government did not view Natives as people, which in their mind justifies destroying the Native culture.
"In The White Mans Image" suprised me a lot to know that Americans were actually the first to assert their supieriority over other races. The government in the 1800's in the U.S. I believe was completley wrong in everything they did.
Molly,
It is incredibly sad at how decietful people can really be, and its just downright disgusting.
I was absent.
I was not in class that day
I was absent during this class.
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