This Blog is a resource tool for the students taking the "FACING HISTORY AND OURSELVES" elective at Westborough High School, Westborough, Massachusetts.
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
PERIOD 7 - WHITE MAN'S IMAGE
Over the past two days, we watched and discussed the documentary, In the White Man's Image. Please post your thoughts about the film.
I just recently learned about this in history class this year and the idea of the government trying to "americanize" the Native Americans is still so shocking to me. Changing the Native Americans and trying to have them stop practicing their rituals and culture is something that would not be acceptable in todays time. The United States doesn't even have an offical national language, allowing people to particpate in any culture, practices, or religion they want to. Since the government forced Native Americans into the new European ways their culture and practices aren't as evident today and their aren't many Native Americans in the US anymore.
I thought it was so sad that the government tried to change such a major part of the Native Americans identities. It was like as long as the Native Americans embraced their culture people considered them to be less than human. It was so unfair of the government to try to change who they were.
I agree with Margo in that because of the americanization that was suppressed upon the Native Americans, there aren't as many anymore. This just is so upsetting to me because we as a nation have tried to be a place where everyone can be who they are and have the freedom to express their own religion and cultures and many other aspects of life. The fact that our ancestors thought it was okay to try and change the way the Native Americans lived and try and destroy their culture makes me upset. It was not right and no one deserves to have their whole lives ripped out from under them.
Although contemporary schools of thought deem the forced assimilation of Native Americans, it is only so easy to condemn the United States government for it as much as we were not raised in such a culture; back then, I suppose such teachings were standard. We see similar struggles amongst homosexual people today, where, for some odd reason, some insist that orientation is a choice (despite being determined more or less in the womb). People don't change much; their prejudices do. It's a grim prognosis at best, but ultimately a true one--we still have a hard time accepting non-Christian religions, and that was amply demonstrated in the New York mosque furor that gripped the nation a few years ago.
Ultimately, we fear the unknown and act irrationally towards it; objective perspective is all but unattainable unless one knows their history. To put ourselves on a pedestal is to force prejudices onto others, and no matter who we do it to we are just as savage, just as cruel, just as uncivilized.
I disagree with what Emily said. Suppression of culture has always been a thing, and will continue to be a thing for an immeasurable amount of time. The agent behind it may not be the government anymore--after all, it's terrible business to anger those who pay your salaries (taxes)--but we as individuals hold individual prejudices that really only shift the focus of condemnation onto other scapegoats than the previous one. Honestly speaking people facing low chances of retribution are much more likely to spout such statements as "lynch them porch monkeys" or "fucking faggots, burn them all"; while a few do this for the sheer shock value, there are many more who earnestly believe this type of drivel. We are all guilty of bias.
I believe it's wrong to try to force your own life style on someone, and that's what the government dose to the Natives. What the government believed it was doing was save the natives from themselves, however what they were really doing was suppressing that persons individuality. They took the natives children away and raised them when they weren't theirs to raise. Could you image losing everything you built, there must be such a feeling of emptiness. It's one thing to take a mans land and another to take his identity.
I agree with Koya, suppressing ones culture has always been a problem and will continue to be a problem especially considering we live in such a diverse community. You have your own opinion and just like everybody else you have the freedom to express it.
The thing that stuck with me the most from the film was how the whole idea of the white man coming to America was to become free and equal, yet they still wanted to assimilate the Native Americans into their society. It's surprising that the white man would not think about their personal philosophies before dong something like they did to the Native Americans.
I think that it’s wrong to try to make someone conform to a specific way of living like the Americans tried to do to the Native Americans. One of the things that make this world beautiful is all of the different people and cultures that are prevalent. It doesn’t completely surprise me that Americans would try to do something like this to the Native Americans at this time because people didn’t have the same mentality as they do today. I think that most people today can appreciate other peoples cultures and accept them for who they are rather than feeling like they should change to look and act the same way that they do.
I agree with Laryssa, I think it’s horrible that they took the children and tried to make them conform to the American culture because they knew that it would be easier than trying to make adults to conform. It wouldn’t be a very good feeling to have your identity taken away.
I thought it was crazy how the native americans image changed so drastically after being "Americanized".Those native americans had lost their identity completely. Especially the children. They had grown up in their tribes and then they were just taken from their family roots and ties. I cant even begin to imagine how lost I would feel if someone were to take me to live in a whole different society where I had no idea of the values or language.
I agree with Nikki. There are thousands of different cultures around the world with varying values, traditions and cultures. They should never have to be forced to change their whole life around just to conform to the overpowering population. It is just plain wrong.
What the Americans were doing to the Native Americans was not right, although it was something that happened often in the past. Everyone deserves to live the way they please without society scrutinizing them or making them change ways just to fit their image. They wanted to change the way the Native Americans were viewed and incorporate them into society by cutting their hair, changing their outfits, and teaching them in school. There are different cultures for a reason and provides diversity. Native Americans are humans and should have the same rights as anyone, even though their culture differs from the Americans.
I agree with what Nicole and Laryssa said. Taking the Native American's children in order to teach them the American ways of life and making them forget their background is not right. Children should grow up with their own families and be who they want to be. Identity is what makes a person, and taking that away is cruel.
I agree with Kelsey, the Native Americans shouldn't have had to be forced to adapt to the American culture and ways. But even today, people are forced to change their beliefs because they don't agree with the majority.
Watching this film reaffirmed my judgment of how ridiculous it was for the white men to force the Native Americans to assimilate into their culture, especially since it was the Native American’s culture they were invading. I think it is selfish that the white men assumed that their culture was the “superior” one, and therefore the Native American’s culture had to change because of this. Going back to the subject of identity, by the white men doing this, they were deliberately manipulating the ways of the Native Americans; changing their identity.
The film made me think about America today. We refer to America as a melting pot because we embrace so many different cultures but I want to know how other countries view it in this sense. I think people come to America in order to start new lives for themselves and their family. It is weird to think about how so much has changed since the time period that the film was refering to. Its hard to believe that something like completely destroying the Native Americans culture wasnt given a second thought by really any one. I cant imagine how the Native Americans must have felt at this time.
I agree with Brandon. Their assimilation to the new culture definitely affected the children the most, because they were being introduced to the other customs from a younger age. If I were taken to a completely new society I would feel very lost because I had no place in it, and adjusting would be incredibly difficult.
I also remember learning about the assimilation of the Native Americans in history last year. To me, it is appalling. I cannot imagine having to transform my image, personality, and who I am all so quickly. I think that it violates the First Amendment rights of individuals living in the United States, by violating the freedom of religion and speech. I understand the intentions of the Americans at this time, but I think they should have stepped into the Native American's moccasins before forcing them to change their images. It saddens me that America was so concerned about the Native Americans just for land and more power. America to me is melting pot and people are defined by the culture they express freely.
I agree with what Margo and Nicole stated. I think Nicole mentions a really good point when saying how people's cultures should be accepted and not changed in order to fit into the minority. Margo made a really interesting point when saying how the reason there aren't as many Native Americans in the US anymore was because of our behavior and actions of disapproval towards them. I am shocked that our nation felt so inclined to diminish a culture that is essentially the origin of America. The Native Americans were the first natives of America, and they respected our country and its land before any of the colonies and Founding Fathers did.
I agree with what Nicole said. We need differences in our society in order to function. There is a countless number of different cultures and this is what makes the world so interesting. It also doesnt surprise me that something like this could happen back then because of the way we viewed ourselves back then. We thought we were more powerful, educated and advanced, and although most of that was true it does not mean we were better than the Native Americans.
I agree with Greg. The idealized version of America is freedom and rights and the white men took that away from the Native Americans but instead took them and turned them into what they wanted them to be. I still think this is an issue today, in the sense that people change who they are to please others. The Native Americans didn't do this willingly, but nonetheless they were changed by the white men.
I agree with Elise. There needs to be differences in our society, and people need to learn to accept others differences. Without diversity the world would be such a boring place. I think that it was wrong that the white men viewed themselves the way they did back then, because we weren't and still aren't better than any other culture. We should have never forced the Native Americans to change their ways especially since they were here in America long before us.
I think that the schools were a good idea. Back then the natives would have just been eliminated for opposing the U.S. government. By adding these schools, opportunity was given to the natives to adapt white people's culture, which is better than the other choice of being killed in battle.
I agree with Margo. American's forcing Americanization is shocking and sickening. I do disagree with her comment on it doesn't happen anymore because Americanization happens everyday.
I too remember learning about the Dawes Act and assimilation last year in history. It was really upsetting that whites thought that they were the superior race and that that gave them the right to completely uproot people's lives and change who they were. It was not at all fair to the Native Americans, and their mindset that they could change people's identity was very shocking. However, I think that today, Americans are better about the idea that one race is superior over the other because of the diversity throughout the U.S.
I agree with Greg. I thought it was really interesting that he made the point that whites didn't think about the fact that in the beginning, they came to America seeking freedom and better opportunities. When the Dawes Act and assimilation came about, they didn't think twice about freedom and believed that they had the right to take away the Native Americans' identities. It was almost hypocritical of them because they were denying the Natives something that they were seeking themselves.
I agree with Laryssa, that it would be terrifying having to go through this and extremely unfair. You cannot force anyone into a change in lifestyle. Today, having your children taken away to be raised by a different culture would be absolutely unheard of. It was wrong for the government to organize this and also take everything that the Native Americans had ever made or built away.
The film was interesting to me in that the main idea behind America was to treat Native Americans and White people equally. However, this was certainly not the case because Native Americans still had disadvantages in all areas including education. White people were trying to include Native Americans, but that did not necessarily mean that they were on the same level or, in other words, treated equally.
I agree with what Brandon had to say when he stated that it was unfair to Native American Children to be taken away from their Native ties. White people did not understand how important the Native American culture was to them.
I disagree with Mike that "the main idea behind America was to treat ." The American state, from its very founding, was predicated on the genocide and ethnic cleansing of native and First Nations peoples. There has never been a time when it has "treat[ed] Native Americans and White people equally" - just look at the response to the American Indian Movement (AIM) in near-modern times.
I also disagree with Emily Bigwood that "now the US government would never try to suppress a someone's culture". The United States, as noted above, has maintained its oppresion of native peoples even to this day. Other modern day examples include the anti-mosque movement and the use of state surveillance and terror against the American Muslim community.
The film was not particularly suprising (although still disturbing) to me - I had prevously studied the national question in both the American and Canadian states, including the oppresion of native and First Nations peoples. I was, however, confused as to why the movie constantly attempted to say that the American leaders of the program "had the best intentions" or likewise comments. A belief that another culture is worse than yours does not make genocide and cultural destruction have "good intention[s]". If anything, it compounds the condemnable nature of the act as it reveals a deep, hateful racism.
I thought that the film was really intersting because it gave first hand example of people who had family who were involved in the assimiliation. To be honest when we learned about it last year, it was kind of boring because there were no examples, but hear the men and woman talk about their family's first hand encounters with being assimilated and having to cahnge every aspect of who they were was very eye opening on just how mean the Americans and the Europeans were towards the Native Americans.
To be completely honest I think that this film is extremely biased. I understand that the Americans were brutal to the Natives however; it only makes American’s out to be the bad guys. I think that the point of the film is to show what Americans did to the Natives, but if you were someone who was completely unaware of history you would just think that the Americans are the bad guys (which is true but only to a certain extent) . It doesn’t show anything that the Natives have done to make the American call them savages, and how brutal they were to the Americans in general. Native Americans weren’t exactly the nicest people as we can see every day just by leaving the school and seeing the rock which marks the Capture of the Rice brothers, or Mary Goodnow’s story who just lived in Northborough. The American’s were wrong for taking people from their land and slaughtering them, but we didn’t just call Natives savages for no reason. I think that Americans were scared of Natives , and although this is not the right thing to do, they didn’t know how else to deal with the problem.
I agree with Koya on how they were afraid of the unknown. They ultimatly feared the Native Americans because they were so different and lived a different life style than they did. NAd jsut becasue they are so different culturaly does not mean they are superior or inferior to the Americans and Europeans.
Going back to what Kristen said Natives did rebel multiple times but after the battle of Wounded Knee they knew they couldn’t compete with the white man.
I strongly agree with Mary's statement about bias in this film. While I recognize these happenings and believe these events to be tragic, I think that creating the film explicitly from the perspective of the native americans provides an intense bias to the information presented.
As for my own thoughts about the film, I am horrified at the suppression of race and culture that is presented in this film. I think that even today, people retain a sort of sensitivity when it comes to how they behave around Native Americans and how they speak about them because of how badly Native Americans have been treated in the past. And on the other hand, I think that Native American people retain that same sensitivity about their culture as well.
I agree with Elise. There needs to be differences in our society, and people need to learn to accept others differences. Without diversity the world would be such a boring place. I think that it was wrong that the white men viewed themselves the way they did back then, because we weren't and still aren't better than any other culture. We should have never forced the Native Americans to change their ways especially since they were here in America long before us.
I agree with Elise. There needs to be differences in our society, and people need to learn to accept others differences. Without diversity the world would be such a boring place. I think that it was wrong that the white men viewed themselves the way they did back then, because we weren't and still aren't better than any other culture. We should have never forced the Native Americans to change their ways especially since they were here in America long before us.
I agree with Erin in the idea that this is still an issue today, as I feel the white man still finds himself superior to many other culutures and races whether this is articulated or not. America is claimed to be a place of diversity but this is not always accepted. The white man still believes that others should be changed to fit their culture, just as they believed the Native Americans should have changed.
I agree that the US should have never tried to force the Natives to learn how to be real Americans. It was a huge waste of our time and resources and it didn't even work. These kinds of bad investments are why I vote Libertarian; if the Government can't even handle teaching Natives English how is it supposed to handle our budgets?
48 comments:
I was absent for this assignment.
I just recently learned about this in history class this year and the idea of the government trying to "americanize" the Native Americans is still so shocking to me. Changing the Native Americans and trying to have them stop practicing their rituals and culture is something that would not be acceptable in todays time. The United States doesn't even have an offical national language, allowing people to particpate in any culture, practices, or religion they want to. Since the government forced Native Americans into the new European ways their culture and practices aren't as evident today and their aren't many Native Americans in the US anymore.
I thought it was so sad that the government tried to change such a major part of the Native Americans identities. It was like as long as the Native Americans embraced their culture people considered them to be less than human. It was so unfair of the government to try to change who they were.
I agree with what Margo said. Now the US government would never try to suppress a someone's culture which shows how we have come from back then.
I agree with Margo in that because of the americanization that was suppressed upon the Native Americans, there aren't as many anymore. This just is so upsetting to me because we as a nation have tried to be a place where everyone can be who they are and have the freedom to express their own religion and cultures and many other aspects of life. The fact that our ancestors thought it was okay to try and change the way the Native Americans lived and try and destroy their culture makes me upset. It was not right and no one deserves to have their whole lives ripped out from under them.
Although contemporary schools of thought deem the forced assimilation of Native Americans, it is only so easy to condemn the United States government for it as much as we were not raised in such a culture; back then, I suppose such teachings were standard. We see similar struggles amongst homosexual people today, where, for some odd reason, some insist that orientation is a choice (despite being determined more or less in the womb). People don't change much; their prejudices do. It's a grim prognosis at best, but ultimately a true one--we still have a hard time accepting non-Christian religions, and that was amply demonstrated in the New York mosque furor that gripped the nation a few years ago.
Ultimately, we fear the unknown and act irrationally towards it; objective perspective is all but unattainable unless one knows their history. To put ourselves on a pedestal is to force prejudices onto others, and no matter who we do it to we are just as savage, just as cruel, just as uncivilized.
I disagree with what Emily said. Suppression of culture has always been a thing, and will continue to be a thing for an immeasurable amount of time. The agent behind it may not be the government anymore--after all, it's terrible business to anger those who pay your salaries (taxes)--but we as individuals hold individual prejudices that really only shift the focus of condemnation onto other scapegoats than the previous one. Honestly speaking people facing low chances of retribution are much more likely to spout such statements as "lynch them porch monkeys" or "fucking faggots, burn them all"; while a few do this for the sheer shock value, there are many more who earnestly believe this type of drivel. We are all guilty of bias.
I was absent this day
I believe it's wrong to try to force your own life style on someone, and that's what the government dose to the Natives. What the government believed it was doing was save the natives from themselves, however what they were really doing was suppressing that persons individuality. They took the natives children away and raised them when they weren't theirs to raise. Could you image losing everything you built, there must be such a feeling of emptiness. It's one thing to take a mans land and another to take his identity.
I agree with Koya, suppressing ones culture has always been a problem and will continue to be a problem especially considering we live in such a diverse community. You have your own opinion and just like everybody else you have the freedom to express it.
The thing that stuck with me the most from the film was how the whole idea of the white man coming to America was to become free and equal, yet they still wanted to assimilate the Native Americans into their society. It's surprising that the white man would not think about their personal philosophies before dong something like they did to the Native Americans.
I agree with Koya that it is easy to look back and know when something is wrong, but it is much harder to find what is wrong in the world today.
I think that it’s wrong to try to make someone conform to a specific way of living like the Americans tried to do to the Native Americans. One of the things that make this world beautiful is all of the different people and cultures that are prevalent. It doesn’t completely surprise me that Americans would try to do something like this to the Native Americans at this time because people didn’t have the same mentality as they do today. I think that most people today can appreciate other peoples cultures and accept them for who they are rather than feeling like they should change to look and act the same way that they do.
I agree with Laryssa, I think it’s horrible that they took the children and tried to make them conform to the American culture because they knew that it would be easier than trying to make adults to conform. It wouldn’t be a very good feeling to have your identity taken away.
I thought it was crazy how the native americans image changed so drastically after being "Americanized".Those native americans had lost their identity completely. Especially the children. They had grown up in their tribes and then they were just taken from their family roots and ties. I cant even begin to imagine how lost I would feel if someone were to take me to live in a whole different society where I had no idea of the values or language.
I agree with Nikki. There are thousands of different cultures around the world with varying values, traditions and cultures. They should never have to be forced to change their whole life around just to conform to the overpowering population. It is just plain wrong.
What the Americans were doing to the Native Americans was not right, although it was something that happened often in the past. Everyone deserves to live the way they please without society scrutinizing them or making them change ways just to fit their image. They wanted to change the way the Native Americans were viewed and incorporate them into society by cutting their hair, changing their outfits, and teaching them in school. There are different cultures for a reason and provides diversity. Native Americans are humans and should have the same rights as anyone, even though their culture differs from the Americans.
I agree with what Nicole and Laryssa said. Taking the Native American's children in order to teach them the American ways of life and making them forget their background is not right. Children should grow up with their own families and be who they want to be. Identity is what makes a person, and taking that away is cruel.
I agree with Kelsey, the Native Americans shouldn't have had to be forced to adapt to the American culture and ways. But even today, people are forced to change their beliefs because they don't agree with the majority.
Watching this film reaffirmed my judgment of how ridiculous it was for the white men to force the Native Americans to assimilate into their culture, especially since it was the Native American’s culture they were invading. I think it is selfish that the white men assumed that their culture was the “superior” one, and therefore the Native American’s culture had to change because of this. Going back to the subject of identity, by the white men doing this, they were deliberately manipulating the ways of the Native Americans; changing their identity.
The film made me think about America today. We refer to America as a melting pot because we embrace so many different cultures but I want to know how other countries view it in this sense. I think people come to America in order to start new lives for themselves and their family. It is weird to think about how so much has changed since the time period that the film was refering to. Its hard to believe that something like completely destroying the Native Americans culture wasnt given a second thought by really any one. I cant imagine how the Native Americans must have felt at this time.
I agree with Brandon. Their assimilation to the new culture definitely affected the children the most, because they were being introduced to the other customs from a younger age. If I were taken to a completely new society I would feel very lost because I had no place in it, and adjusting would be incredibly difficult.
I also remember learning about the assimilation of the Native Americans in history last year. To me, it is appalling. I cannot imagine having to transform my image, personality, and who I am all so quickly. I think that it violates the First Amendment rights of individuals living in the United States, by violating the freedom of religion and speech. I understand the intentions of the Americans at this time, but I think they should have stepped into the Native American's moccasins before forcing them to change their images. It saddens me that America was so concerned about the Native Americans just for land and more power. America to me is melting pot and people are defined by the culture they express freely.
I agree with what Margo and Nicole stated. I think Nicole mentions a really good point when saying how people's cultures should be accepted and not changed in order to fit into the minority. Margo made a really interesting point when saying how the reason there aren't as many Native Americans in the US anymore was because of our behavior and actions of disapproval towards them. I am shocked that our nation felt so inclined to diminish a culture that is essentially the origin of America. The Native Americans were the first natives of America, and they respected our country and its land before any of the colonies and Founding Fathers did.
I agree with what Nicole said. We need differences in our society in order to function. There is a countless number of different cultures and this is what makes the world so interesting. It also doesnt surprise me that something like this could happen back then because of the way we viewed ourselves back then. We thought we were more powerful, educated and advanced, and although most of that was true it does not mean we were better than the Native Americans.
I agree with Greg. The idealized version of America is freedom and rights and the white men took that away from the Native Americans but instead took them and turned them into what they wanted them to be. I still think this is an issue today, in the sense that people change who they are to please others. The Native Americans didn't do this willingly, but nonetheless they were changed by the white men.
I agree with Elise. There needs to be differences in our society, and people need to learn to accept others differences. Without diversity the world would be such a boring place. I think that it was wrong that the white men viewed themselves the way they did back then, because we weren't and still aren't better than any other culture. We should have never forced the Native Americans to change their ways especially since they were here in America long before us.
I think that the schools were a good idea. Back then the natives would have just been eliminated for opposing the U.S. government. By adding these schools, opportunity was given to the natives to adapt white people's culture, which is better than the other choice of being killed in battle.
I agree with Margo. American's forcing Americanization is shocking and sickening. I do disagree with her comment on it doesn't happen anymore because Americanization happens everyday.
I too remember learning about the Dawes Act and assimilation last year in history. It was really upsetting that whites thought that they were the superior race and that that gave them the right to completely uproot people's lives and change who they were. It was not at all fair to the Native Americans, and their mindset that they could change people's identity was very shocking. However, I think that today, Americans are better about the idea that one race is superior over the other because of the diversity throughout the U.S.
I agree with Greg. I thought it was really interesting that he made the point that whites didn't think about the fact that in the beginning, they came to America seeking freedom and better opportunities. When the Dawes Act and assimilation came about, they didn't think twice about freedom and believed that they had the right to take away the Native Americans' identities. It was almost hypocritical of them because they were denying the Natives something that they were seeking themselves.
I agree with Laryssa, that it would be terrifying having to go through this and extremely unfair. You cannot force anyone into a change in lifestyle. Today, having your children taken away to be raised by a different culture would be absolutely unheard of. It was wrong for the government to organize this and also take everything that the Native Americans had ever made or built away.
The film was interesting to me in that the main idea behind America was to treat Native Americans and White people equally. However, this was certainly not the case because Native Americans still had disadvantages in all areas including education. White people were trying to include Native Americans, but that did not necessarily mean that they were on the same level or, in other words, treated equally.
I agree with what Brandon had to say when he stated that it was unfair to Native American Children to be taken away from their Native ties. White people did not understand how important the Native American culture was to them.
I disagree with Mike that "the main idea behind America was to treat ." The American state, from its very founding, was predicated on the genocide and ethnic cleansing of native and First Nations peoples. There has never been a time when it has "treat[ed] Native Americans and White people equally" - just look at the response to the American Indian Movement (AIM) in near-modern times.
I also disagree with Emily Bigwood that "now the US government would never try to suppress a someone's culture". The United States, as noted above, has maintained its oppresion of native peoples even to this day. Other modern day examples include the anti-mosque movement and the use of state surveillance and terror against the American Muslim community.
The film was not particularly suprising (although still disturbing) to me - I had prevously studied the national question in both the American and Canadian states, including the oppresion of native and First Nations peoples. I was, however, confused as to why the movie constantly attempted to say that the American leaders of the program "had the best intentions" or likewise comments. A belief that another culture is worse than yours does not make genocide and cultural destruction have "good intention[s]". If anything, it compounds the condemnable nature of the act as it reveals a deep, hateful racism.
I thought that the film was really intersting because it gave first hand example of people who had family who were involved in the assimiliation. To be honest when we learned about it last year, it was kind of boring because there were no examples, but hear the men and woman talk about their family's first hand encounters with being assimilated and having to cahnge every aspect of who they were was very eye opening on just how mean the Americans and the Europeans were towards the Native Americans.
To be completely honest I think that this film is extremely biased. I understand that the Americans were brutal to the Natives however; it only makes American’s out to be the bad guys. I think that the point of the film is to show what Americans did to the Natives, but if you were someone who was completely unaware of history you would just think that the Americans are the bad guys (which is true but only to a certain extent) . It doesn’t show anything that the Natives have done to make the American call them savages, and how brutal they were to the Americans in general. Native Americans weren’t exactly the nicest people as we can see every day just by leaving the school and seeing the rock which marks the Capture of the Rice brothers, or Mary Goodnow’s story who just lived in Northborough. The American’s were wrong for taking people from their land and slaughtering them, but we didn’t just call Natives savages for no reason. I think that Americans were scared of Natives , and although this is not the right thing to do, they didn’t know how else to deal with the problem.
I agree with Koya on how they were afraid of the unknown. They ultimatly feared the Native Americans because they were so different and lived a different life style than they did. NAd jsut becasue they are so different culturaly does not mean they are superior or inferior to the Americans and Europeans.
Going back to what Kristen said Natives did rebel multiple times but after the battle of Wounded Knee they knew they couldn’t compete with the white man.
I strongly agree with Mary's statement about bias in this film. While I recognize these happenings and believe these events to be tragic, I think that creating the film explicitly from the perspective of the native americans provides an intense bias to the information presented.
As for my own thoughts about the film, I am horrified at the suppression of race and culture that is presented in this film. I think that even today, people retain a sort of sensitivity when it comes to how they behave around Native Americans and how they speak about them because of how badly Native Americans have been treated in the past. And on the other hand, I think that Native American people retain that same sensitivity about their culture as well.
I agree with Elise. There needs to be differences in our society, and people need to learn to accept others differences. Without diversity the world would be such a boring place. I think that it was wrong that the white men viewed themselves the way they did back then, because we weren't and still aren't better than any other culture. We should have never forced the Native Americans to change their ways especially since they were here in America long before us.
I agree with Elise. There needs to be differences in our society, and people need to learn to accept others differences. Without diversity the world would be such a boring place. I think that it was wrong that the white men viewed themselves the way they did back then, because we weren't and still aren't better than any other culture. We should have never forced the Native Americans to change their ways especially since they were here in America long before us.
I agree with Erin in the idea that this is still an issue today, as I feel the white man still finds himself superior to many other culutures and races whether this is articulated or not. America is claimed to be a place of diversity but this is not always accepted. The white man still believes that others should be changed to fit their culture, just as they believed the Native Americans should have changed.
I was absent for this assignment
I was absent for this assignment.
I agree that the US should have never tried to force the Natives to learn how to be real Americans. It was a huge waste of our time and resources and it didn't even work. These kinds of bad investments are why I vote Libertarian; if the Government can't even handle teaching Natives English how is it supposed to handle our budgets?
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