(Open Thread and Apologies) Wounded Knee – 12/29/1890 – America’s Low Point
By NewHampster on January 15, 2009 at 3:45 AM in Current Affairs
Susan’s Apology: Somehow I missed this draft by NewHampster, and just discovered it today. It’s rather late to be posting it, but the story is so important that I will anyway. Thank you, NewHampster, for reminding us about one of the darkest days in our nation’s history.
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December 29, 1890 is the date when the U.S, Cavalry killed between 150 and 200 men women and children of the Lakota Tribe. Killed at close range in a frenzy of white hate.
Buffy Sainte-Marie – My Country ‘Tis of Thy People You’re Dying
Listen to Buffy then tell me how downtrodden you are in comparison.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wounded_Knee_massacre
http://www.lastoftheindependents.com/wounded.htm
The following morning, December 29, 1890, the soldiers entered the camp demanding the all Indian firearms be relinquished. A medicine man named Yellow Bird advocated resistance, claiming the Ghost Shirts would protect them. One of the soldiers tried to disarm a deaf Indian named Black Coyote. A scuffle ensued and the firearm discharged. The silence of the morning was broken and soon other guns echoed in the river bed. At first, the struggle was fought at close quarters, but when the Indians ran to take cover, the Hotchkiss artillery opened up on them, cutting down men, women, children alike, the sick Big Foot among them. By the end of this brutal, unnecessary violence, which lasted less than an hour, at least 150 Indians had been killed and 50 wounded. In comparison, army casualties were 25 killed and 39 wounded. Forsyth was later charged with killing the innocents, but exonerated.
I and my site, Partizane, honor these people who’s land we stole, who our ancestors put into reservations (I call them Ghettos). The free people who lived with the land rather than on it were broken, domesticated, given booze and moved to hellish places to try and live.
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While most of my family and friends are celebrating the election of the 1st Black President of the US, I am wondering why I am not? While they are heading to DC for the parties and cermonies, why don’t I share in their joy? While others not going to DC are having big parties inviting me to participate and I decline their invitation not saying this is not a joyous moment for me, I have to wonder if my brother’s words are true, I am a member of the BBC (bitter bitch’s club).
Right now I do NOT give a frigging crap about the color of shit head Obama’s skin. He’s a white guy with a penis.
What I am thinking about is the horrible crimes carried out by a lot of immigrants and kids of immigrants against the Native population.
Money and land has been stolen is probably still is being stolen from the Indians — a few tribes have casinos — but most do live in Ghettos. Worthless land until the white rich guys find something on the worthless land to exploit.
The Indian Victims of Wounded knee have NEVER been compensated — but the white folk WERE compensated (for what reason I’m not sure — other than they were white).
There are some good books about what happened there so long ago — Bury my heart at Wounded Knee is one.
My Ancestors survived the Trail of Tears. Good old Democrat Prez — Andrew Jackson. Reason why my mother’s side of the family has NEVER been democrat — Always Republican – Andrew Jackson the Indian killer was a democrat. Memories of genocide last a long time.
I’m an Independent after trying the “dem” way — the old Cherokee were right.
Well, Northwest, your family needs to change THEIR political persuasion. The Wounded Knee massacre took place during Benjamin Harrison’s term, and Harrison was a REPUBLICAN.
Incidentally, Jackson only became a “Democrat” late in his Presidency. When first elected, his party was the Democratic-Republican Party, and many within the party used the names “Democrat” and “Republican” alternately.
Jackson’s opponents referred to themselves as “National Republicans” but most were nothing more than anti-Jackson Democrat-Republicans and Federalists, and these opponents would go on to form the base of the Whig Party. (I’ll also point out that some of Jackson’s opposition were Southerners who supported the same “States’ Rights” position that would go on to be a hallmark of the pro-slavery movement a little more than a decade after the Whig Party formed. Also, the Whigs included many members of the Anti-Masonic Party, a group that formed because of an irrational fear of Freemasons.) The Republican Party, as we now know it, only came into being 17 years after Jackson left office (and nearly a decade after Jackson died), and had little real connection with the “National Republican Party” that formed in opposition to Jackson.
Jackson undoubtedly had many issues that made him a poor President (or even a poor politician) but he was NOT the only American of the era who supported policies that were adverse to the Native American peoples. In fact, John Quincy Adams even noted in 1826 that “The Indians are not worth going to war over”. Somewhat interestingly, in 1832, the US Supreme Court decided that only the Federal gov’t, and not state governments, had any authority to issue laws over the Indian nations but Jackson refused to step in because he was already having trouble with proponents of states’ rights (such as HIS political opponents) following the “nullification crisis” and didn’t want to further antagonize them.
Again, your family’s support of the GOP is based on flawed and faulty reasoning (much like the support offered to Obama by “progressives” over the past 18 months or so).
You say that like it’s a BAD thing.
chuckle
but for real not bitter
where do they keep getting that from???
P.O.’d maybe
claws out perhaps
but we’re not bitter
most of us have this wonderful grin on our face
it’s got a karmic light to it
wait
watch
see
bitter? nawp
impatiently waiting for the earth to move
Estimated 95 million will be spent on the One’s innauguration. Maybe that will stimulate the economy. Ridiculous.
“Geither Accepted IMF Reimbursement for Taxes He Did Not Pay”
How does he (and ofraud) worm out of this fact?
http://www.nationalreview.com/
“At the end of the tax allowance form were the words, “I hereby certify that all the information contained herein is true to the best of my knowledge and belief and that I will pay the taxes for which I have received tax allowance payments from the Fund.” Geithner signed the form. He accepted the allowance payment. He didn’t pay the tax. For several years in a row.”
BUSTED.
Thank you Susan for posting this. I hadn’t even realized it wasn’t back on the 29th as I was tied up offline.
My wife’s ancestors were on the trail of tears(a mixed couple) and eventually returned to North Carolina where they’ve become so white they can’t qualify for the tribe.
It appalls me that so many object to teaching kids about the terrible things our country has done, with the exception of slavery, which cannot be ignored. Unless we understand that these kinds of things have happened in our past too many will think that that Americans could never engage in these kinds of activities, making it all the more likely that we will. A lot of people view the Nazis in that way – as solely a German phenomenon. When our own country starts down the same path as we did after 9-11 it is not even permissible to make the comparison. It is not like the Nazis took over all at once.
All human societies are capable of tyranny and horrendous atrocities given the right circumstances. Acknowledging our own past misdeeds would not weaken our country, it would make us more vigilant and encourage us to avoid going down the slippery slope. If we can’t recognize the early signs we will keep repeating these kinds of mistakes – or make even worse ones.
Well said, BernieO. Very well said!
Interesting points, interesting post. I agree that we must seek out truth in history.
With complete due respect, what ‘is’ recognition? Is it putting out books, movies, changing school curriculum, or is it formal declarations or legislation? They all have their own repercussions; the trick is to inform without inflaming.
Example: The Armenian question. (During WWI, Armenians were forced to relocate by Turks, many people were killed. A lobby in the US is trying to get recognition of the events officiated by the US Congress.) No, I am NOT going to take sides, here, I just want to illustrate a point about putting things like this into official documents. You can research this question from both sides. What good is wrought by inflaming one side or the other with Congressional recognition now? To me, it has devolved from a matter of finding truth to a matter of money on one side and keeping an ally happy on the other. It’s no longer about the issue itself.
Another example we all know is complex: Israel and Palestine. Some people dedicate their entire life’s work to this one (and still can’t solve it). What’s the ‘right’ mix of history, respect for faiths, and preset-day logistics and events? It will never be agreed upon. Someone has to force their side on the other.
Then you get into the whole problem of reparations. As time goes on, this concept quickly becomes impossible to fairly implement. Do you give the same reparations to the African American doctors, lawyers, CEOs as you do to the unemployed? Many times, these calls for recognition/reparations are led by a desire for vengeance motivated by current wrongs.
So, how do we properly face our history without being led by present emotions?
Torture was commonly inflicted on captives by many Indian tribes as part of victory rituals. There are few innocents.
They did not hand out small-pox laden blankets to their enemies, though.
When I read the book–about 35 years ago–Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee, I was so profoundly heartbroken, I cried. Reading the history of my own Irish ancestors, who emigrated during our own Holocaust, An Gorta Mor [The famine] is also painful. During the civil rights movement, I was young, but supportive of people who were fighting for the right to be recognized as human beings, with fundamental rights to respect and opportunity. And, now, I profoundly sympathize with a people who are being slaughtered as we speak, in their own homes, by a militarist, rogue state called Israel.
19 days in, the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip passed another major milestone, with over 1,000 Palestinians killed in the attack. The Gaza-based Palestinian Center for Human Rights, which has been tracking the toll, said 673 of those killed were civilians, with 225 children and 69 women. 13 Israelis have also been killed, three of them civilians, though at least four of those soldiers were killed by the Israeli military.
Red Cross President Jakob Kellenberger described the situation in the Gaza Strip as “shocking” and called for the Israeli military to make more provisions to ensure that ambulances could rescue wounded civilians from the attacks.
Surveyors say that the attack has done at least $1.4 billion in damage to the infrastructure of the tiny strip. Securing the funds will likely be difficult, particularly in the global economic downturn. So far the United Nations has allocated $7 million (less than $5 per Gazan) to provide for them during this time of emergency.
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/4/20090115/r_t_itn_wl/twl-israel-shells-un-building-41f21e0_2.html?printer=1
somebody better pull in their reins pretty soon or they will have little support left
a bully is a bully and can come from either side
i am a former history teacher and feel we also need an even handed approach. the trail of tears, wounded knee all need to be taught.
the one thing that is really starting to bother me here is the unending views of all that is wrong with america. the cries of “it’s all over” “we are a bunch of asses” “we are bullies” “we are horrible” “it will never get better” “we are going to implode”.
let’s try for an more even handed approach and talk about the good we also do and how good the average american really is as well.
ok!
We’ll call it
Thoughtful Thursdays!
lol
it’s hard to dig for gold but I will try for now
hmm
ok let’s see, MOST of America is just trying to pay the bills and maybe have some free time to enjoy their meager earnings with their family and/or friends!
Not out looking to bomb someone
thankfully
not YET
ok bad ending
sorry
stodgie, I agree with you. We need to recognize both the good and the bad. We are all, after all, fallen angels. Humans are imperfect and fallible beings. And that fact was well recognized by our Founding Fathers as they crafted America’s governing documents.
We must acknowledge our wrongs, make amends, while still celebrating what is good about us and try not to err again.
thanks bert! i truly love no quarter but lately the unending criticism while well founded begins to grate. the media doesn’t help. they focus on something to the point of nausea. i get emails from people trying to me some system based on “marketing concept of the end of times” however if you follow their advice, you’ll be just fine.
you can go overboard in your criticisms. the far left is very much like that and they turn me off big time. the far right did that to clinton and anything else they felt attacking would help them. see what i mean. it gets to the glazed eyes department.
i love the speech from fdr where he speaks to fear. that is one of the major problems here. if we wallow in these endless end times drama, we won’t have the will or energy to do anything positive. well to be further honest here it reminds in some ways of rev wright and his attacks. enough already! i agree with the concerns and need to change and so forth. most of us are trying to make ends meet period. so the endless list of wrong we’ve done and all those who feel we should make amends is not at the top of americans’ list these days. they want hope, positive thoughts, and a way to get out of this mess and not wallow in it.
I agree Bert..
Thank you New Hampster for this reminder..I think its appropiate at this time for such Comparsons and reality checks..
thats why…I Appreciate No Quarter so much and like to read the Articles and threads here…and the Input is always very interesting no matter How One feels or thinks…Larry, susan and so many others know how to Stimulate Deep Thought and emotions and bring them to the surface for Debate..
I suppose some can justify what the IDF is doing..No matter how extreme..the Over kill is..or the elemination of the State of Palestine..Long ago after the “Civilized” world was Compassionate enough to help the Jews create a “State of Israel”..in 1948..
It didn’t take long for them to start acting Like the Pony Soldiers New hampster referred to and Start thier Military Operations (Terrorism) and look at all others as “INFERIOR”..
I Love the American indian culture..I attend Pow Wows and see great beauty in Them..and In the Indian religious beliefs too..
I was once responsible for organizing a Tribal Police Force…as a white Man…I was treated with distrust and dislike..
When I got the department organized..and established..I confronted the American indian Movement members on that reservation..in a Fair and balanced way…Just with the intent of Avoiding More Blood shed on Tribal lands aand more Attempts at Hatred and Distrust on Both sides..
When i left there…I had never Shot, wounded, or Abused one native american..
I had What were once Hostile Native americans who Covered my Back and looked out for me..and protected me..
I had an wonderful old indian Woman..everyone called ‘Granny’
as a dear Friend and Counselor..before i left She called me into her Home, not more than a Shack…and showed me her teasured items she had layed out on a bed…All Indian Crafted items..
She told me to pick out two of them..
One was a cead Canoe Paddle, hand carved…with beautiful paintings of Orcas, Buffalo, Deer prints etc on both sides..
Granny alway liked to say…”I Paddle my own canoe..” and would laugh..She was wonderul and Charming..and Told good Storys..
Being old…she told me she had Danced with HENRY FORD when he came to the reservation many decades ago..
The Olther Item was a Cedar plank..hand Carved and painted…Featuring the American Bald eagle in the Center…
The same beautiful bald Eagle The United states Government Displays also..
I Loved Granny..She died shortly after that…Writing this bringsTears to my eyes now..
Another Indian..a full blooded Sioux ..gave me an Indian Spear wirth eagle feathers hand tied with leather..it used to hang over his bed..
he gave it to mebecause i gave him a Gas Power Mower he neded..
thats the Indian Way..
because of my Experiences ..I wrote a Long poem about my feelings toward the native American indians..called “I AM YOUR BROTHER”
I realized that ALL Human beings are brothers and sisters..created by The Great Father..and helped by the same Great Spirit..
and that we should learn to love One another..
I’d love to read your poem. In fact I’d love to post it on my site or Susan may want it here.
New Hampster…If Susan can arrange for us to email each other..I would be honored to Share it with You…Thanks for asking…
I came across a woman in Walmart the other day. She asked me what “Tribe” I was from. When I responded that I was an Apache, She looked at me kind of funny. I asked her what was wrong and she said….
I thought we killed all of you way back when!
She didn’t mean it in a bad way. She was just surprised that she “Actually” met one!
Will we say the same about others if we allow some in our world to “Wipe em out?”
I am honored to make your acquaintance.
I find it somewhat ironic that some who post here at NQ and have such trouble with the Israelis and their possession of land that wasn’t the Israelis to begin with, seem to have no problem living on land that wasn’t truly theirs to begin with, either. Immigrant Americans, (which includes everyone but those native to this continent) of all people, should know better than to lecture others on the issue of land and its ownership.