Gary suggests:
> Can someone suggest some good reading material for a study of the
> historical practices of the American and Canadian governments in
> dealing with the native people of the territories claimed by those
> governments in the names of foreign settlers and their heirs?
I think of the situation concerning native americans (and all cultures that
have been unfortunate enough to be inundated by western civilization) about
the same way I think of the environment - it appears to me undeniable that
virtually all the good land we now occupy was expropriated unfairly
from native peoples. Its hard to imagine any healthy native group
"choosing" to sell its land in an equal bargaining situation, like
that which might take place between me and my (white) neighbor. Its
like the rainforests, how many cases do we have to hear of exploitation
and abuse before we have enough facts to act.
> .....
> I think we could have a very interesting and productive discussion of
> this subject - but I'd like to do it from a well-informed perspective.
> Let's do some research, folks. And those among us who can help
> provide the reference materials - your assistance would be most
> gratefully appreciated!
I think at the root these are matters of heart and conscience rather
than factual matters. How well informed does a given individual have
to be to feel the pains of injustice, discrimination, and cultural
erosion. It seems clear that native peoples will never recoup all the
land they had, but if we pursued a policy of giving sufficient amounts
of land back that a viable traditional lifestyle was possible, perhaps
an accomodation can be made for all. We whites have been caught up in
a culture of excessive greed, but I don't think most of us truly enjoy
our enslavement to material things. I think most of us would like
ourselves more if we could be accused of excessive generosity.
Finally, I would guess that no amount of reading can substitute for
first hand experience of intact native cultures. These contacts have
been life-changing events for many who were free enough of cultural
biases to be able to appreciate them. This is obviously a delicate
situation. If those reaching out from the dominant world are not let
into native societies, then we cannot know their beauty. But we must
justify their trust.
My three wishes are:
Some of the material we read be deliberately chosen because it is as
free as possible from cultural bias, so that we can see more clearly
how our own cultural biases are affecting our interpretation of
the cross-cultural interactions we've been discussing.
That part of the readings focus on possible solutions. A litany of
the crimes of European civilization against native peoples weakens the
spirit and will to overcome.
That we consider working toward a goal (over a year, or whatever) that
results in a broadly sketched proposal which offers a definition of at
least the minimal conditions under which native cultures can
reestablish viability, and a plan for achieving this end.
I think that if we can get some idea of at least a "general" goal we all
share, so that we can stop bumping into trees, we might be able to
find the common ground we so sorely need for both Gary's reading program
and general exchange on the net.
Wishfully,
Art
[ I am very grateful to Art for this contribution, and for the specific
suggestions he makes. What do others think and feel? --Gary ]