DANIEL MCCLOUD

In a time when the history of this country is challenged on multiple fronts, the story of the Native Americans needs to be told — particularly in light of the phenomenon known as “Paper Genocide.” That is a term describing the intentional destruction of documents and records related to particular groups of people in an effort to erase that group’s culture. This method of genocide has been associated with Native Americans as well as other groups in this country. Because what is most known about the Native Americans in this country post-Christopher Columbus is centered on land, paper genocide as it relates to the Native Americans involves the destruction of documents related to land rights, such as treaties and deeds, as well as Census data. Because of this, I wish to share another part of our American history.

Upon Christopher Columbus’s arrival to America in 1492, the number of Native Americans or indigenous people totaled more than 60 million. Roughly a century after his arrival, with the exposure to the diseases that accompanied Columbus and his fellow colonizers, including smallpox, measles, and influenza, more than 55 million Native Americans perished.

However, the issue of disease was not the only concern of Native Americans. As more Europeans arrived in America, and ultimately, the country started to expand, there was a push to settle the western territories. Many Native Americans began to fall victim to the fear of White settlers. To these people, Native Americans were viewed as strange and peculiar with odd customs. One can certainly see the irony in that Whites were settling on Native American lands that they had occupied for centuries, and they undoubtedly viewed the settlers in a similar light.

The federal government began to take action to address these fears. President George Washington sought to alleviate concerns by devising a plan to “civilize” the Native Americans. This process typically involved, first, indoctrinating the Native American tribes to the religious beliefs of the settlers, in this case, Christianity. Similar tactics were used in the Antebellum South, with the enslaved population there. History shows that this became a necessary first step and a significant component in the blueprint used by colonizers worldwide. Further efforts included forcing the tribes to speak and read English. Several Native American tribes, including the Choctaw, Chickasaw, Seminole, Creek, and Cherokee, adopted these customs and became known as the “Five Civilized Tribes.”

Indian removal

Other actions perpetrated against Native Americans included “Indian removal,” which meant the physical removal of Native Americans from their land by the federal government, i.e., the United States Army. President Andrew Jackson was a massive advocate of Indian removal, resulting in his signing of The Indian Removal Act of 1830. This act gave the federal government authority to exchange Native American lands in the Southern regions of the United States, where plantation owners coveted the rich soil for cotton farming, for land in designated Indian Territory in the West. Establishing specific lands on which the native Americans could live created a “reservation system,” which essentially destroyed a significant component of the Native American culture, which was the freedom to move about and be at one with nature. Unfortunately, the negative results of these reservations are still being felt in Native American communities.

In states such as Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Tennessee, and North Carolina, the lands were often stolen through violent means and with the aid of the federal government. In fact, it was the federal government, in the winter of 1831, that forced thousands of Native Americans to leave their southern lands and walk hundreds of miles across the Mississippi River to designated lands, or “Indian Territory.” This journey is now tragically known as The Trail of Tears. In addition, In 1836, members of the Creek tribes were driven from their homelands. Of the nearly 15,000 that began the journey, more than 3,500 did not survive.

Indian wars

Many of the Native American tribes did not go quietly into the night, resulting in a series of Indian Wars, where countless other lives were lost. Another tragedy that befell Native Americans was the near extinction of the American Buffalo — an animal revered by the Native Americans and which was a significant source of food and clothing. During the Indian Wars, one tactic was to kill as many buffaloes as possible in an effort to starve the Native Americans. It is estimated that between 1830 and 1855, more than 40 million Buffalo were killed, either for sport or as a war tactic.

Yes, the story of the Native American, post-Christopher Columbus, is at times tragic and appealing. But that certainly doesn’t mean that it shouldn’t be discussed. Only through the remembrance of all deeds, good and bad, can we ensure that those deeds are not repeated. So next Thanksgiving, as we sit down to count our blessings, let’s make sure that we reflect on the story of the Native Americans — the indigenous people of this country. They should not be forgotten, and their story should not be erased. History should show that no people deserve that.