Over a period of time I’ve encountered people who either question whether a genocidal event occurred in this country and hemisphere or deny it as an inconvenient truth too uncomfortable to confront in a country that seeks to portray itself as a human rights champion, and ally of the underdog.
Since ample evidence exists I can only assume in giving them the benefit of the doubt that they aren’t aware of the numbers, “policies”, or realities.
More than a few people have suggested I blog about the treaties, some even suggesting I address all of them individually.
That’s a daunting task requiring years to adequately research and present in a coherent manner – better left to someone more qualified than I am.
But to begin with treaties related to indigenous nations have their roots in the genocidal approach, as the ability for news to travel in what was then considered fast something of a global awareness was taking place related to the treatment of indigenous people throughout this country and Canada that led to the reservation system and an end goal of assimilation.
This awareness is what led to Abraham Lincoln reducing the number of indigenous men hung in the largest mass execution to ever take place in this country from a number of two hundred to thirty eight.
When Columbus made his way into the Caribbean landing on various islands there was an estimated population of anywhere from three to eight million people inhabiting the various islands and and continental coast lines,
In a few short years, decades, the Arawak stood on the precipice of extinction.
The goal for Columbus and Spain was gold and other precious metals and minerals, when expectations weren’t realized slaves became the commodity of choice as a stop gap measure, a way to recoup expedition costs and add something to the royal larder.
In correspondence Columbus spoke of the friendly manner in which they were greeted by the Arawak, spoke in glowing terms of their willingness to share anything they had, and yet immediately took a great many captive to use as slaves and potential guides to lead him and his men to the gold they sought.
Thousands of Arawak were murdered for the “entertainment value”, additionally thousands more sent to Spain to serve as slave labor and die, untold numbers were killed for attempting to flee or resist.
The initial shipment of Arawak to Spain consisted of five hundred individuals, of that number little more than half completed the journey.
In the midst of this was the Catholic Church proclaiming it to be god’s will, anointing the butchery and slaughter as a divine purpose, duty, and mandate.
There’s a tendency to link slavery, in particularly the slave trade as commonly understood in this country to Britain and the U.S., but in this hemisphere it began with with the “age of conquest”, the capture and transporting of indigenous people to Spain and later elsewhere.
The hallmark of the Spanish was brutality – if they wanted something they either killed, brutalized, or enslaved, gender or age was of no consequence.
As the Spanish sought to expand their empire they moved both northward and in a southerly direction leaving destruction and untold numbers of dead in their wake.
They conquered Central America along with Mexico and gained a foothold in what was to become the United States – had it not been primarily for the Comanche, the Kiowa, and Apache the U.S. could well have become a permanent colony or “protectorate” of Spain much like Puerto Rico has become to the U.S.
Entire tribes have been eradicated, further evidence of a genocidal intent, a reality that wasn’t confined to the Spanish or Meso America.
I consider the defense by these nations of the homeland to be the one of the greatest defenses ever mounted within this hemisphere as they stopped the Spanish encroachment, limited their ability to advance, and employed the same savagery and ferocity the Spanish employed who soon learned the fear they had instilled in others.
Had the Spanish been able to subdue these nations it’s highly doubtful the Alamo or the effort for Texas independence would have taken place.
Stopping the Spanish wasn’t enough related to the invading force that was to follow. Everything else in retrospect became a delaying action in a valiant and courageous effort to stave off what would become the inevitable, and it would require a different opponent,an onslaught of Europeans of different ethnicity with superior weapons and numbers to accomplish what the Spanish could not.
It should be remembered that it is the victors who write history, and what has been written is reflective of that, a failing to provide a true account.
As to treaties not a one of them ever amounted to a damn thing, all routinely violated or “renegotiated” with the underlying codicil of take it or leave, take it or pay the price, even then the price was an additional loss of land, community, culture, the creation of gulags, an enforced dependency, more deaths, and the outright kidnapping of our children.
That raises the question of whether genocide is restricted to life and death, or does it also take the form of cultural genocide?
Apologies mean nothing, revision has been an effective tool while ignoring that at the core of revisionism is one of two things, a nationalism unwilling to admit crimes, and/or greed seeking to portray itself as something other than what it is.
What is of greatest importance is that as nations, as a people, we refuse to participate in revisionism, no need exists to, the facts speak for themselves – if we engage in this sort of thing then we in fact become cultural genocidists in our own right and the voice we speak with will diminish in importance and integrity.
We are not viewed as an asset to this government – the only thing we have they value are resources – whatever remains of them. Within that context we remain the “Indian problem”.
We haven’t the numbers to be considered a viable demographic when it comes to elections, a fact emphasized by not being viewed as a donations source.
In addition unemployment translates to a loss of tax revenue, and if you aren’t on the tax rolls you are deemed a tax burden.
Our dependency has led to stereotypes, being viewed as an anchor around the necks of taxpayers, shiftless, lazy, and only wanting more.
The perception is we either all are on foodstamps, some form of public assistance or rolling in casino and oil money when the reality is much more than that.
I’ve provided the Arawak as a lone example of genocide, in follow up blogs I’ll address others within the continental boundaries of this country we live in.