Tuesday, October 18, 2005

 

A Thought On The First Americans...The American Indian.

As a young boy, into my teenage years, and into young adulthood, I have an interest in the Native Americans. It is said, thru oral tradition and some documention that on both sides of my family there are Indian bloodlines. It has been determined that my siblings and I are one-sixteenth Native. And there is a very strong possiblity that there is Melungeon blood as well. Both of these influences would explain the dark features in Our Family. It must be said as well that most people here in The Southern Appalachian Highlands do have both Native and Melungeon in their ancestory.

As a youngster and into the present I do enjoy writings on the First Americans. My Grandmother gave me a book titled "The American Indian", and it was published by The National Geographic Society back in the 1970's, and it is a wonderful telling of the Indian story. This past weekend I started reading thru Dee Browns' "The American West", and it to is a great read, he certainly has a knack for storytelling! It is thru his writing that I have learned the complete story of Chief Joseph and The Nez Perce'. If there is a "True American Hero" (a quote from Knife Wing, a Lakota musician from South Dakota) then it is Chief Joseph and his People! A peaceful people that wanted nothing more than to be left in peace in their homes and land, a fair request that we all seek, but this wasn't to be, for PURE AND UNADULTERATED GREED by the European Americans (who claim Christianity as their faith, and come hell or high water, they would bring it to the Indians and the land!) coveted (one Commandment broken) The Land of The Nez Perce'. After a typical treaty with Washington, and the breaking of it, the Euro Americans settlers and miners protected by the U.S. Calvary would enter and take what wasn't theirs (two Commandments broken)...but not without one brilliant fight put up by Chief Joseph (a Christian Convert by the way), the Bands Leadership, and the People! From the Washington and Idaho Territories, and into the Montana Territory, the Nez Perce' out manouvered, out shot, and out witted the calvary thru Montana all the way to the Bear Paw Mountains so close to their destination, the Canadian Border. But it was in these prairie mountains of Montana that Chief Joseph realizing the dire situation of his People, did with so much Dignity, Honor, and Courage, surrendered, "...to fight no more".

And it was after reading this that I felt I should write an ideal that has been in my heart and thoughts for some time now.

Here in the United States of America, before any further government legislating at every level of government, local, county, state, and federal...the U.S. Government should beg for forgiveness from the American Indians!...apologize for the genocidal policies and tactics, for the ethnic cleansing, for the massaceres and especially the killing of children, women, and the elderly as they fled their lodges during government raids, for the biological warfare that the infamous General Sherman (who said the only good Indian is a dead Indian) used against a Reservation in Wisconsin when he issued winter blankets purposefully infected with smallpox, for the breaking of treaties, for the lies and false promises, for the forced internment onto the agencies a.k.a. reservations a.k.a. open concentration camps...Our Government should immediately apologize for all the evils that it commited against the First Americans.

Then maybe, just maybe, THE LORD GOD OF ALL CREATION AND ALL MANKIND may have MERCY and FORGIVENESS upon the American Nation. If we are to truly do that which is right, seeking TRUE JUSTICE before we supposedly dispense it overseas, then as a Nation and as a People...RED AND YELLOW AND BLACK AND WHITE...The American People...may receive Mercy if we first beg this forgiveness!...OR OUR AMERICAN NATION MAY FACE AN APOCALYPTIC DESTRUCTION UNLIKE ANY EVER SEEN OF A NATION...AND THE ALMIGHTY LORD OF HEAVEN AND EARTH WILL KNOW WHY.

posted by Gary 4:22 PM