Otetiani's Graduation Speech

The Europeans had became greedy and selfish. They had become reliant on the native Americans to do everything for them. They had made them do necessary tasks that they could have done themselves, but chose not too. They had made them carry them when they didn’t want to walk, feed them, fan them,carry their hammocks,etc. They had become conceited, thinking they were too “royal” to do anything for themselves. They had made the Native Americans slaves and servants to their every bidding no matter the circumstance. They had become puppets to the Europeans and they controlled the Natives and forced them to do whatever they wanted. They had made the Natives lose their dignity and sink so low by making them complete their every request. The Natives had been worn down and degraded to be known as nothing to the Europeans but servants and people who they could call to do something for them. Countless Natives had died because of what the Europeans had brought to them

Popular culture has shaped our understanding and perception of Native American culture. From Disney to literature has given the picture of the “blood thirsty savage” of the beginning colonialism in the new world to the “Noble Savage,” a trait painted by non-native the West (Landsman and Lewis 184) and this has influenced many non native perceptions. What many outsiders do not see is the struggle Native American have on day to day bases. Each generation of Native American is on a struggle to keep their traditions alive, but to function in school and ultimately graduate.

As a rule, the Native Americans are perhaps the most overlooked sector of the population of the colonies. This war completely varied their knowledge of their land and its value. “We know our lands have now become more valuable,” (Document B). No more would they be fooled by

According to Canassatego, “We know our lands are now become more valuable: the white people think we do not know their value; but we are sensible that the land is everlasting, and the few goods we receive for it are soon worn out and gone.” Canassatego is talking about the land surveyors trying to purchase the Native American land for cheap. Canassatego also notes that “Your people daily settle on these lands, and spoil our hunting.” He is talking about the land scalpers trying to take the Native American land while there gone hunting and the people are scaring off the game they hunt. Canassatego writes that “If you have not done anything, we now renew our request, and desire you will inform the person whose people are seated on our lands, that that country belongs to us, in right of conquest; we having bought it with our blood, and taken it from our enemies in fair war…” He is trying to let the English know that they do not appreciate the land surveyors coming onto their land and trying to take the land that they fought and worked so hard for away from them. Canassatego is desperately informing the English that the settlements spoil Native American hunting, as well as that colonial horses eat grass that is meant for deer.

Army and the forceful action used to confine the natives, the construction on Indian land, and the massive slaughter of the buffalo which the Indians relied on in every aspect of life. The mistreatment of the Native Americans has been going on for hundreds of years, way before the Gold Rush began. The American government has taken land that they are unable to return to this day. They have deprived the plains Indians of their culture and freedom. Immigration from other countries was at its peak, but America still wasn’t able to call people, that had resided in the United States for many years, citizens. Even the Native American’s, that had lived on the continent before it was even discovered, were denied citizenship unless they were Anglo-Saxon Protestant. To this day, many look at the Indians as a joke; The Seminoles as “The Tribe that Purchased A Billion Dollar Business.” Children are being taught about friendship between the American Settlers and the Natives, they are being lied to. The upcoming generations won’t understand the horrors of unnecessary warfare against innocent people, and they will only know to take what they want, even if it isn’t rightfully theirs. America as a nation has to be stopped from draping curtains over the defeat of the plains Indians: their wiping out of an entire people, just as they did to the

In 1800’s following the American Revolution, the new American Government and the indigenous Native American people had to learn how to coexist. In order to successful work with together, there was a need for translators and mediators. One of these mediators was named Red Jacket, a chief and orator for the Seneca Tribe in New York. For his leadership and efforts in maintaining peace, Red Jacket was recognized by President George Washington. In 1805, the U.S government sought to proselytize, convert the Native Americans to Christianity, the Seneca tribe which was met by opposition from Red Jacket and his people. In the speech, Red Jacket Defends Native American Religion, 1805, Red Jacket builds an argument to persuade his

In the article, “Colonial America Depended on the Enslavement of Indigenous People” by Marissa Fessenden, Fessenden uncovers the truth about how the colonist lied at the fact that they did actually enslave indigenous people. According to “Brethren” by Nature, it states that “Colonists living in New England relied on the labor of thousands of Native Americans to build their new lives” (1). This demonstrates that the book Nature wrote is an overlooked story that informs how back then colonist did have slaves. In order to learn that the colonist did rely on Native

The government seems to be quite confident that an [Indigenous person] is not worth a cent, nor a word, not a person, and that only a very good war material. Tell the boy the red man of Canada is about to resign away from the government. I feel sorry for the people and my fellow veterans. Trouble will now be opened to do its dirty work (Hayes, 2009: 107).

In the early 1800’s, The United States and Spain had continuously argued with the Native people. The Louisiana Territory was purchased from France in the year 1803, Americans continued to push farther west for fertile land that could be used for farming. Due to overcrowding of eastern cities like New York City and Boston many settlers moved out west for a new start. It allowed for colonists to spread out and own untouched fertile land. When white settlers arrived they had realized that most of the land acquired from the territory was occupied by Native Americans for thousands of years. For decades Americans had thought that the land west of the Appalachian Mountains were unoccupied, but they were wrong. There were many tribes that had occupied this land. This included tribes like, The Choctaw, Cherokee, and The Chickasaw. In a sense, Americans had violent outbreaks with the Natives the minute the colonists’ had arrived in the United State. As the colonists’ tried to establish complete dominance and superiority over the Indians, ongoing heated debates over land ownership, and demanding requests to satisfy greed made forceful attacks between the groups unavoidable.

From its birth, America was a place of inequality and privilege. Since Columbus 's arrival and up until present day, Native American tribes have been victim of white men 's persecution and tyranny. This was first expressed in the 1800’s, when Native Americans were driven off their land and forced to embark on the Trail of Tears, and again during the Western American- Indian War where white Americans massacred millions of Native Americans in hatred. Today, much of the Indian Territory that was once a refuge for Native Americans has since been taken over by white men, and the major tribes that once called these reservations home are all but gone. These events show the discrimination and oppression the Native Americans faced. They were, and continue to be, pushed onto reservations,

“We are now Masters of this Island, and we can dispose of the Lands we think proper,” General Philip Schuyler said to the Indians. East of the Mississippi, there were over 40,000 Indians, comprised of Cherokee, Creek, Chickasaw, and Choctaw tribes. Indian leaders told the Spanish in 1784, “The Americans…put us out of our lands, extending themselves like a plague of locusts in the territories of the Ohio River we inhabit.” The Americans took Indian land and traded alcohol to Indians, causing them to lose senses and give land out of reason.

On September 28, 1864 my tribe Cheyenne and our sister tribe Arapaho decided that we should end the endless blood battles between us and the whites. We decided that we wanted peace between our two lands and we no longer wanted to see a land stain with blood. As the co-chief of the Cheyenne tribe, with my co-chief Black Kettle and with the chief of Arapaho we went to the whites to negotiate a peace treaty between us and them. As we left the whites territory the chief of Arapaho and I were both ecstatic and please; we firmly believe that we manage to set peace with the whites. I went to my people running as fast as I could and told them the wonderful news. They were so happy to the point they no longer had any tears left to cry. However, I should

This reaction pertains to your second paragraph with regards to Spain’s defense. You said, “Indians were not enslaved because they received wages for their work” and “They were not denied the right to own land”, my question is why? Why did the Indians need to be paid a wage for when the land is theirs? The land belongs to their tribes. It should be the Spaniards who are supposed to pay them because they are profiting on a land that is not theirs to begin with. Long before Spain set foot in America the Indians were already there, cultivating the land. The Indians were living peacefully when Spain came and conquered them. What right does Spain have to enslave the Indians and deny them of their own lands? Just because Spain thought they were smarter

This can be seen when the Ponca Tribe received word that “the President told [them] to pack up—that [they] must move to the Indian Territory.” In the interest of the President, someone who did not govern over them, he was forcing the Indians to move out of their home. They were given land that was not suitable for anyone to live on and weren’t even paid for the land that was taken away from them. After some time, these Indians would come to find out that everything they’ve been lied to and that “The President said he knew nothing about it.” Even though they lost their homes, it was only the commencement of the hardships and adversities that were to surface soon. For instance, Americans forced the Ponca tribe from their land in Nebraska and made them take the long trek to their new home in Oklahoma all on foot. The travel alone, nearly eradicated the Ponca tribe and as said by Chief Standing Bear that, “Many died on the road. Two of my children died. After we reached the new land, all my horses died. The water was very bad. All our cattle died; not one was left.” The Ponca Indians were deceived to more than once and mistreated due to the fact that they were not considered people under the law of the United States and that America's expansion was more important than their rights as human

Two great chiefs, Tecumseh and Seattle, attempted to address the U.S. government's negligence against the Native American tribes, who preceded the very men who ignore their needs. Chief Seattle delivers a speech to President Pierce in 1855, and in it contrasts nature and artificial cities. “There is no quiet place in man’s cities, no place to hear the leaves of spring or the rustle of insect wings. But perhaps because I am a savage and do not understand, the clatter only seems to insult the ears.” (Seattle). He uses imagery to describe the delicacy of nature to the crude artificialness of “man’s cities”, and provide a greater understanding of how their lives differ. Chief Seattle knows that the President, just like all other white me, has preconceptions about Native Americans. He most likely believes them to be too simplistic for white society, and even more so fears them. He already knows that white men perceive them as savages and acknowledges this in his speech in a repetitive manner saying, “but we are just savages and do not understand” (Seattle) three times. Chief Seattle despite knowing all of this, still attempts to get the white people to understand, because he doesn’t want the two peoples, white and red, to live in fear of the other. He wants them to change their ways, and stop destroying the Earth. He want’s both the Tribes and the white men to become co inhabitants and stop fighting for the sake of land. He is aiming for mutual respect and understanding, if not