The other day I saw a poignant and powerfully moving film "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee" on HBO. It was deeply distubing to me in many ways, but it brought back to my awareness the reality that the United States of America was expanded through cultural oppression and, in some cases outright genocide.
The film begins with black and white footage reminiscent of those haunting still photos of the carnage left in the wake of the massacre of one of the last remaining native American tribes at Wounded Knee in 1876. Across the screen we read the sobering words:
"By 1876 most of the nation's American Indians had neen forcibly relocated to reservation land. In the Dakota Territory, Red Cloud had settled with his people on the Great Sioux Reservation, becoming wards of the government... but other Sioux leaders, Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse, saw this as defeat and continued to live in the traditional way. Their resistance was legendary. Then an economic depression struck and gold was discovered in the Black Hills... on Sioux land."
By the time of the Battle of Little Bighorn- one of the few 'victories' of the Indians, the Union troops advanced westward to corral all the native Americans onto government controlled reservations and kill any who did not go willingly.
At Wounded Knee, hundreds of men women and children were gunned down
Many died. Many more resigned themselves to live under the oppressive rule of the white man. Whites seized what is now America from the indigenous Indians, killed them in large numbers, rounded them up like cattle and forced them to either resign themselves to living confined on a reservation, or die resisting.
All over ownership of land. Occupying colonists oppressing, removing, and as they saw fit, killing the natives of the land.
From the time of the "Trail of Tears," of the Cherokees exile and removal to near extinction to the massacre at Wounded Knee, tens of thousands of native Americans were displaced from their homelands, confined, and many died.
For many, their stories, their culture, and their presence on the earth that they held in such high regard began to fade. Thankfully there is now a renewed effort to get the truth out about this terrible chapter in our history. I remember when I took history class in middle and high school more than 15 years ago, even then there was a sense of glossing over the terrible tragedies suffered by the native Americans in history texts. Much more emphasis was given to the great "progress" of American westward expansion.
It was all built on a lie, however- the lie of equality. Of course that Great American 'lie' goes all the way back to the Declaration of Independence, drafted by American patriot, and slave-owner Thomas Jefferson:
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."That equality was not equality at all though was it? It was only a guilt-assuaging mirage thinly cloaking the oppressive injustices perpetrated against black Americans through slavery and against Indians through the removal and reservation programs. Women have also been treated as an afterthought in Western democracy- not getting the legal right to vote until well into the 20th century.
Nowadays the 'debate' seems to be turning to immigration. We don't want "them" coming to live here (read poor non-whites). This is basically what this immigration reform movement boils down to anyway isn't it?
We don't want to have to share OUR piece of the pie with anyone else- especially not a poor person of color or humble means.
Excuse my disillusionment, but I can't help but wonder how far we have really come in advancing human rights even here in America. Here in America, the supposed "land of the free" two consenting adults who love one another and have made a lifelong commitment cannot have that commitment recognized in America unless they are of opposite genders.
It is all very troubling to me. When one sister or brother suffers an injustice, or lives in oppression, we all participate in that injustice- whether directly or indirectly.
When we buy merchandise at a store just because they have the cheapest prices, yet they do not pay their workers or suppliers a living wage, we support injustice. When we condemn people who are culturally different from us as "immoral" or "ungodly" just because we do not understand them, that supports injustice. When we stand idly by or even participate in stripping the basic human rights of immigrants, detainees, and the indigent, we support injustice.
May we each have the courage, vision and faith to stand up and cry out like the prophet Amos, echoed later by the great civil rights leader Dr. Maertin Luther King, jr:
"...let justice roll on like a river,
righteousness like a never-failing stream!"
Peace and courage be with you,
John
