Did you know that most of the states in the United States are named after indigenous people? I don’t say native American or Indian because to me that’s a slur or insult to my intelligence and to the people whose land was stolen from them. Consider, that Minnesota, North & South Dakota, Ohio, Iowa, Illinois, Michigan, Wyoming, Montana, Massachusetts to name just a few.
So, how many representatives from this demographic of our society hold political office in any state within the union? I don’t of any, and that is repulsive considering the mass killing by these people at the hands of so-called ‘pilgrims.’
Every year since 1970, ‘United American Indians’ organize the National day of mourning to protest the misnomer of thanksgiving? What thanks should these people give for the “Trail of Tears?” What thanks is in the contraction of syphillis contaminated blankets that was given to certain groups back when the holiday was named?
What thanks should they give when Americans parody their sacred landmarks, chants, ritual dress, ritual medicines with slander, and disrespect? To add insult to injury, corporate America markets their names & co-opt their culture to sell merchandise, or to market sports teams. Florida State Seminoles has had a long history of strife & struggle from the indigenous community over their name. So has the Atlanta Braves, Washington Redskins (are you serious), Cleveland Indians and a host of others.
Why has mainstream America ignored the cries of justice from her citizens? Is it because they so-called native Americans don’t pay taxes, therefore they have no say in our domestic policy? Next time you buy that fancy team jersey–take time to think about the number of people that were slaughtered for no other reason than defending what was rightfully theirs to begin with. If some one invaded your home what would do?
“The first official “Day of Thanksgiving” was proclaimed in 1637 by Governor Winthrop. He did so to celebrate the safe return of men from the Massachusetts Bay Colony who had gone to Mystic, Conneticut, to participate in the massacre of over 700 Pequot women, children and men.”
Did you ever stop to think what the foreign invaders from across the Atlantic actually brought to these shores? Disease, War, bloodshed, manifest destiny, imminent domain, rape, plunder, pillage? Why is the truth not told of what really happened? Perhaps, the imperialist revisionist historians don’t find the truth to be marketable or in line with ’status quo’ politics.
Based on the myth (read: lie) perpetuated every year, the pilgrims came to the shores of this land and were welcomed with open arms from “barbaric savages” that lived here. They opened up their homes, shared their food, allowed blue eyed foreigners to live amongst them peacefully. Wait, just who are the savages here? Let’s take another look at this, and you can judge for yourself.
According to the myth, the pilgrims came to these shores looking for religious freedom. Though history records that they already had that freedom in Holland. So, why come half way across the world? Columbus didn’t discover anything, just as Galileo or whoever didn’t discover the world wasn’t flat. Just because Europe was uncivilized and walking around in darkness doesn’t mean everyone else was. That’s racist white supremacist history, not TRUTH.
“The pilgrims are glorified and mythologized because the circumstances of the first English-speaking colony in Jamestown were frankly too ugly for example, they turned to cannibalism to survive to hold up as an effective national myth.”
Contrary, to popular belief Amexem (North, Central & South America) as it is known in some circles had been in contact with Africa for centuries through trade & commerce. It is a well known fact, that their are currents in the Atlantic ocean that flow from the West coast of Africa to the Florida straits. Moreover, indigenous peoples were eating ‘pigeon peas’ which is a staple amongst African people, and at the time was only cultivated on that continent. Archaeologists have found ‘peace pipes’ with animals that aren’t found in this country, rather Africa.
“Henry the Navigator,” Columbus’ navigator was African. You can’t lead where you don’t go, and you can’t teach what you don’t know. Cristobal couldn’t lead the way because he didn’t know it. He couldn’t teach it because he had never seen it.
Did you know that the word ‘Indian’ & Moor have the same etymological meaning? What do China, India, & Hindu all have in common with aforementioned terms? They are all terms based in the same root word–Indus Kush–or black!
Though, these and other lies (myths) are propagated to instill false American values that suggests supposed American superiority. When you research, you’ll only find American hegemony & domination.
Indigenous people had hundreds of signed sealed treaties between their leaders and American politicians. We now know that none of these were honored. Imagine that, a politician, a government that lies or that doesn’t honor the sacredness of their WORD!
In return, for keeping their word indigenous people were placed on reservations, torn from family, and forbidden to worship to their divinities as they had done for centuries. Culture, rituals, traditions stripped they were given a foreign doctrine to further pacify them into accepting anglo-European culture and belief systems. “You can put a kitten in the oven, but it don’t make them biscuits.”
Religious persecution, cultural oppression, and ritual suppression effectively distorted the perceptions people have of these proud people. No wonder the lie is more acceptable than the truth. Hollywood has reinforced the misconceptions about them. We’ve all grown up watching “Cowboys vs Indians” that always depict the indigenous folks as antagonist. Only to be saved by the benign white man come to save the day. Are you serious? The truth is far from this, but if you don’t read, research and step outside the box mentally, then you will never hear the other half of the story that has never been told.
Is it any surprise that life expectancy, infant mortality rates, rampant alcoholism is at epidemic levels; and unemployment is over 50% on the ‘reservation.” Most of us have never even SEEN an indigenous person. Why? Genocide has almost erased an entire population of people. Who cries for their injustice? Where is their voice in the local, state & federal seats of power in their country? Where is the outrage?
“When the descendants of the Aztec, Maya and Inca ( many of whom were/are black) flee to the U.S., the descendants of the wash-ashore pilgrims term them “illegal aliens” and hunt them down. How is that for dramatic irony & situational irony? Are we not welcome in our own land & country? No one owns land because no one can create it!
In the words of Malik Shabazz aka Malcolm X, “We didn’t land on Plymouth rock, Plymouth rock landed on us.” Ya Dig? Sho Nuff!
