Indian Assimilation or Extermination?

Even nowadays this question still races controversy in respect of what the American government did to or for the Native Americans. It all comes down to one’s point of view.

This week I watched an HBO film “Burying My Heart at Wounded Knee.”

The heart breaking story that may tribes had to face as the American people expanded to the west.

This film focuses on the Sioux tribe and the territory given to them including the sacred Black Hills.

Go to HBO- for the trailer, making of and more. If you have an HBO subscription you can watch the movie, or.

YouTube for trailers and segments but I’m not saying to go find the movie there, rent it!

There is:

·        Assimilation to society. To save them from being killed by the troops or starvation the U.S. government set up reservation territories where Native American tribes where:

o    converted to Christianity

o     given land to farm and

o    given education to their children.

But would you give up your truth; that is your believes, your way of society and start a new living in a way that someone else dictated?

Or did they face:

·         Extermination, purposefully; some Americans did want them out of specific lands, for example gold-rich lands like the Black Hills in South Dakota.

o   In mid-1800’s gold was discovered and the government tried to make adjustments to the Fort Laramie Treaty to make the Black Hills and a stretch of land connecting them to outside of the reservation.

The treaty stated that the Black Hills were part of the Sioux reservation in Dakota.

o   Many battles continued until in 1877 the government confiscated the land.

To this day the Black Hill’s ownership is matter of legal argument between U.S. government and the Sioux.

The Sioux tribes were faced with the decisions of conforming or starve -because they depended on the government for food and supplies; or don’t agree with what the government offered them and go to war. Chiefs had to think for their people and that forced them to accept anything the government wanted.

Sioux Indian Chiefs/leaders Sitting Bull, Red Cloud, Red Horse, and Spotted Eagle.