The Impact of Native Americans in Today's Society - Research Paper Example

 The Impact of Native Americans in Today’s Society Introduction Native Americans have long been part of the history of our country and they have defined the way that this country has grown and developed with impacts that reach into the present day. The term Native American refers to any and all native people of the Americas, or more specifically those that live within the boundaries of the present-day American nation, including natives of Alaska and Hawaii. An alternative term for the group of people is American Indian or Indian, although they have no association with the country of India. Currently, there are a wide variety of tribes and ethnic groups that come under the descriptor of Native American. Since the arrival of the Europeans there has been a progressive and steady degradation of the Native American culture, with little evidence or indications in the present day of their culture. Throughout the history of the country there have been numerous examples of the race being mistreated, ignored and treated as the same or less than the Europeans, rather than as a distinct race with its own traditions. This has had widespread consequences for the remaining individuals of Native American origin. Studies have shown an increased rate of suicide, social issues and violence within Native Americans as a consequence of unresolved historical grief. One suggestion has been to incorporate more Native American culture into the lives of these people to help them heal and understand their grief and their own histories. Early Conflicts The culture of Native Americans before the immigration of European colonists to the country was that of hunter-gatherer societies, where cultivation of many staple crops was also carried out. History was carried from one generation to the next by stories and oral traditions. Unlike European society, which was patriarchal in nature, and held the concept of individual ownership of property and land, the Native American society focused on land use for all of the community. This difference in approach and culture as well as changes in the alliances that different groups held resulted in high levels of conflict throughout the history of America. There were numerous conflicts between the Native Americans and the British government. Native Americans were not content to sit and watch their own rights be taken away, and they acted to ensure their own interests, both in the diplomatic and in the economic sense1 . The introduction of Europeans to the Americas had large effects on the Native Americans, resulting in the deaths of many numbers of individuals, as well as a long lasting history of racism, prejudice and loss of tradition2 . The first experience that the fledgling government of the United States had with the Native Americans was during the Revolutionary War. It was important for the government to ensure the support of Native American tribes in the war with Great Britain. Failing this, the next most important factor was ensuring the Native Americans remained neutral, i.e. they did not fight against the United States. This brought the first use of treaties between Native Americans and the United States government into being. Following the revolution, the relationship between the United States and the Native Americans was irrevocably changed. For the most part, the Native American tribes had sided with the British during the war. As a consequence the United States viewed them as being conquered and initiated processes of making peace with the tribes. One hindrance to peace was promises that were made to soldiers serving in the war offering them tracts of land. To honor these pledges, it was necessary to draw boundary lines across Native American lands so that their land could be offered to the soldiers 3. In addition to these factors, there are many examples throughout the 19th century of forced resettlement of Native Americans as the population of the United States increased. While resettlement was meant to be voluntary, many times Native Americans were given no choice and many believed that the forced relocations were illegal under the treaties that they had signed. In many cases a high amount of pressure was placed on Native American leaders to sign agreements that authorized these removals, so while they may have been legal, they were against both the desires and interests of the Native American peoples. For those that did resist, death was often the result. For example, under the rule of President Jackson, around 4,000 Cherokees were killed for disobeying a removal order that was signed not by the elected leadership of the Cherokees but by a rebellious faction. Treaties Treaties between the Native American people and the European immigrants were one of the principal ways that the newly founded United States government dealt with the concept of Native Americans, attempting to incorporate them into the growing culture of America as American citizens. The concept of treaties was introduced by the Europeans, and it was not an idea that the Native Americans were familiar with. This gave the United States an advantage when forming treaties, allowing them to use the system for their own benefit and their own purposes which the Native Americans were often unaware of. Negotiation of the treaties and their terms and conditions occurred between the United States government and the heads of various Indian tribes and warriors from within tribes. In total, 367 treaties were signed between the United States government and the Indian chiefs in the period from 1778 to 1868. Unlike standard international treaties, particularly in modern times, the treaties between the United States and Native Americans were unique as they were often irregularly designed and contained elements that contradicted others. The purpose of the treaties between Native Americans and the United States were many and varied, but one purpose in particular was the preservation of the rights of Native Americans. This concept was particularly important, as in law and in practice, the rights of Native Americans were frequently ignored, but the existence of treaties provided significant protection for the Native Americans. From the Native American perspective, the treaties were important as they provided them with recognition. Another purpose of the treaties was to declare permanent peace between the two groups; these statements were repeated many times across different treaties as time progressed, especially after times of war4 . Modern Perspective This history following the introduction of European colonists to the Americas and the consequential dominance of the European race over the indigenous Native Americas has been one that has had a large impact on Native Americans throughout history and in the present day. The phenomenon has been referred to as the American Indian Holocaust, spurring comparisons to the Jewish Holocaust and the survivors. While the impacts that occurred on Native Americas were over a significantly longer period of time, there is strong evidence of continual discrimination, loss of rights, loss of land and privilege, as well as little recognition of independence on many occasions5 . Despite the prevalence of treaties between the Native American tribes and the United States government, this treatment was widespread, with the United States often using the treaties for their own advantage, rather than that of both parties6 . There is little focus on the history and traditions of the Native American in today’s culture within the United States, and this contributes strongly to the sensation of trauma and grief that occurs as a result of the past treatment of the Native Americans. Even when there is no active discrimination against the race, there is also little in the way of active inclusion of them, or celebration of their history and culture. This contributes strongly to the lack of self worth within the race. To determine the history of the Native American in the present day a significant amount of effort and research is required, particularly to find anything from the perspective of the Native American. The degradation of the culture, history, traditions, practices and beliefs has been steady since the arrival of the Europeans. The effects of this have continued well into the present day, resulting in a sensation of low worth, high rates of suicide, abuse, violence and social problems among American Indians. This has been referred to as historical trauma and historical unresolved grief7 . It is perhaps no wonder that Native Americans or those with Native American parents or grandparents find themselves out of place in today’s society. There is little in the United States that indicates the presence or the history of these once great people, or of the effect they had in shaping this land long before the Europeans arrived. What can be done? One recommendation for resolving the issues connected to historical trauma is the use of traditional American Indian ceremonies to help Native Americans to grieve, understand and heal from the losses8 . The incorporation of their culture is important to this process, and it is intimately connected to Native Americans feeling that their history and culture is of worth. Conclusion The history of the Native American or the American Indian reads like that of a tragedy. From the colonization of the Americas by the Europeans to the present day there has been a steady and progressive degradation of the rights and culture of Native Americans, with active discrimination against the race for much of the time. Even in the present day, the history of the country is taught almost exclusively from the European perspective, and there is little inclusion or respect for the culture of the Native American. For individuals of the race, the cost has been high. Increased rates of suicide, violence, abuse and social issues have been found as a consequence of grief and unresolved issues stemming from the treatment of the Native American historically, and the absence of remorse shown by the United States government and citizens. Some historians and scientists suggest that some of these effects may be mitigated by the use of traditional Native American ceremonies, or the incorporation of aspects of their tradition into their modern lives to help them to resolve the grief. In many ways, what has happened to this race can be paralleled to the Jewish Holocaust, and the effects on the survivors are just as important and just as strong. Works Cited Brave, H. M. Y. and DeBruyn, L. M. (1998). "The American Indian Holocaust: Healing Historical Unresolved Grief." American Indian and Alaska native mental health research 8(2): 56. Prucha, F. P. American Indian Treaties: The History of a Political Anomaly, University of California Press 1994), 1-15; 23-24; 40-42. Read More