Ethical treatment of native americans - Essay Example

ETHICAL TREATMENT OF NATIVE AMERICANS Ethical Issues and Moral Implications Native Americans considered to be native people who are treated like the North American continent’s inhabitants and who are presently compelled to stay alive as intact political communities. The continent discoveries have demonstrated that Native Americans were treated differently in regards to advancements, weapons, household, health, religion, and architectural. Thousands of Native Americans were forced out of their homes with our forefathers (Lovern, et al. 2013). They faced indiscriminate and brutal slaughter that immensely decreased their population. In between 1880 to 1980, more than half of Native American kids were taken from their homes to attend boarding schools that were far away so that they could be deculturized. Native American children were adopted by Euro-American families and were supposed never to discover where they originated. Hardly 30 years ago, the Indian Health Service (IHS) of United States carried out an involuntary sterilization program that impacted about 40% of all the Indian women. Alaskan babies were also given the hepatitis B vaccine by HIS. This is a vaccine that is banned, and it has connection with the HIV. Many of them suffered and died of disease and malnutrition because of the circumstances that were created by the Americans (Harrison, et al. 2013). These actions had serious moral implication that negatively affected the Native Americans existence and their future seemed to be uncertain. Saying that we are Americans a lie because we are not indigenous to this land (Sarche, M. C. 2011). Some people attempt to justify these deeds on Native Americans by pointing out that it is the Native Americans who attacked and destroyed the American settlements. This makes one wonder since when it has been wrong to stand and fight for your land to defend oneself from attack from a scandalous insincere government who murdered your people and stole your future generations a culture that is much-valued. I strongly believe that the government of the United States of America, upon the cultures and tribes of Native Americans, committed an act of genocide. The Land Context in which the Ethical issue is situated Native Americans never understood the European ideology. They did not have a clue the reason the Europeans were able to fight for land. Native Americans believed that death makes one the owner of nothing. They also failed to understand the way one individual or group could “own” land because were not capable of owning the sky. It is this peaceful ideology of Native Americans that made them be the best target to the treaties and the land agreements gave by the United States government (Fluehr-Lobban, C. 2013). The Indian Removal Bill was passed by the Congress in 1828, and it compelled the Indians living in the south to move to a new place or would be subjected to the state laws. The North strongly opposed this bill while the South supported it. The Bill that barely passed the Senate and House was a popular distribution support of the fertile Indian lands. The U.S. government was attracted into the Indians relocation since it provided the southern farmers with more farmland (Sarche, M. C. 2011). As far as the practical relocation went on, the task of relocating the Indians was in the hands of the Army, who by then often signed the work off to contractors. Attempts by the Indians at conforming were pointless and crushed quickly. The time Cherokees Americanized their tribe and adopted “the American Way”, the Georgia State quickly went in militias, forcing them on their way. Many Indians tribes fought for the U.S. against their fellow Indian brothers in return for the promise that the government to them that they would be protected against the removal. The government eventually did not honor its promise. Through massacres that were organized (Wounded Knee) and the massive relocations (Trails of Tears), Native Americans, in hundreds of thousands, were murdered. And if not by fighting or war a lot of Native Americans were a victim of the many diseases that the “white man” brought to their lands. Even though a lot of people knew non-Native Americans came here without an invitation and took forcible possession of Native American land, many people are unaware of the Native American’s destruction that started no later than in 1611 (Oberg, M. L. 2010). This style was among the ones that involved the forceful removal of kids away from their culture, and these children were enrolled in “education programs” with the aim of instilling more “European” beliefs. Plans for a big-scale system of day and boarding schools were made by the United States in 1820. The mission of these schools was to instruct the students/children in “letters, labor and mechanical arts, and morals and Christianity” the training of the future Indians leaders. It was decided in 1886 by the U.S. federal government that the tribal groups of Native Americans would cease being regarded as “indigenous national governments”. This decision was made by the United States Legal System without the conjoint efforts of the Congress and Native American tribes. This enabled Congress to pass various laws that were directed towards absorbing and integrating Native Americans and these would make them be regarded as “mainstream white America”. The Correct Ethical Decision that should be applied to this Issue I believe that for some unknown reason, the full history and extent of the way that the Native Americans were treated have been concealed and even destroyed by many people so that it can look like not bad as it is. It is the person who holds the pen, who writes the history. Therefore, I believe that it is necessary for the unfortunate situation of the Native Americans, to be at least be looked or written over by these people who don’t want the truth to be known. Knowledge is power, and through learning from mistakes is the only way that we can avoid repeating the same mistakes in the future. There is no way that the United States government can justify that the treatment that was given to the Native Americans was not an act of Genocide on its part. The government did not only forcefully rob them of their land, and murdered their people, but it also robbed them of their future generations of their heritage, culture, and their spirit. References Fluehr-Lobban, C. (2013). Ethics and anthropology: Ideas and practice. Harrison, K., & Rainey, B. (2013). The Wiley-Blackwell handbook of legal and ethical aspects of sex offender treatment and management. Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell. Lovern, L., Locust, C., & Palgrave Connect (Online service). (2013). Native American communities on health and disability: A borderland dialogue. New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan. Oberg, M. L. (2010). Native America: A history. Chichester, West Sussex, U.K: Wiley-FBlackwell. Sarche, M. C. (2011). American Indian and Alaska native children and mental health: Development, context, prevention, and treatment. Santa Barbara, Calif: Praeger. Read More