The World Continues to Disrespect Native Americans
America’s government has been actively disrespecting the Native American people since the time of their first interaction in the sixteen hundreds. Four-hundred and nineteen years later, this is still an issue. Native people experience oppression every day, and oftentimes their needs and activism go unheard. As people who do not experience this discrimination, it is easy (and for some favorable) to forget our hideous past with the indigenous people who come from this country we now call America, in turn ignoring the echoes of the past and how they manifest in today’s world.
Sadly, it is a common occurrence among white Americans to ignore, participate in, and support bigoted dialogue and actions revolving around minorities in the U.S. This is no different when it comes to common perceptions of and behavior towards Native Americans. When explaining all the many ways Native people experience oppression, it is hard to know where to start. Perhaps there is no better place than the beginning.
Every year, millions of Americans participate in a holiday during late November known as Thanksgiving Day. About 85% of the country’s population will sit around the dinner table with their families and eat extravagant feasts complete with turkey, alcohol, and great misconceptions about what this holiday is actually about. Unlike most Americans, Native Americans do not see this time as means to celebrate. In fact, is it commonly known among these indigenous people as a “Day of Mourning,” a time to remember the millions of Native people who were murdered by European settlers, the land that was stolen from them, and the constant attack on their culture. It has been a tradition for Native Americans since 1970 to gather at Cole’s Hill at Plymouth on the American holiday to remember these tragedies. This is merely one of countless examples of the toxicity that American ignorance can generate. The American tradition known as Thanksgiving is a distraction from an ugly truth, and serves as an example for the desperate need for change in this country.
On December 22nd, 2019, at 12am, the American Government issued a shut-down. As the New York Times article by Mitch Smith and Julie Turkewitz states, most Americans who don’t work for the government barely notice the consequences of this decision, but Native American tribes have something much more important at stake. Long ago, Native Americans and the U.S Government formed an agreement: if the Natives gave up huge portions of their land, the government would supply resources such as money, medicine, and basic health and well-being services for the tribes. In turn, the undo consequences of the shutdown meant that these tribes suffer without help and supplies from the government, causing shortages and worry among the community. In the Navajo Nation, piles of snow with no government aid meant roads unplowed and people stuck in their homes with no access to food, water, and medicine. Contrary to what some may believe, the U.S is still failing to honor agreements with the Native people of this land.
Sadly, the poor treatment of Native people doesn’t stop at America; Canada has also been breaking vital agreements. As a blog post from Unisto’ot’en Camp indicates, on January 7 a group of militarized police breached a peaceful checkpoint on Wet’suwet’en land. This was in response to growing tension among the clans living there, all five of which unanimously rejected RCMP’s plans to install a TransCanada’s Coastal Gaslink, which would run through their land, creating vulnerability to possible water contamination. These people have a right to protest their concerns for their life and health, yet upon the intrusion by the police, more than 12 arrests were made, including both a spokesperson for the clan and an elder. The unfair nature of these circumstances are further emphasized by the notion that this behavior is not only cruel but in fact a breach of agreement; article 10 of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples states “Indigenous peoples shall not be forcibly removed from their land or territories.” A road built by the RCMP has left these Indigenous people without access to the Unist’ot’en Camp, putting a stop to communication, services and supplies.
However, to react to the struggles of Native Americans is not only appropriate behavior come November or when it is pertinent in the news, as these concerns should remain relevant. We need to recognize the daily oppression that this community faces if we are ever going to make a change in this country and furthermore the world. The list of ways that Native people have been oppressed, disrespected, and discriminated against is extremely long. To explain all the ways in a single article would simply be unrealistic, but I encourage you as readers to do your own research and educate yourself about the struggles of Native communities.
By Emmaline Elsbree