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Today I picked up an old book...a primer on the North American Indian, dated
1906 Hiawatha...I am reading on page 8 and this is what I found that was being taught to school children in 1906.

‘Prosperity smiles upon fold and soil. ‘God be praised!’ Said Governor Bradford, (New England) when he appointed a day of national Thanksgiving on American soil. The Red man was invited to the feast. The great chief Massasoit came with one hundred of his braves. The day was spent in feasting and joy among the Indians.

But, the scene soon changes—the contest for supremacy is on and the primeval forest echoes with the din of the conflict. When the white man undertook the development of this country he was brought into a tragic contest with the Red man.it is the law of Nature, as mankind multiplies and spreads over the earth, that the earth must yield its treasures. To those who till the soil and dig the mines and develop the resources of a new land will that land be given. To those who will not work—who will not help Nature to produce—to them must come suffering and death.

Few of the Indians could understand this law. Most of them said: “The white men are growing in numbers every year—we are being pushed back from the sea. Some day they will take our hunting grounds from us.” Then came the very natural increase in savage fervor and white man’s resistance like a lurid in the night. ...cont’d
This mind set, has not died...to this day!

Freedompath 9 Jan 22
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1

Thanks for the comment. Additionally, the Indians of America had no concept of ownership of real estate, that real estate could be owned personally.

weldy Level 4 Jan 22, 2019

@Gwendolyn2018 and most considered the land they lived on as property of their tribe.

1

This was the 100 years after Wordsworth penned the "noble savage" it was 20-30 years after the "war in the west" in which Sherman and Jackson demanded the eradication of the native cultures in the west. It was two decades after Sand Creek Massacre, wounded Knee Massacre, Little Big Horn ( chock thos up for the indians), and many more.

Eventually, the indians were overehelmed and put on reservations, a few in their homeland, but most in lands foreign to them. They were oversaw by the military via a branch known as the Bureau of Indian Affairs [BIA]. The philosophy of the BIA concerning their charges is that they were all children, regardless of age. As children, they couldn't possibly know what was good for themselves. It was the job of the military to teach them what was good and necessary, in the Christian tradition.

Just prior to 1906 saw the rise of the Indian Boarding Schools along the Carlisle model. Native children were forcibly taken from their home and families. Placed in boarding schools where they were forced to cut their hair. They were punished if they spoke their language or prayed to their gods.

The goal was overtly to make them, 1st Christian, then good submissive red white men. They were forced to learn vocational skills, both male and female. Many children ran away and perished trying to get home. Most were caught, brought back and severely punished. To this day, the majority of Native Americans adults are suspicious of westetn education

I have taught on two reservations and in three Native schools, including one of the historic boarding schools (not the same paradigm today, we revere their culture nowadays and teach it alongside western education) over the last thirty years.

Hiawatha is not very well thought of as it perpetuates false stereotypes. But, I share your appeciation for old books and am sort of an Antiquarian myself.

Thanks so much for your input! This part in the book, made me see, that people can be judged ‘less than,’ devalued for more development, at any time. But, I had not seen this primer before. I have studied much of the Native American history. Being that I have Cherokee in g-grandmothers.

@Freedompath. Your welcome. The problem with Hiawatha written by Wordsworth Longfellow is the the "noble savage" was just another stereotype.. He was childlike, but pure in heart and living on harmony of nature. Overly romanticized to be sure.

@t1nick the other book that I did not reveal, is—A Narrative of the Early Days and Remembrances of Osceola Nikkanochee, Prince of Econchatti (Seminole) dated 1841

@Freedompath Not familiar with that particular text. Have to look it up. Thanks

2

There were very likely humans in the Americas before the group came over from Siberia 12K to 13K years ago. The Siberian people wiped out the earlier people, then the Europeans came over and took over from those people of Siberian descent. This sort of thing has been going on every since humans started migrating out of Africa close to 1,000,000 years ago:

[originalpeople.org]

BD66 Level 8 Jan 22, 2019

Must keep vigilant, no one needs to die, so that I can prosper.

1

Yes indeed..

2

A clash of cultures like never before…

Varn Level 8 Jan 22, 2019
2

Conquest has been around since the days of cave men, and we are even worse now than the cave men were . . . generally they competed for resources because they needed them to survive, they likely did not kill for profit as often, and, they did not build weapons that could destroy all of mankind.

THHA Level 7 Jan 22, 2019

True enough!

1

The white man came and stole everything from the Indians. This was their land, which they took great care of. The white man does not take care of our beautiful Country to this day.

It sure seems so...I suppose when the resources run out, humanity will consume each other! The End.

2

What a great find

It feels like a treasure.

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