Thread: Native emotions

Imagine yourself as a native american in happy times before anyone else arrived on this continent. When Europeans show up, the natives split....some welcomed and helped the Europeans, some did not and were taking out any European they came across because they were angry and considered it an invasion.

Then came the treaties, promises made and promises broken on behalf of the Europeans. Pioneers kept pushing further into the country of these people. Travelling through their land, helping themselves to their food, leaving their trash along the way. More treaties, more treaties broken.

The natives put up a fight, but the whites kept coming and coming and coming. They did this illegally by breaking treaties. The native leaders said there was a solution, there would be an end to the whites arriving, they would defeat them, etc.....but look who lost in the end.

The native american population of the US now has the highest rate of alcoholism, highest rate of suicide, highest poverty level, and the list goes on. They didn't go down without a fight, but they were just overwhelmed by false promises and the massive number of immigrants. They trusted the politicians who created those treaties....big mistake. Sound familiar? Wonder how things will be in this country in 100 years if there is no enforcement? If amnesty is granted, how many more will come illegally? How will we regulate this when it's not happening now. The government said it would be in the past.....promise broken.

History has a tendency to repeat itself if no lessons were learned and humans become greedy. We know who is greedy....corporate America and the politicians they support. Same thing as profiteers traveling west as pioneers to exploit the lands by mining minerals, etc, that's why treaties were broken.

My grandfather, Cherokee, took his own life. My family knows that it was because he had so many emotions over changes for his people and he could not deal with it any other way. He was forced to change when he had to take jobs in cotton mills here in the south. He was forced to cut his hair and "become a white man" as he put it. His family was thrown off their land in Tennessee by the U.S. Government and they were not paid a penny for it.

When I think of the situation we are in with illegal immigration, I can relate to how my grandfather must have seen things and why he couldn't cope. Are we going to allow this to happen again? Did we learn a lesson? Are we allowing corporate America to continue with this greed?

I certainly don't want to see history repeat itself........unfortunatly I don't have any faith in the government or their word. It must kill the native Americans to see what we've done for the sake of progress and I don't want to be around to see what it's like for the sake of greed.

I've got news for you.....it won't take a hundred years.

My husband is Choctaw Indian so I am in sympathy with the Indians.

The Indians were nice to the Europeans when they came - helped them, etc. Then the flood -

Also, many of the Indians were sold out by their chiefs and tribal leaders. In some instances, treaties were signed and 'some' of the tribe were moved and the chiefs were given land and money for this sellout.

So, see any parallels here?

But I do want to add someone was here before the Indians - and few places are inhabited by the original peoples.

What we have to do is say - this is now - and we have to work with now - and it is now our country - we have the right and more importantly, the obligation to work to keep it.

This is sad, but have you also thought about all those third world countries who are not bordering the U.S.? Like Chad, Cambodia, India, etc....they should be allowed to have a percentage of legal immigrants....but this new protest is screwing those people because they are what I compare to "cutting in line". So the Mexican/south americans gain illegal access much easier due to being closer/bordering USA without even thinking of these other countries. And the illegals from south of the border accuse us of being unfair?!

krazynbama, and nntrixie is good to see you both on here, I am half native american, choctaw and a little cherokee. Your words are so true, sad and prophetic at the same time. It is all happening again, soon this land will not be recognizable even by the natives! I am a Registered Nurse, retired now but did work for a number of years at the Choctaw Indian Hospital in okla and there was so much alcoholism, passiveness, and we are riddled with diabetes! I am so glad to see other native americans taking a stand on here against this invasion happening in our country, we need to get more tribal members on here with us, would be great if we could get our chiefs interested in this wouldn't it? The choctaws are a great tribe now and doing well for their people Our health care system is over 90 percent independent of federal aid today thanks to our great leader Chief Pyle. I guess it is a good thing we got weaned off gov assistance so the illegals could take our place right? What a farce. There is such a large danger to our people from disease coming from Mexico, it still seems that our people don't have the immune system that our white brothers have. I hear our story tellers and my family tell stories of diseases from the white immigrants that almost destroyed our people and we are now going to be exposed all over again thanks to our government! Anyway just to say hello and welcome you here, please try to talk more of your friends and relatives to join us here it is a very good place. Have to warn you though no war talk or weapons talk or inciting of violence, nittygritty got into much trouble over that They are right , if we don't talk with respect we don't get treated with respect have to keep our anger in check, you did a beautiful job in your spoken piece here, wish I had a way with words like you do keep up the good work!

but krazynbama, what you're saying sounds like more of a reason for amnesty than it does for kicking illegal immigrants out. my families came over from England and France in the 1700s. there isn't a real good reason why they should have been allowed to come settle here and make a living, and be part of wiping out the Indians. really. it wasn' t cool, like you were saying. but the way you're talking about it in your first post sounds just as much like a reason for us to question why our families were allowed to come in, and illegals now aren't--- the only real difference is race, right?

standtogether, I am in no way for amnesty. I support only legal immigration. The past is history, I wanted to state that I hope we learned from it. The natives did not have the power to regulate the influx, therefore they lost in every way. This great nation has the laws to do so but ignore them by not enforcing them. You would think our government would remember this past and deny it from occurring again. But it seems to be starting again by allowing such a large influx of unregulated, illegal aliens to abuse our system.

I simply painted that picture out of respect for my ancestors and wondered if I now see/feel the same emotions or some similar to them. To me it is not about race, but about the path we take dealing with issues such as this. I feel as though our government may be setting us up for a fall. Why are those citizens supporting the pro illegal reform not as concerned as most of us? What do/don't they know that makes them comfortable with this possible reform? I'm wondering how many false promises are being made now from politicians to big corporations and vice versa who want to grant amnesty to exploit illegal aliens and kick citizens in the arse.

I feel the Europeans were welcome to immigrate to North America, however, they did it with some false promises to the natives. The native americans were treated like illegal aliens on their own land, but that is all in the past. Things have improved. I would never say the Europeans had no right to come. I also have Irish ancestry and remember what those immigrants suffered when coming to this country as well as the suffering of the indigenous population.

I'm wondering if this country allows illegal immigration to continue, grant amnesty, allow guest worker program, etc....what will change about our way of life? What will be the majority population and how will they treat the minorities? (that IS a racial/economic/social question with good intent) Will I be forced to change my life so dramatically that I no longer want to live? Will our government become socialist, communist or remain democratic? What path will this country follow? These are many questions running through all of our minds.

Thank you for letting me know how you interpreted what I wrote, because without your response someone else might wonder the same thing. I am not an extremist who thinks this land should be returned to the indigenous peoples, etc. I hope that explains a bit more.