Native Americans Exercise
- Why is it the case that, unlike many other nations with which America has gone to war, the conquered Native America nations have received from the United States so little help with which to rebuild themselves?
In the year 1831, John Marshal, who was the Chief Justice of the U.S Supreme Court, declared that the Native Americans were domestic and dependent nations. They were recognized as unique as compared to other minority communities in that they were a separate nation and also a section of the United States. That explains why the relationship between the Native Americans and the national government has been troubled. It was aimed that the U.S policy was supposed to assimilate or absorb Native Americans into the prevailing United States’ culture. At the same time, it was suggested that the national government had a responsibility of taking care of its Native American community. The national policy directed to the Native Americans has therefore moved back-and-forth, at times it aims for assimilating and other times it recognizes its obligation to help Native Americans’ development. The confusion has thus resulted in Native Americans not receiving so much help from the United States.
- Should the federal government compensate Native Americans for the victimization and exploitation they experienced at the hands of whites? Why or why not?
The national government should compensate Native Americans since what they went through was unjust, yet the Native population had not done anything wrong. The suffering that the Native population experience changed their lives negatively and left them homeless after their lands were grabbed. Numerous innocent individuals also died. Native Americans should not be forced to assimilate into the prevailing white community but should be fully compensated for the damages experienced since they had and still have the right to possess their land. They should also not only be compensated financially, but their lands should also be returned.
- How have mass media, especially television and movies, portrayed Native Americans?
A good number of American citizens do not know much concerning Native Americans. The worst part is that the little they know concerning Native Americans is founded on flawed tales for which media is mostly to blame. An excellent example is Peter Pan, a children’s movie. As per the research carried out, a majority of the individuals responded that they did not know any Native American and also that they had not at any time interacted with even one. It was also discovered that most people thought that Native Americans no longer exist in America, which is a lie. Also, Americans hold two-fold and even contradictory Native Americans’ stereotypes. The stereotypes held are that Native Americans are both poor and wealthy from casino earnings, are spiritual but still struggle with violence and addiction, and are also sovereign but depend on the national government’s benefits. The latter is harmful since it alienates the Native population from other American citizens by indicating that the government favours them. Media is known to be responsible for perpetuating and also generating such stereotypes, thus shaping public opinion regarding Native Americans.
- In general, what role did treaties play in the displacement of Native Americans from land and its resources?
Treaties played a major role in the Native Americans’ displacement since the government of the United States used those treaties as a means to evict Native Americans from their ancestral lands. The mechanism was made stronger when the Removal Act of the year 1830 was enacted. The act created a procedure whereby those Native Americans that agreed to surrender their homelands were granted land in the west side of the Mississippi River. In return, they were given cash and material help to travel to the new land and start over with the protection from the United States. The treaties were, therefore, a negotiation between Native Americans and the U.S government and a strategy that was used so that Native Americans could let go of their ancestral land.
NB: The question skipped is question 1
References