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Re: Amerindian resistance mode (was: amerindian an offensive
Markus Figel (figel@gsf.de)
Tue, 13 Aug 1996 10:12:01 +0200
Matt Silberstein wrote:
>
> Paula.Sanch@emich.edu (Paula Sanch) wrote:
>
> >The thing that most whites refuse to see is that your ancestors (your
> >spiritual ancestors, if your family immigrated more recently, but you
> >are a part of the dominant white American culture) have "sown the
> >wind," and you (or maybe your descendants, if you're as incredibly
> >fortunate as your ancestors) will "reap the whirlwind." Whatever
> >worth anyone may assign or deny to the Christian Bible as a religious
> >document, it contains tremendous wisdom about sowing and reaping, and
> >about how your descendants pay, in due season, for what you do, in the
> >event that you do not, personally, "reap what you sow."
>
> I truely do not understand how my "spiritual ancestors" are the White
> Americans Who Destroyed The Indians when not one person in my family
> stepped foot on this hemisphere until 1903. And they left the
> countries they came from because the people there were killing my
> physical ancestors' families. Could you explain why I should take on
> that particular burden of guilt?
> [snip]
When do Americans like you learn to deal with your history? Closing your
eyes and not thinking about the American history or thinking about the
responsibility your culture (where you are belonging to now , Matt) has
for the indian culture. Just saying that none of your ancestors had
anything to do with the destruction of the indian culture is no excuse.
This destruction is not a thing that only took part more than 100 years
ago, it is a process still going on! You are are a member of the american
culture now think about it and face the history of your society. I
can not believe how ignorant your are.
With The German history on my shoulders (beeing a German), it would also
be easy for me to say my ancestors were all farmers, none of them was
in the army in WWII, none of them in the NSDAP so there is no reason for
me to _take on any particular burden of guilt_ (taking your words) in the
genozide . This is too easy and inhuman. Your society and culture has a
similar responsibilty for the destruction of the indians and their culture
as my culture has for the genozide in the 3rd Reich! Therefore you have
to take the burden, deal with it and learn of it.
A few years ago I meet an American student, studying american history.
She was not able to tell me anything about indian history. I am sure she
was able to tell me every American president, the name of every congress
man since 200 years and recite several speeches of Lincoln,...
I hate such ignorance and bigotry and this misionary thinking you can
see in a lot of posts to this subject!
I'm sorry for all Americans who try to take their burden, learn from
history and work for a better future - you all, forgive my words.
Markus
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