"Genocide" and the Native Americans

[Bushwick]

Even though the crime of genocide remains universally condemned by the international community, the United States government, its agencies, and its personnel have been effectively granted de facto immunity.

[Bushwick]

And if forced eviction, relocation and starvation proved insufficient to break the Native Indian will to resist, then the U.S. Cavalry supplemented by settler militias were called in with Howitzers to execute a massacre. One such bloodbath occurred in November of 1864, when 700 militiamen, many of them drunk, surrounded and attacked a peaceful Cheyenne and Arapaho village at Sand Creek, Colorado. At the end of the one-sided battle, 200 Native Indians had been killed and mutilated, over half women and children.

[Bushwick]

In his January 1851 message to the California legislature, California Governor Peter H. Burnett promised "a war of extermination will continue to be waged between the two races until the Indian race becomes extinct." Newspapers cheered on the campaign. In 1853 the Yreka Herald called on the government to provide aid to "enable the citizens of the north to carry on a war of extermination until the last redskin of these tribes has been killed. Extermination is no longer a question of time--the time has arrived, the work has commenced and let the first man who says treaty or peace be regarded as a traitor." Other newspapers voiced similar sentiments.

Towns offered bounty hunters cash for every Indian head or scalp they obtained. Rewards ranged from $5 for every severed head in Shasta City in 1855 to 25 cents for a scalp in Honey Lake in 1863. One resident of Shasta City wrote about how he remembers seeing men bringing mules to town, each laden with eight to twelve Indian heads. Other regions passed laws that called for collective punishment for the whole village for crimes committed by Indians, up to the destruction of the entire village and all of its inhabitants. These policies led to the destruction of as many as 150 Native communities.

Is this manafest desteny or culture shock?

[skiguy]

your wrong

PLease provide primary sources that show this was deliberate. 

Jefferson ordered smallpox vacinations for all the population...including Indians.  Indians did not trust him so they kept dying.  Hardly the defnition of genocide.

[DonaldBaker]

In his January 1851 message to the California legislature, California Governor Peter H. Burnett promised "a war of extermination will continue to be waged between the two races until the Indian race becomes extinct." Newspapers cheered on the campaign. In 1853 the Yreka Herald called on the government to provide aid to "enable the citizens of the north to carry on a war of extermination until the last redskin of these tribes has been killed. Extermination is no longer a question of time--the time has arrived, the work has commenced and let the first man who says treaty or peace be regarded as a traitor." Other newspapers voiced similar sentiments.

Towns offered bounty hunters cash for every Indian head or scalp they obtained. Rewards ranged from $5 for every severed head in Shasta City in 1855 to 25 cents for a scalp in Honey Lake in 1863. One resident of Shasta City wrote about how he remembers seeing men bringing mules to town, each laden with eight to twelve Indian heads. Other regions passed laws that called for collective punishment for the whole village for crimes committed by Indians, up to the destruction of the entire village and all of its inhabitants. These policies led to the destruction of as many as 150 Native communities.

Is this manafest desteny or culture shock?

Just a quote from one very ignorant man.  You have to show much more than that. 

Look I agree the Indians were given the real bend over, but let's be honest here, there was no way in the long run that the two cultures could have co-existed peacefully.  One side or the other was going to have to assimilate and because of technology, the Europeans won out.  Is that genocide?  By your terms perhaps, but by any other standard, it was just the breaks.

[arbarnhart]

Even though the crime of genocide remains universally condemned by the international community, the United States government, its agencies, and its personnel have been effectively granted de facto immunity.

This is partially due to the fact that the term genocide was coined in 1941 and a resolution was adopted in 1948.
Also partially due to a lot of the conquerors responsible for many of deaths coming over well before there was a US.
Also partially due to a lot of this happening outside the US or what was the US at the time.

Despite all the disclaimers, some blame can be placed on the US government. But I think they handled some things poorly only because their understanding was limited, not because they were driven by hate and trying to eradicate the race. There are individuals who are exceptions.

I agree that the actions should not be whitewashed in history texts. But I don't think the international community is giving the US anymore leeway than other countries. The nature of man is such that (nearly?) all nations have checkered pasts. The important thing is to learn from it as we move on.

[Bushwick]

Does anyone know how much they payed for to exterminate entire tribes in California? or if the law still exists i know some Indian scalps I want to sell. The policies of California were acted out and you got to admit it was genocide. I hate to admit but the Easter Bunnie is not real either. This is my last post you can research genocide in America and find so many. But you cant lead a horse to water and make him drink or not believe in the Easter Bunnie.

[scout1067]

Does anyone know how much they payed for to exterminate entire tribes in California? or if the law still exists i know some Indian scalps I want to sell. The policies of California were acted out and you got to admit it was genocide. I hate to admit but the Easter Bunnie is not real either. This is my last post you can research genocide in America and find so many. But you cant lead a horse to water and make him drink or not believe in the Easter Bunnie.

Very adult of you to take your marbles and go home.  I guess if you cant convince people with vitriol and baseless accusations then they just can't be convinced?

[donroc]

Genocide has been used so often inaccurately it has been cheapened the same as racist and racism.

[plk260]

Wow, read some genocide denial in this thread. 

I refer curious readers to the books American Holocaust and George Washington's War On Native America, for starters.

[scout1067]

Wow, read some genocide denial in this thread. 

I refer curious readers to the books American Holocaust and George Washington's War On Native America, for starters.

Wow, I read some very curious neo-colonialist revisionism going on in this thread.

BTW, Welcome to the board plk