Why hasn't the US made a formal apology to the Native Americans?

I'll keep this short and sweet (it's my first thread made)
au.answers.yahoo.com... this is the best quote i could find to answer this...sorry its a yahoo answer

It wasn't till after WW1 when we were "considered" citizens. It wasn't till after WW2 when we had voting rights, in the 1960's and 70's they sterilized 25% of ALL native american women between the ages of 15 to 40. And before the 1970's it was illegal to practice our ceremonies, and speak our languages.

So no, we've never got an apology (obviously we deserve it), and we don't ask for reparations. What I know many want is just for the Americans to one day say "yep, we commit ed a genocide, we ****** up, we're sorry" but I doubt it will ever come.

Coarse American sttitude towards us still hasn't changed much. As you can see, some obviously think that their ways are better, and that we should just drop everything and "assimilate". Well, no; I'm sorry but I like where I am, and if you don't like that then **** off. Simply put. Besides, I've already lived in other parts of the country, so I've seen enough.



I have heard of apologies in the works but have yet to hear something definate

reply to post by TheForgottenOnes


hey it sucks the way your people were treated. The main thing is that now you get treated with respect and allowed to do whatever you want! My grandfather was forced to serve in the army. He never got a letter of apology from the Germans for taking that portion of his life away. Atrocities were committed in the past, and as long as we don't forget where we came from, we won't repeat this. I don't know what it is like in the US but in Canada a portion of my taxes go to helping Indians for the past. I don't mind. I wasn't a part of it, my parents were not, and my immigrant grandparents were not either. If that is what is needed to be done and to get over this PAST injustice, then so be it. Please answer me this though. How many more generations must my family help pay for when we weren't a part of it? Can I claim special exemption or just because I was born in a stolen country I have to pay the rest of my life? I didn't and would never condone what was done to your people, but, we must try to get past this horrible time in history, move on, and become a healthy member of society.

Great thread - thank you for postinng this.

I don't think they ever will appologise - thay are too arogant. They don't see that they have done anything wrong. They thwarted the savages to build themselves a home. They were savages, little more than animals in uman form. Would you apologise to the buffalo? Of course not. So they will never make an apology, even though one is well overdue.

Very sad afair indeed.

It's funny - I just read this on facebook today

www.facebook.com...

reply to post by TheForgottenOnes


I agree with you the genocide of the native population was what 25million plus?
No offense to any jews out there..and i know it was horrible as is all senseless slaughter.... but Hitler -only- genocided 6million of them... and the Holocaust has been a big point for human rights... so what about the "indians" ? hmmmmmm? they don't teach it in school how many died... and what did the US do in return? Stick em on reservations... i could only imagine how bad that life would suck... and whenever a group stood up and started to complain Casino's were shoved down their neck... i dont know about you... but i would quit complaining for my own casino... i hate being poor as hell

In my blood flows Cherokee lineage... I am also Irish-Swedish-English.... kinda ironic Cherokee and English...
I don't need an apology for myself... but I think their should be an apology to the full-bloods... you know why...

not cos they were slaughtered senseless and had their land robbed... but because after all this time... they still don't bitch... They havent caused trouble... OP i'm not saying your bitching or causing trouble...... Native's are a honorable people in my book... and what your saying is something that should have been said long long long ago!

Who is going to apologize?

reply to post by RestingInPieces


obama might if he promised not to.

reply to post by EvolEric


well it's not so much for me, I'm Australian, my husband is Chippewa, and he finally told me about wounded knee, trail of tears and other massacres, even giving blankets from a small pox hospital to them, he grew up on a reservation in minnesota it just makes me sad, who could do that to a proud people? and in my oppinion... the US should pay back real estate costs of all the US just to be fair, and then they're even lol

reply to post by superman2012


hahahaha
funny... and sad... but true

reply to post by RestingInPiecesIts a sad shame the US government hasn't stepped up and appologized. The term (Indian) doesn't fit well with some of us since we were discovered by a fool named Columbus who was supposedly on route to India. I wouldn't complain about paying for taxes since the land was taken away and many slaughtered in the process and look at the land now.....its a dump. And this thing about taxes, Lets get one thing straight.....The natives too pay taxes in Canada like anyone else and I'm 100% sure it applies to the US people just the same. Not every Native lives on a reservation.

reply to post by TheForgottenOnes


I think an apology is in order... but i agree with superman2012 why should people today who had nothing to do with the slaughter have to pay for a mistake that wasnt theirs.... If money is involved i don't think its for the right reason...

plus you do realize that China owns America... meaning America couldnt pay for the "borrowed" real-estate... cos its no longer theirs to pay for...

Native owned became USA owned... became Chinese owned...

America is like a time share...

www.wicocomico-indian-nation.com...


SAND CREEK MASSACRE (SE COLORADO).

In 1864 Col Chivington ( a former clergyman that had political ambitions) was appointed the territorial military commander in Colorado. After some isolated incidents with the Indians, Chivington sent out detachments to burn and destroy Indian villages, the Cheyenne, Arapahos, Sioux, Kiowa's, and Comanches's struck back. this give Chivington the opportunity that he was looking for, to launch a full scale attack on the Indians.

On November 29, 1864, Chivington deployed his command, about seven hundred solders with howitzers around Black Kettle's village on Sand Creek. Black Kettle was under the impression that he was at peace with the Americans; he ran up the American Flag and assured his people that all was well. the troops opened fire and charged. The Indians scattered in all directions. Chivington had made it clear that he wanted no prisoners, hie policy was "to kill and scalp all, little and big". Nits make lice he was fond of saying. Interpreter John Smith later testified: they were scalped, their brains knocked out; the men used their knives, ripped open women, clubbed little children, knocked them in the head with their guns, beat their brains out, mutilated their bodies in every sense of the word. Two hundred Cheyenne's, two thirds of them women and children perished. Nine chiefs died, however Chief Black Kettle escaped.( Only to be murdered later by Custer.)

WOUNDED KNEE

About a week prior to the slaughter at Wounded Knee, L.Frank Baum, editor of South Dakota's Aberdeen Saturday Pioneer newspaper advocated the extermination of all America's Indians. Quote; The nobility of the Redskin is extinquished and what few are left are a pack of whining curs who lick the hand that smites them. The whites by law of conquest, by justice of civilization, are masters of the American continent, and the best safety of the frontier settlements will be secured by the total annihilation of the few remaining Indians.(WHY NOT ANNIHILATION?)Their glory has fled, their spirit broken, their manhood effaced, better they should die than live the miserable wretches that they are. Unquote.L. FRANK BAUM LATER BECOMES FAMOUS AS THE AUTHOR OF:


"THE WIZARD OF OZ."

An Indian named American Horse, who had been friendly to the American troops for years gave this narrative of the slaughter at Wounded Knee; "they turned their guns, Hotchkiss guns upon the women who were in the lodges standing there under a flag of truce, and of course as soon as they were fired upon they fled...There was a women with an infant in her arms who was killed as she almost touched the flag of truce, and the women and children of course were strewn all along the circular village untill they were dispatched. Right near the flag of truce a mother was shot down with her infant; the child not knowing that it's mother was dead was still nursing, and that especially was a very sad sight.The women as they were fleeing with their babies were killed together, shot right through, and the women who were heavy with child were also killed...After most of them had been killed a cry was made that all those who were not killed or wounded should come forth and they would be safe. Little boys who were not wounded came out of their places of refuge, and as soon as they came in sight, a number of soldiers surrounded them and butchered them there... Of course it would have been alright if only the men were killed; we would feel almost grateful for it. But the fact of the killing of the women and more especially of the of the young boys and girls who are to go to make up the future of the Indian people, is the saddest part of the whole affair and we feel it very sorely." Unquote"

Shortly after the massacre, Baum stated his approval, in the "Aberdeen Saturday Pioneer's paper stating that; we had better, in order to protect our civilization, follow it up and wipe these untamed and untameable creatures from the face of the earth.

You're going to pay for as long is it takes I guess, just as much as every gerneration of the Native people did

Originally posted by EvolEric
reply to post by TheForgottenOnes

 

I think an apology is in order... but i agree with superman2012 why should people today who had nothing to do with the slaughter have to pay for a mistake that wasnt theirs.... If money is involved i don't think its for the right reason...

plus you do realize that China owns America... meaning America couldnt pay for the "borrowed" real-estate... cos its no longer theirs to pay for...

Native owned became USA owned... became Chinese owned...

America is like a time share...

superman has a point, my husband has always said that 90% of Natives only want an apology, I think that Obama being elected is a huge travesty, the news proclaiming him to be a savior, "the first black president" I just think it should have been a Native instead of him, I'm sorry I'm all passioned up, but I just heard of this yesterday, and I'm a bit outraged lol

reply to post by TheForgottenOnes


Imagine a Native American In Chair in the US and Canada??? I just can't see that happening, there is still alot of racism. But man would that ever be something!!!

Originally posted by sinned66
reply to post by TheForgottenOnes

 

Imagine a Native American In Chair in the US and Canada??? I just can't see that happening, there is still alot of racism. But man would that ever be something!!!

a full blooded Native, that would be something amazing!!

reply to post by TheForgottenOnes


It would be but I wonder just how many full bloods are left. Can't very many.

Because, the active repression of Americas Native populace continues to this day. look at the state of the Reservations. some of them are no better than third world countries, and this is IN America. Water Rights, Jobs, Financial support... the US Gov. & B.I.A. continue to suppress Native peoples to this day.

why would they apologize for something that continue to this day?

Originally posted by sinned66
reply to post by TheForgottenOnes

 

It would be but I wonder just how many full bloods are left. Can't very many.

I think they'res not any left, my husband is Tribal "royalty" his ancestors were Chiefs and he's only between 14 and 19% but raised on a reservation, I think the closest full blood would be something like 80%

reply to post by jazkaat


Very good post, A sorry just wouldn't be good enough. I've watched videos on youtube on how bad it is for some of the people on some reserves, its worse than alot ghettos especially when the temps go down in the winter just to add more problems. Worse than 3rd world and that is just terrible we have these kind of situations in our top countries.

They cannot apologize because that would only be the beginning. Look at Canada. We apologized and that just opened the door to one compliance after another. Right now oil companies don't have to pay squat to the indians in order to take it's oil. They DO pay but i think literally pennies per barrel. Here in Canada those first nations sitting on oil are taking in huge cake.

Why apologize they don't hold enough voting sway, so the hell with them, lifes tough... build a bow and do something if you don't like