Culture & Lifestyle

Rant

Why don't we learn more about native americans in school?

Posted 9 months ago|7 comments|347 views
Red Cloud, defender of his people
Written by
Native Crow
Avon, CO
in school i used to look through the text books and see that it's mostly about europe, then africa then it's asia and the middle east and then it's done, no more pages just those cultures. In grade school were taught bull sh*t about thanksgiving and how pilgrims and indians were best friends, or we learn about Columbus or Cortes being treated like gods (they never were) and that's about it. I remember being sick of BLACK HISTORY MONTH, the only month we would learn about in school, and then we had to write reports on how great MLK jr. was, or rosa parks or malcolm x etc.. and we have a whole day dedicated to MLK jr., so why don't we honor native american heroes? i know we can't celebrate every race, but native americans were all ways part of this country, we still are, so i think we should honor native heroes, look at all they have been through, we have been invaded, almost exterminated and pushed onto reservations, now im not being racist but africans sold other africans into slavery, i mean africans got freed and were part of america WAY before natives, native americans even helped america and used their languages as secret codes unbreakable by the Japanese! we helped win a WORLD WAR, native americans had to EARN their citizen ship by fighting in a war that wouldn't have effected them (they weren't citizens until WWII) WHY don't we learn about this? oh ya a lady who sat on a bus and wouldn't move, HOW HEROIC, i mean i'm glad i learned about a boycott and not brave warriors who FOUGHT AND DIED for their people (with weapons and blood not words and protests). I mean even now people are probably going to comment "natives were stuck in the stone age" or some bull sh*t like that, but i don't care at this point, i'm going to petition for Red Cloud day, he was a brave man who fought for his people.
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COMMENTS
Native Crow
Native Crow
Avon, CO
Content Removed by Native Crow
9 months ago: I was raised as a minority in a predominantly Native community... I like your post, and Red Cloud day has my vote... it won't mean much being from Canada, but you have it anyway! You make some good points.
Native Crow
Native Crow
Avon, CO
9 months ago: thanks, good to see people are up for red cloud day, if it does get made into a national day, i hope it spreads to canada and mexico, too unite natives and non-natives alike.
Altruist
Altruist
Eugene, OR
9 months ago: Welcome to RR Native Crow. I agree we should hear a lot more about the people who REALLY found and inhabited this country. Native Americans have many heroes that are worthwhile as role models which our young would benefit from learning about. I think Black Elk Speaks, should be required reading in all schools.

Of course throughout history, the victors are the ones that get to write the history books. But the Seminole were never conquered, we should hear more about them.

The main reason we don't hear much about Native American history is that they used the oral tradition and the Native storytellers are disappearing.
Native Americans didn't have written records until Sequoya invented the Cherokee alphabet.

I hope you can bring a different perspective to the forum, and can enlighten us.
Native Crow
Native Crow
Avon, CO
9 months ago: thank you, i hope i can bring a different perspective, not only to this forum, but to the american education system aswell, i'm thinking of actually petitioning for red cloud day(or something more generall about native americans across the americas, so that native americans from canada and mexico can feel united) and your right, black elk speaks should be required reading!
9 months ago: I hear where you are coming from and I can appreciate your sentiments. Yours is a history that needs to be known.

Also, I understand your frustration, but understand, Black History month was not something that was handed to folks, it was fought for.

Unfortunately it going to take the same type of fight to get the history of the Native peoples of this land put into the spotlight which it so rightly deserves.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PGEMFpNY...
American Ghost Dance - Red Hot Chili Peppers

I'm looking forward to having you around the RR community.
Native Crow
Native Crow
Avon, CO
9 months ago: ya i hope to lead that fight to bring native history into the spotlight
9 months ago: There is no hand as reliable as your own.

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