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Colonialism and its impacts on indigenous people of america
Impacts of colonialism in Native America
Colonialism and its impacts on indigenous people of america
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In this book, Robert M. Utley depicts the life of Sitting Bull a Hunkpapa Indian, from when he was born to his death in 1890. Utley shows both the personal life and political life that Sitting Bull endured throughout the years. Utley looks at Sitting Bull's life from both “...the white as well as the Indian perspective. From both, he emerges as an enduring legend and a historical icon, but above all as a truly great human being.” (xvi). To his tribe Sitting Bull was an extraordinary man who was brave and respected, but to many in the US government believed him to be a troublemaker and a coward. Utley works to prove how Sitting Bull was a man who became an American patriot.
Utley used many different sources for to defend his ideas including Walter S. Campbell Collection at the University of Oklahoma Library in Norman. The book starts off allowing the reader to understand who Sitting Bull truly is. It is not fully known what year Sitting Bull was born, but he was born with a different name than Sitting Bull. When Sitting Bull was first born his name was “Jumping Badger” (5). The importance of the relationships between the different tribes is a major theme throughout the book. Under the name the Sioux, which the US has put many different tribes into, there are many that have rivals and alliances. The tribes that included under the name Sioux are: Lakota/Teton, Oglala, San Ar, Hunkpapa, Blackfeet, Two Kettles, Plant Beside the Stream, Yakton/Tanktonai, West Dakotas, and Santee/East Dakotas.
Within these tribes the young men go through a process to become men. With this the young men go out with other warriors of the tribe to fight. Each man of the tribe has to show that they have individual merit (11). When a young man receives his...
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...ing to become more of the head chief to bring other tribes into cohorts with the Hunkpapas to survive against the whites. Sitting Bull had become the war chief of the entire Sioux nation. This is another example that Utley uses to show how this one man is a born leader and respected individual in the west.
Throughout Sitting Bull's life there was constant movement. The tribe moved when the buffalo moved. With this it brought on many opponents. During the trials with these opponents Sitting Bull and other members of his tribe traveled to Canada or the Grandmother Land, in order to get away form the US government and their oppression. Utley emphasizes how Sitting Bull's influence lead him to protect his people. Leaving the United States, allowed the him and his tribe to gain new life and have some protection from the US if they abide by the new rules put on them.
Summary: Nicknamed as "The Raging Bull", Jake LaMotta was a rough fighter who, not being a hard puncher would savagely beat his opponents in the ring. A movie has been produced based on his: memoir, Raging Bull: My Story. This movie received critical acclamation for both director Martin Scorsese and actor Robert De Niro.
On June 25, 1876, The Battle of Little Bighorn took place near the Black Hills in Montana. This was one of the most controversial battles of the 20th century and the line between good guys and bad guys was grey at best. Gen. George Armstrong Custer (reduced to LTC after the civil war) had 366 men of the 7thU.S. Cavalry under his command that day. Sitting Bull (A Medicine Man) led 2000 braves of the Lakota, Northern Cheyenne, and Arapaho tribes (Klos, 2013). At the conclusion of the battle, the stories of the Indians savagery were used to demonize their culture and there were no survivors from the 7thcavalry to tell what really happened.
Andrew Jackson is often referred to as one of America’s greatest presidents. Yet, evaluating his presidency has proven to be a problematic undertaking. Weighing his accomplishments against his tribulations is often conflicting. Having written three volumes and six novels on the life and presidency of Andrew Jackson, Robert V. Remini (1921-1913) is regarded as a Jacksonian authority. In Andrew Jackson & His Indian Wars (2001), Robert V. Remini unearths many of the atrocities committed against Native Americans by Jackson. Remini argues that Jackson’s experience and sentiment towards natives aided his ascension of the military and political ladders.
In the introduction, Hämäläinen introduces how Plains Indians horse culture is so often romanticized in the image of the “mounted warrior,” and how this romanticized image is frequently juxtaposed with the hardships of disease, death, and destruction brought on by the Europeans. It is also mentioned that many historians depict Plains Indians equestrianism as a typical success story, usually because such a depiction is an appealing story to use in textbooks. However, Plains Indians equestrianism is far from a basic story of success. Plains equestrianism was a double-edged sword: it both helped tribes complete their quotidian tasks more efficiently, but also gave rise to social issues, weakened the customary political system, created problems between other tribes, and was detrimental to the environment.
Sioux as told through John G. Neihardt, an Indian boy then a warrior, and Holy Man
When we look back into history, we are now able to fully comprehend the atrocities the Indians faced at the hands of the historic general and President, Andrew Jackson. It can be seen as one of the most shameful and unjust series of political actions taken by an American government. However, as an American living almost 200 years later, it is crucial to look at the motives possessed by Andrew Jackson, and ask whether he fully comprehended the repercussions of his actions or if is was simply ignorant to what he was subjection the natives to. We must also consider weather he truly had the countries best interest in mind, or his own.
L. Frank Baum is known as an astonishing writer. Who hasn't seen or read Wizard of Oz? To this day it is a house hold movie. It's interesting that he is little known for his views of Native Americans.
Greed is a large part of the American culture whether we realize it as a society or not. Many countries around the world view the United States as a selfish country that does what it wants on a global scale, and does not share or allocate its predominate wealth. I am very thankful and proud to be a citizen of this country. Even though I would risk my life to protect our country and its freedom, there are aspects about our civilization that I wish could be different. Black Elk, “a holy man and a warrior of the Lakota Nation Indians,” was a member of the Oglala Sioux tribe during the most horrific period for Native Americans in the Western part of the United States. In excerpts from the novel of his life story Black Elk Speaks, he is able to relate the differences in the ways of life from his people and the white settlers. Although he lived in the late 1800s, he is able to make reference to issues that are relevant to us today. His observations display issues such as human bonds, ethics, economics, and politics. He describes how the excessive acquisitiveness of one society led to the cultural displacement of another.
Although the work is 40 years old, “Custer Died for Your Sins” is still relevant and valuable in explaining the history and problems that Indians face in the United States. Deloria’s book reveals the White view of Indians as false compared to the reality of how Indians are in real life. The forceful intrusion of the U.S. Government and Christian missionaries have had the most oppressing and damaging affect on Indians. There is hope in Delorias words though. He believes that as more tribes become more politically active and capable, they will be able to become more economically independent for future generations. He feels much hope in the 1960’s generation of college age Indians returning to take ownership of their tribes problems and build a better future for their children.
Banks, D., Erodes, R. (2004). Dennis Banks and the Rise of the American Indian Movement. Ojibwa Warrior. Retrieved January 20, 2005, from http://www.oupress.com/bookdetail.asp?isbn=0-8061-3580-8
Author and Indian Activist, Vine Deloria makes compelling statements in chapters 1 and 5 of his Indiana Manifesto, “Custer Died For Your Sins.” Although published in 1969 this work lays important historical ground work for understanding the plight of the Indian. Written during the turbulent civil rights movement, Deloria makes many comparisons to the Black plight in the United States. He condemns the contemporary views toward Indians widely help by Whites. He argues that Indians are wrongly seen through the historical lens of a pipe smoking, bow and arrow wielding savage. Deloria views the oppressors and conquerors of the Indian mainly in the form of the United States federal government and Christian missionaries. The author’s overall thesis is that whites view Indians the way they want to see them which is not based in reality. The behavior of whites towards Indians reflects this false perception in law, culture and public awareness.
A young Apache at the time, Geronimo set out one day with his family from their homeland, which is now located in southeastern Arizona, on a trading mission into Mexico. Many other families also went with him. The men went into town to trade each day, leaving their families behind. On this momentous evening, they returned home to find that Mexican soldiers had ferociously attacked their camp. They had murdered their women and children and stolen their supplies and horses. The dead were scattered everywhere. Geronimo’s wife, three children, and his mother were among those slaughtered. He found their bodies lying in a pool of blood. “I had lost all,” Geronimo said. His heart was broken. He would never be the same again. The loss of his family led Geronimo to a lifelong hatred of all Mexicans. He was filled with hatred, and he would spend a lifetime pursuing vengeance for all that he and his people had lost. He became one of the most feared Apache warriors of all time. The career and accomplishments of Apache warrior Geronimo were indicative of the fight for a Native American way of life in conflict with that of the progressing American frontiersmen and Mexican soldiers.
In April of 1877 the Miniconjoous, Sans Arcs, Hunkpaps, and others of equal prominence conviened a council at Beaver Creek. Spotted Eagle and Sitting Bull would make speeches advocating continuing the war against the white man. They would eventually realize them necessity to act in the best interest of the people. Sitting Bull stood firm in his way of life, as a hunter.
Louise Erdrich’s short story “American horse” is a literary piece written by an author whose works emphasize the American experience for a multitude of different people from a plethora of various ethnic backgrounds. While Erdrich utilizes a full arsenal of literary elements to better convey this particular story to the reader, perhaps the two most prominent are theme and point of view. At first glance this story seems to portray the struggle of a mother who has her son ripped from her arms by government authorities; however, if the reader simply steps back to analyze the larger picture, the theme becomes clear. It is important to understand the backgrounds of both the protagonist and antagonists when analyzing theme of this short story. Albetrine, who is the short story’s protagonist, is a Native American woman who characterizes her son Buddy as “the best thing that has ever happened to me”. The antagonist, are westerners who work on behalf of the United States Government. Given this dynamic, the stage is set for a clash between the two forces. The struggle between these two can be viewed as a microcosm for what has occurred throughout history between Native Americans and Caucasians. With all this in mind, the reader can see that the theme of this piece is the battle of Native Americans to maintain their culture and way of life as their homeland is invaded by Caucasians. In addition to the theme, Erdrich’s usage of the third person limited point of view helps the reader understand the short story from several different perspectives while allowing the story to maintain the ambiguity and mysteriousness that was felt by many Natives Americans as they endured similar struggles. These two literary elements help set an underlying atmos...
...n it was a reasonable thing for them to do. Yet Sitting Bull was a proud chief and did not want to live on a reservation. When Sitting Bull came to Standing Rock he took pride in “being the last chief to give up his rifle.” Although this may have comforted him, there probably was not much reassurance of his power on the reservation. He stayed to himself riverside and built a nice cabin home. He did not want to conform to the Western ways of Christianity and harvesting crops. He stayed true to the roots he knew as much as he could. Yet his beliefs in spiritual ways and participation in Ghost Dances had lead him to his death by Indian Police.