Whitewashing a Native History

Native American religions has taught me a variety of aspects of Native American culture and religion. That is not what sticks out the most in my mind though. What does, however, is how these people have been silenced and shut out of American culture and society today. From the very first day I began to realize just how much these people do not have a voice in our world today. The study of their religion from outside perspectives is the perfect example of just how disconnected and bias nonnative people are to Native American cultures and religious practices. America does not study Native Americans religions as a religion but more of an anthropological study of “savages”. Native American religious practices are very similar to every major religion in existence and yet is devalued in stereotypes and bias research. This type of mindset has devalued the Native beliefs and ultimately their credibility of having authentic religion and religious practices to the outside world. This is a huge fail not just on the researchers who do this very debauched research but as America as a whole. The United States has and continues to attempt to erase any culture, land, religion and livelihood the native people still have. Big corporations pollute native land or try and take it all together. Many reservations have a huge increase of cancers and health problems do to the amount of toxins big corporations near the reservations pump into the reservation’s water and soil supply. Where is the outcry? Where is the anger? The sad truth there is none. It is simply that America as a whole DOES NOT CARE! Now for example if this was happening in rich white neighborhoods the outrage would be immense and every major television network would be airing it all over the air waves. It’s very interesting that never have we heard of the horrible conditions and struggles the native people face on the reservations.  In the past, these people were murdered by the millions, had their culture, religion and land ripped away from them! We took away their land and moved them to a small little area and basically left them to fend for themselves. That doesn’t seem very American to me. Many of these reservations are full of poverty, drugs and violence. We don’t try ant fix it instead we tell them the reason they are in this situation is because they are not Christians (Juanita reasoning for why things are the way they are on the reservations, lovely!).Has it ever occurred to people that maybe the reason things are so bad is because we made it so bad for them? We took everything from these people and yet the common impression is they put themselves in that position! No, the white man did! The foundation of America was not about freedom and liberty! It was about killing off anyone who was not white or enslaving them and taking anything and everything nonwhites had for the white man themselves. The most disgusting part about all of that is then turn around and attempt to white wash all of history to make it look like the white man saved the Native Americans from themselves!   They have multiple nations in this nation and yet have no say on what happens to their nation (America). We have let Hollywood fill our imaginations with inaccurate accounts of what a Native American is! Watch any old western movie and the white cowboy is trying to save the town from a horde of insane bloodthirsty Native Americans! In America, we have done a huge disservice to the only original Americans! Tell me how that is just and acceptable?  How can we honestly say we are the good guys when we are attempting to erase an entire group of people from our own nation? When will America wake up and stand up to this injustice? Sadly, I doubt that day will ever come. We still to this day teach our small children Native Americans were so lucky the white man came and civilized them. We live in our own blissful ignorance where America can do no wrong. I fear for the day when children of the future have to ask who the Native Americans were.