Was the Genocide of the Native Americans by the White settlers and U.S Army a crime against Humanity ?

Question

I was raised watching John Wayne movies where the Whites were always slaughtering Native Americans who were protecting their homes and families from foriegn invaders. Now that we are a "Civilized" society, can we finally admit the error of our ways and confess that we are guilty of comitting horrible crimes against these poor people ? Many have said that since these people were tribal type people they did not qualify as humans and that gave us the right to do as we pleased. Now Science has said we are all real humans and I think we need to acknowledge what wedid in the name of Justice. What do you think?

Answer 1

Time to pay. It will be hard because of all the greedy pigs. A lot was stolen. The natives wanted a simple life. Think of how the rest of the world views this country. A den of thieves that now have bigger weapons.

Answer 2

Is there a new definition of "crimes against humanity?" that doesn't include genocide? From a Chickasaw's point of view it seemed rather barbaric of the European settlers and white Americans to just claim the land and kill people for it.



The truth is that there was an active attempt at genocide as an American policy that lasted up into the 1960's. While the attempt at killing ended in the 1800's, the attempt to destroy the cultures in order to obtain more land prevailed until the afore mentioned date.



To suggest that Native Americans might have had it coming considering that some tribes weren't the peace loving people they're portrayed to be today is just ignorance. It's true that there were those that were brutal and violent, but you absolutely cannot define an entire ethnic group based on a few tribes, which has the been one of the many policy mistakes by the US Government since it's conception.



The short answer to your question is - of course. Unless you place new terms on what it means to be a human being.

Answer 3

Probably. But more technologically-advanced societies generally do that to the less advanced.



Interestingly, I was reading this morning about John Ford's movies (starring John Wayne) and the article said that Ford was trying to make your point in "The Searchers."--that the kind of racism exemplified by John Wayne's character did lead to genocide.



And there is no question but that many of the Native Americans were far from the peace-loving people they are portrayed as today. The Iroquois, Comanches, Apaches, in particular were very warlike tribes. The Iroquois were constantly involved in aggression against neighboring tribes and liked to torture their (Native American) prisoners, then burn them alive while stripping off pieces of their flesh to eat.

Answer 4

Yes! The ethnic cleansing of North America saw to it that the Natives were rounded up, removed & shipped off to live on quaint reservations up til this day. John Wayne movies were great, he usually sided with the Natives in a sense.

The only problem now, though, is WHAT do we do about it? WHY do we "Americans" continue to allow the government to dictate where exactly the indigenous population of this great country reside? HOW do we correct this atrocity?

Answer 5

The "noble savage" helplessly preyed upon by savage whites is today's PC delusion. It's Disney history. There's no innocent party to the conflict, but there was a deliberate calculated choice by most Indians to reject and oppose in various ways--including war--European civilization. Don't make them out be to saints, or to be helpless fools.



What did Indians do when on the "war path?" Why did they call males "braves?" Why did early settlers identify "Indian summer?" Who was it that early Indian cannibals ate, before the whites came?



Indians declared war also on settlers, when some tribes had no more claim to the land they occupied than any one else.

Navajos for example made vicious attacks against the "old ones" long before Columbus came; the attacks were to force Indian settlements to support them.



The Lakota of Custer's fame were nomads from Canada, not citizens of South Dakota. All the Apache tribes (Geronimo, etc) were fierce war-making nomadic tribes who came north over centuries killing and enslaving other Indians in their way.



And yes Indians did scalp and do other awful, bloody deeds to whites and Indians alike. There is a kind of noblity in their proud refusals to bend a knee, or accept Western civilization (though they valued its products as much as the makers of those products).



There's not much good to be said for Indians having chosen a mean poverty, illness, famine, and other hardships over available alternatives.

Answer 6

Having different races of people in the world causes conflict. See that full stop? There is no question about it, there is no right/wrong about it, it is just a fact. Homo Sapiens destroyed all other species of Humankind due to the survival instinct. Anything different is a threat, different beliefs cause rows and war etc, the white settlers could not have lived peacfully with the natives even if they had tried. There will be constant conflict for the rest of time until either there is only one race left, or, the entire Human race is extinct.

Answer 7

That's funny, I thought Native Americans were still around on this continent? I guess I was wrong...



I wonder whose actually living in those sovereign nations we call reservations then?

Answer 8

Here's a direct answer to your question:



Genocide = crime against humanity