01:920:108 Lecture Notes - Lecture 19: Sand Creek Massacre, Wounded Knee Massacre, Indian Removal Act
16 May 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
Watched the documentary called The Canary Effect in class today
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The notes below come from watching that documentary
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Columbus→called American Indians “savages” yet described them as sharing and w/o guile
1.
God, Glory, and Gold→Spain (Columbus was sponsored by them)--> attempts made to make American Indians
convert to Catholicism (threatened to kill and enslave them if they didn’t convert→women, children, and men)
2.
1948→defined genocide→fell into line w/ the American Indians by Columbus and the Spaniards (exterminated
them)
3.
Indian Wars in the U.S.--> ex: Sand Creek Massacre, Wounded Knee Massacre (women, children and men killed)
4.
Around 12-15 million Indians when Columbus arrived
5.
Eradicate race (defined as genocide)
1.
Bounty (money) paid by English for Indian heads to be scalped during Revolutionary War
6.
Trail of Tears→removal of Southeast American Indians→was Andrew Jackson’s platform→forced march (Creeks)-->
lost about ¼ of their population→Indian Removal Act (passed by Jackson against Supreme Court ruling)
7.
Birth control→(imposing measures to prevent births of that group)--> genocide act→Family Planning Act (huge
number of American Indian women were sterilized)
8.
Beaten for speaking tribal languages, picked new English name, convert of religion (forced Americanization→
purpose: to “civilize them”)
1.
Done in 1880-1925→2 generations of Indian Americans→a lot died during boarding school
2.
Boarding school→forcibly transferring children from their group to another group→another component of genocide
9.
Use of colonialism
1.
Indian Reservations→had to be converted and go to church to get food, shelter from missionary
10.
President Clinton→1st president in over 50 years to go near Indian Country
11.
Unemployment→very little jobs at reservation, hard to find jobs (hopelessness→sought alcohol→lost children who
were sent to boarding school, not understood by dominant group)--> nothing to be done to address the problem
12.
Policies dismantled and disrupted family life of American Indians
13.
Suicide pacts (10 boys)--> didn’t make national news coverage
1.
10x higher suicide rate than national average
2.
High levels of suicide rate on reservations
14.
Lack of resources and services→especially mental health services
15.
No comment from President Bush on it or coverage of it→not educated on Indian sovereignty
1.
School shooting→no coverage→Red Lake Tragedy (of American Indians)
16.
Gambling industry→brought revenue to tribe (but many do not benefit off casinos well→only few exceptions)-->
few actually benefit→not as successful as people think
17.
Canary Effect→American Indian sent away from family and got poisoned→they will die out
1.
Forced acculturation→boarding school (forced to learn English, religious conversion to Christianity, changed to
American names)
2.
Blamed group b/c of genetics→form of biological racism (genetics→alcohol disposition)
3.
White Man’s Burden→civilization to “savage” people (saw American Indians as savages)--> Americans said it
was their responsibility to change them
4.
Double Consciousness→Native Americans aware that their way of living is perceived differently from dominant
group→this term developed by W.E.B. DuBois→see from their own eyes and negative images from dominant
group of African Americans→see in boarding schools in Native Americans
5.
Professor’s added words on the documentary
18.
The Canary Effect (documentary)
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Lecture: Day 19
Thursday, April 5, 2018
10:47 PM
Minority Groups in American Society Page 1
