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Joshua Lott / Reuters file
American Indian activist Russell Means, seen here at his Scottsdale, Ariz., home in October 2011, helped lead protests for Native American rights.
Russell Means, the American Indian activist who helped lead the 1973 uprising at Wounded Knee and who later became a Hollywood actor, has died. He was 72.
Means died Monday at his ranch in Porcupine, S.D., on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, Oglala Sioux Tribe spokeswoman Donna Salomon said. The firebrand former leader of the American Indian Movement and one-time Libertarian Party candidate for U.S. president had been battling advanced esophageal cancer.
Born on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, Means joined the American Indian Movement in 1968 and soon became one of the group's prominent leaders. He took part in an occupation of the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs headquarters in Washington in 1972, and helped lead the 71-day standoff with federal authorities at Wounded Knee on Pine Ridge in 1973.
He found himself dogged for decades by questions about AIM’s alleged involvement in the slaying of a tribe member and the several gun battles with federal officers during the occupation of Wounded Knee, but denied the group ever promoted violence.
Russell Means, an American Indian activist who led the 1973 uprising at Wounded Knee, died Monday at his ranch in Porcupine, S.D. NBC's Brian Williams reports.
"You people who want to continue to put AIM in this certain pocket of illegality, I can't stand you people," Means said, lashing out an at audience member question during an April gathering commemorating the uprising's 40th anniversary. "I wish I was a little bit healthier and a little bit younger, because I wouldn't just talk."
Means told The Associated Press in 2011 that before AIM, there had been no advocate on a national or international scale for American Indians, and that Native Americans were ashamed of their heritage.
"No one except Hollywood stars and very rich Texans wore Indian jewelry," Means said. "And there was a plethora of dozens if not hundreds of athletic teams that in essence were insulting us, from grade schools to college. That's all changed."
Feb. 27, 1983: NBC's Chris Wallace and Fred Briggs look back at Wounded Knee South Dakota on the 10th anniversary of the takeover that was led by Russell Means of the American Indian Movement.
The movement eventually faded away, the result of Native Americans becoming self-aware and self-determined, Means said.
Watch the most-viewed videos on NBCNews.com
Means had fought for Native American rights since the 1960s, when he first protested college and professional sports teams' use of Indian images as mascots, which he said were demeaning caricatures of his people.
Agence France Presse / Getty Images file
Leaders of the American Indian Movement, from left, Dennis Banks, Russell Means and an unidentified third man appear at a press conference to list demands of the federal government for an increase in financial aid for the town of Wounded Knee, S.D., on March 16, 1973.
Means was arrested numerous times during his long career of protest and spent several periods in jail.
He ran unsuccessfully for president of his tribe and sought the Libertarian nomination for U.S. president, losing to Congressman Ron Paul at the party's 1987 national convention.
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Means’ acting career began in 1992 when he portrayed Chingachgook alongside Daniel Day-Lewis' Hawkeye in "The Last of the Mohicans." He also appeared in the 1994 film "Natural Born Killers," voiced Chief Powhatan in the 1995 animated film "Pocahontas" and guest-starred in 2004 on the HBO series "Curb Your Enthusiasm."
Means kept busy with his Hollywood career even as he battled the cancer that finally took his life. The Internet Movie Database reports that Means had recently completed projects, and had more in the works.
Means appeared in a film called "Tiger Eyes," which was based on a Judy Blume novel. Means' son, Tatanka Means, starred. The film screened Sunday at the Sante Fe Independent Film Festival.
The Means duo also are credited in "Winnetou: The Beginning," set for a 2013 release.
Means recounted his life in the book "Where White Men Fear to Tread." He said he pulled no punches in his autobiography, admitting to his frailties and evils but also acknowledging his successes.
"I tell the truth, and I expose myself as a weak, misguided, misdirected, dysfunctional human being I used to be," he said.
Salomon, the tribal spokeswoman, called Means' death a "great loss" for the Oglala Sioux Tribe.
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this story.
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Leave a Comment:
A REAL American patriot.
I remember hearing him and other Native Americans speak in 1972! I was in awe of their sense of history, of their connectedness with the land, of their collective suffering. I came away from Estes Park, CO a changed person. Freedom has to be for all. Opportunity has to be truly available.
As a proud Piegan (Blackfoot) I praise his true efforts to stand up for us Native Americans and a great loss to all.
He was an honorable man, and now he has become a legend...
Salutation to all our relations...
I will never forget the azz whooping he put on Mogwa. Mogwa never had a chance.
I knew and had good times with Russell, Dennis, Cheryl and others during the day. We have lost a warrior of this world but he has passed over to the other world to continue the good fight. It was AIM that brought to light the plight of the American Indians across the nation. While others were fighting for Equal Rights we were fighting for our rights as a sovereign people and nations. Many of us are still following the path laid before us by Russell, Dickey, Dennis and others. We shall pass the warrior society onto our young as well so they can continue asserting our rights as sovereigns and as humans and tell his story as he lived it.
"I wanna be free. I want you to be free. A lot easier for me to be free if you're free"
-Russell Means-
Jan. 2012 Endorsement of Ron Paul
I never heard of this man. But the short story indicates that he was a great advocate for Indian rights and therefore a great man. Condolences for the family especially his son that must have been very close to his Father.
Having lived in South Dakota when AIM DESTROYED the courthouse windows and put both my husband and grandmother's lives both in danger I say GOOD RIDDANCE. This person was not a hero but a trouble maker and the best thing Governor Bill Janklow did was get him into California. To some he may have been a hero but he put a lot of lives in danger.
thinkstraight-306257
God forbid anyone be "put into danger" or ::gasp:: windows get broken.
Liberty is a cause worth fighting for, even if it means inconveniencing some.
i agree, a true american hero and patriot.
unfortunately, the press photo shown with dennis banks, russell means, and an 'unidentified third man' is a press shot from the movie 'billy jack' and that is tom laughlin, who himself help means and banks. i may be wrong but if i am right, wish these journalist would study their subjects a bit more and learn from them rather than google the name and slap a picture with their nickle journalism.
rip mr. means
Okay i reject the premise that only Native Americans are "REAL" Americans but having said that respect to you Mr. Means. I do have to have one thing clarified though, i dont see insult in teams naming themselves after aspects of your culture i see honor and respect. No organization looks for a symbol to represent themselves like this while saying to themselves "OH i think ill make myself look weak or stupid or whatever by calling ourselves this or that." Someone please explain how in the heck that is insulting.
Unless that someone is you or your children. Then, I believe, you would think different.
Thinkstraight- In response to you comment, I find you so ignorant. Native Americans have been treated like garbage for so long and our freedom and rights of who we are as Proud People have been stepped on by the Government. So if our Native brothers and sisters take a stand for our rights then so be it. Just remember the history of this country. I won't forget about Wounded Knee and Little Big Horn ect.... even the poor Cherokee and how they were treated also and so forth...
So sorry to hear of his passing. He was a good man. I've seen first hand the misery on the res, Means brought attention to their plight, and was an outspoken foe of alcoholism and drug addiction and a tireless fighter for the cause of freedom for his people.
DingleB AIM did more than just break windows!!!!!! If it was YOUR family member in danger would it be a big deal!!!!! Russell Means and Dennis Banks are GLORIFIED CRIMINALS. You have your take I saw how horrible these people were unless you were there don't glorify a criminal. And as for the misery on the RES what do they do to try to improve it, I have also seen where they tore their government housing apart and sold the copper and heard Native Americans as they wish to call themselves brag about the free food and government checks.
I consider Russell a Wise Elder. He lives on in our Native Hearts and Minds and our stories. A part of a speech he made below.
Hello, my relatives. I am an ally. I come from Yellow Thunder Village in our very sacred holy land, the Black Hills.
I'm going to talk about freedom today. Freedom. You all know what that means, don't you? No, you don't. If you knew what it meant, you wouldn't be here. If you knew what it meant you would be out on the land being free, instead of colonizing your mind. If you knew what freedom really meant then you would have no fear. This is a fear-based society. You fear the police. Do you slow down when you see the highway patrolman? Of course you do. A fear based society is usually a male-driven society. You come from a matrilineal way of life, as I do.
Freedom means you are never in a hurry. Think about that the next time you have to get to class. You are never in a hurry, and never is a long time. Freedom means you are free to be responsible. No one has any rules or regulations for you to follow because you are a responsible individual: responsible for your own behavior, responsible for your generations, responsible for your Mother the Earth, responsible for every living being, and responsible for the universe. That's what freedom means. Those are the things that I have found out in my life about freedom, because I've lived it. I've been free.
Spoken by Russell Means
I hope his passing draws all our Native Peoples closer NO FEAR
@thinkstraight-306257;
I wasn't there at that courthouse to see what happened, but I have seen plenty elsewhere. Things such as cops putting "Injuns" in the trunk of their cars because "there weren't no room in the back seat"; we all know they would have called for another car if it were a white person they didn't have room for.
Of course, there is something else that you really should have considered at that time, thinkstraight-306257. That is the fact that if you, your husband and his grandmother had not been in that courthouse, neither of you would have been had your lives put in danger. Think about the reason you, your husband and his grandmother were there to start with.
So, just why were you at that courthouse? If it was because one or more of you were appearing for a court hearing, shame on you. If you were there to cause trouble, shame on you. If you were there as "lookie-loos" just out to see a bunch of "savages" get beaten and roughed up by cops -- shame on you.
Just another dead Indian.
i remembered the broadcast from 83 after i started watching it.unconventionalism isnt always a wise choice but sometimes very needed.a good man indeed.scott2632503-i get what you mean,but also that is the problem at the same time.whats right aint popular,whats popular aint always right.you just do i guess.
thinkstraight-306257
your words are spoken like the typical washichu, you talk trash about our great people, but lets look at your ancestors, the fact they stole our land, slaughtered women and children, as bad as Hitler was your ancestors were WAY worse then he and his butchers ever were. so before you speak bad on a mans grave you need to clean up your own yard.
If anyone lived through this time and period. Russel Means & Aim were not criminals, that said, then the American Revolution was criminal. The American Indian Movement was long over due, and the government's fault. The Great White Fathers (Washington D.C.) broke every treaty with the American Indian. Who would think that being stripped of your land, marched thousands of miles (Tears) Death, forced learning of English Language (maybe we should use that with the Mexicans who after 7 years here don't know how to say "How much), taking your children from their families never to be let back to them to learn the white man's ways. How do we say this was right, and Wounded Knee was Wrong. Russel Means was a hallmark of his time, and a leader for a cause Why is AIM wrong, and tea Party ok. Come on let's get the right facts, there are books out those who don't know history, or politics. Let's remember Russel Means for the great man he was.
72 a fairly decent age to live to. I can't say I know 'particulars' of what the man stood for but, GOD BE WITH HIM NOW, R.I.P./ I'm sure, their is a section of many a Library, where much of that man's life can be read. That is 'significant'.
Cor1: Russell means did not like the name American Indian either.You should check some of his quotes.
“I don't want to talk about the environment and the American Indian viewpoint, I hate the word Native American. Its a government term, which was created in the year 1970 in the Department of the Interior, a generic term that describes all the prisoners of the United States of America.”
Russell Means quotes
@Cor1
Kinda amazing that you don't get the overt racism in using Native American profiles and names such as "Red Skins." How about if we had sports teams using white profiles and calling teams "Whitey" or "Honky Crackers." How about if we had sports teams using Asian profiles and calling teams "Gooks" or "Chinks." How about if we had sports teams using black profiles and calling teams....
Do you get it now?
I would have been proud to have meet this man. He stood up for what he believed in and I think he was right. The American Natives were never treated fairly and aren't to this day. Shame on America. I would love to have been born a native. Very caring society. I meet Dennis Banks and was very proud to have meet him also.
@thinkstraight-306257
And hundreds like Custer were glorified criminals as well. They did more than put others in danger - they literally slaughtered women, children, elderly, all they could. I have some understanding of the anger and humiliation that led to the acts of Means and others, although I have never been subjected to that treatment myself, so I cn only imagine.
@joeyincali
What a great quote. Thanks for sharing. I especially like "Freedom means you are free to be responsible" and what comes after, because so many talk about freedom here as in freedom to do whatever you want, without the responsibility part.
@Cor1
The thing about mascots is that a majority of them don't even exist anymore- vikings, pirates, sooners, or animals. I think it's upsetting to native people because it should never be ok to dehumanize an entire race. Sort of like Halloween; would you dress up as black face in the 21st century? Or if a school you went to had a African American Mascot- would that be ok? If you are incensed at the idea of that mascot, then you can see how seeing people dressed in turkey feathers, paint, and doing the "ax chop" is of a derogatory nature to native people. I'd like to recommend a video that you may find interesting and can help give you an understanding on Native people in Movies- Youtube - Reel Injun. Hope you find this helpful and broadens your understanding a little more. thanks. We are all people-- all bleed red.
ANY human that BELIEVES that he knows a RIGHTOUS truth is honorable. One who fights for it ... a warrior. May God bless him with eternal life and peace. May we all admire.
To thinkstraight and chesty puller...
I was blessed to have a native american father and jewish mother. As I matured I accepted the techings of the Torah and am an Orthodox Jew and Marine comabt veteran. Jews refer to baseless talk about others as lashon hora, meaing evil tongue.
Thinkstraight - Did you see Mr Means do all of these horrible things you are talking about?? If not, I suggest you look at your own face and stop spreading lies.
Chestypuller - other than denying genocide was an accepted p(r)ogram against native Americans you probably also deny the holocaust happened...please change your user name, you are a discrace to Gen Puller's name.
However, as N Bonaparte said, "never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake" so please continue thinkstraight & chestypuller...
Cor1;
You reject our being the only Native Americans, do you? Well, how about this then, We are the "Original People" of this continent. There were no people here when we arrived, so we displaced no one, We have been here long enough to evolve unique physical traits and language. You think this happened over night, do you?
Your ancestors, if your of European descent, knowingly and willfully lied to us, stole from us, broke every treaty signed with us, starved us, knowingly exposed us to small pox and used your Gatling guns on us. After your expansion was complete, We were last to be recognized as citizens, last to be given the rights guaranteed to all, except us of course, after women, blacks or any other immigrant group. And you wonder why we might have a bit of a chip on our shoulder. Selective memory of your peoples treatment of us is a way of you not to acknowledge your ancestors barbarism.
We are a forgiving people, but don't confuse kindness for weakness. We forgive, but we don't forget. We viewed the actions of your ancestors as those of the insane. Evidently, it is an insanity from which you suffer still. We must be ever on guard to be sure it does not spend to our people,,, any more than it already has.
But, stand by, we are taking your money in our casino and sending our children to college. We will adapt, use your laws against you, take over ever more businesses and one day, perhaps, we will put you on reservations. We'll see if you like that life, but then, many of you seem to expect government to take care of all you needs, so you might.
Oh no... We have lost a good and brave man. So sad to see him go. But like so many, I know he is now with Great Spirit. That was beautiful Joey, so proud of the love shared and blessings to his family. Also, I am proud to put in a plug for some great reading on Kindle or Book! Check this out...Russell Means is a great author too. Enjoy the stories of Russell Means!
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_10/187-6841655-5559611?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=russell+means&sprefix=Russell+Me%2Cdigital-text%2C362
To the above post of how whites stole your land, and murdered your people....If history serves me right the chippewas slaughtered the souix here in northern wisconsin and drove them out onto prairie...they in turn drove blackfeet further west and cheyenne south, Just because you guys think that you were here first you want special treatment...B.S....Means was just another loud mouth, instead of trying to work within the system he/you guys want it all for nothing..."because your special"....how do you know there wasn't someone else here before you arrived? where the hell did you come from? asia? europe? the moon?...we all came from basically the same place, central asia, just because your ancestors walked here first or sailed in boats, doesn't make you guys special, my ancestors just took a little longer and were smarter about it...as far as i'm concerned if theres more than 3 indians in a group its a war party...
good journey and blessings.
He was a warrior fighting for the rights of his people, for all people, May his journey end the way it began, as one with the great spirit.
One of the Greatest Americans ever. period.
I have always been an avid admirer of Mr Means...this country, and especially his people, have lost a great man and a great warrior!!! My deepest condolences to all who were fortunate enough to have him in their lives.
He cleverly avoided mentioning that his ancestors, as well as all so called Native Americans ancestors, immigrated from Asia to"their land."
Rest in peace, Mr. Means, and condolences to your family who are grieving.
That's the biggest lie told by the white man's history books. Ask any native that knows their history and were their people came from? But that's right, were on isolated reservations or forced to assimilated into the white man's world. So most don't know we even exist anymore. For all my relations, were have lost a GOOD BROTHER! AHO! I beat most can't name 10 native american tribes/nations!
Cor1, take another look at the Cleveland Indians mascott, the goofy caricature of an "Indian" grinning ear to ear. You don't think that's insulting to Native Americans? It's analogous to a team called the New York Negroes using a caricature of Jimmy Walker with a big, toothy grin as their mascott. How do you think that would go over with African Americans Cor?
RenegadeOne banned for racist remarks.
Thank you (Mvto), Sally.
Just got on the computer and saw this...
One thing I don't see mentioned in any of the reports is Russells work, "Welcome To The Reservation".
People should take a look for this, you'll find it on youtube.
What a blow, but Russell went out the way he chose.. RIP.
Random dead a**hole # 17,550,321,188
What's the matter are we Jealous,cause you don't have the guts, courage, balls, and determination,this Guy did? AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWW,we're having a bad day!!
Huh?
Actually,sarcasmo, you are the a$$hole and all of humanity wishes dip$hit idiots like you were dead and in Hell where you belong.
Sorry to hear this. Rest easy Cuz as you earned your place in the history of your people.
I met Means a few times during his Libertarian activities and supported him with time and money. Great man. As he knew and stated "Freedom is for everyone." A unique individual, not soon to be forgotten, so I would say he has earned his place in the history of people. His people are our people.
Sarcasmo....when will you be a**hole # 17,550,321,189??
Sarcasmo is a troll and never posts anything of value.
@sarcasmo.....Wow could you sound any more Stupid? Seriously! Someone dies and this is what you have to say? I wonder who the real @!$%# is!! Wierdo!!
RIP Russel Means
Do not feed the troll.
Jezzus can we get a freekin sign?
You can ignore idiots like him by clicking on the exclamation point at the lower right hand corner of the post and selecting "ignore author".
Rest in Peace. A TRUE American!
I loved this Man! He was a True American hero, not just to Native Americans,but to all Americans.What a shame and a hit to the gut,he had to die even at 72.
I remember him in the Last of the Mohegans,at the end of the movie with Wes Studi,what a classic ending.Both were great in this movie!
God Bless,again A True American Hero to All Americans!
The Native Americans have been living in North America for about 14,000 years (Paisley Caves, Oregon Date). 14,000 sustainable years. We could have learned so much from these amazing people, but religious persecution, disease, and racism marginalized them for decades. Russell Means and his buddies started to bring change in the 1960's, they were true American heroes and should be respected by all Americans. Lastly, thank you Hollywood for: "A Man called Horse", "Last of the Mohicans", "The Flags of Our Fathers", and "Dances with Wolves" these films helped portray the Native Americans in a more complete and honorable way. One of the more sad aspects about conflict, is that only the winner gets to write the history of the conflict.
When was the last time someone forced an Indian to live in a teepee? What Indian would want to?
Stop the CRYING GAME.
You might want to sneak Adam & Eve in there somewhere.
RenegadeOne - I am going to assume that was satire - no one can be that stupid. - "Adam and Eve", hahaha, good one!
RenegadeOne Please STFU. You are only displaying your stupidity and bigotry. What a waste of oxygen you are.
Thank You, SomewhereintheUSA. Well said!
Renegade One
Speaking as a white person....
When will white people ever GET IT?
Barlow is right: the "winner" gets to tell the story ONLY from their POV. There is no mention of Indians in most American history books and we sure as hell don't talk about the pointed genocide our government waged on these people. What galls me is that the Black Hills, extremely sacred lands, were taken illegally by the US Government; this was determined by the our modern courts. The US refuses to vacate these lands and return them to their rightful owners. Will they? No. Instead a financial settlement was offered and rejected by the Sioux. Good for them. The Black Hills are not for sale. What's even worse is the fact that there are the faces of 4 white presidents blasted into the rock, something the Sioux have to live with everyday. Most white Americans wouldn't get the problem if they were aware in the first place.
The motto of the government in their quest to assimilate Indians was Kill the Indian, save the man. How exactly do you separate the two is what I want to know. This is something white Americans have NEVER experienced on this land and have no appreciation for. The garbage comments on this blog only serve to show continued ignorance and a huge lack of cultural sensitivity for the Indian people. My apologies to them. And as for you fools, for god's sake, shut up. You embarrass yourselves.
RIP Russel Means.
As a "white" mixed with Cherokee, I have to say that it shames me to be white at all. Knowing the true history of this country fills me with anger and sadness and shame. How ANY person can think that they actually have a right to come into ANYone else's land and take over, slaughtering them, forcing their language and their religion and their ways on them and so horribly mistreating them as the first people here were treated by our government and by the whites is beyond me! How can people seriously believe they have that right? Here or any where? I assure you it is a great atrocity that those involved in will pay dearly for - if not in this life, then in the next! Had I not been only a baby at the time, I would have been proud to join Russel Means, Dennis Banks and other heros in my eyes in their fight for their rights and freedom. And it's obvious that idiots like Renegade are too ignorant to even know what they are talking about! Russel stands right up there with Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull in my eyes and in my heart. He was a hero who deserves to be remembered with respect and honor.
How true ! Now we have the baby killers from nato doing this !
IDIOTS! Show me even one INDIAN that would rather squat in a teepee than live in a condo! INDIANS benefitted by the whiteman bringing civilization and Christianity to their worthless heathen lives.
and
THE ENTIRE EARTH BELONGS TO GOD NOT TO MAN!!!!
To make the arguement that INDIANS have a right to their culture is like defending the guy who believes he's Napoleon. You people that want to keep INDIANS ignorant of the rest of the world are the same ones that think women would be happier, BAREFOOT AND PREGNANT!
This is the 21st Century. DEAL WITH IT!
Renagade,
What condos? You obviously have never been to many reservations.
Heathen? You obviously never discussed spirituality with an "indian" either.
If having a right to culture is keeping someone ignorant, then everyone that lives on this planet is ignorant by your standards including yourself.
Boy Rene, You really are an idiot. That's exactly why the Native Americans could not sell "their land", they believed all the land was "own" by God. Why don't you drink a beer and lay back down!!
I read his autobiography about 12 years ago (Where White Men Fear to Tread) and it has remained with me ever since. He was not liked by all and many didn't agree with his methods. But you cannot argue that he fought hard for the rights of his people, respect for his people and the cultural future of his people. I will miss Russell Means, if only because he helped open my eyes as a white man.
He was a conplex man and native Amercan leader who worked hard for his people . He was not perfect -- but who really is. I respected his efforts and hope he finds peace.
Amen AZMsteadt and Rob-1067535, Amen!
Amen to the 2 comments above. I am half Cherokee. I know the history of my ancestors. And it is truly a shame to know what they & all Indian Natives went through. Yes, even today there is still alot of racism towards the Indian. Russell Means, I know the Great Spirit gave you swift wings to join him in the skies. May you rest in peace.
Mita kuuye oyasin ( we are ALL related)
Doksa ake waunkte (I will see you again on this earth or in the spirit world)
So he was from India?
Without Indians there would have been no cowboys. What history fails to remember is that while it is romantic to assume left untouched the "Redman" would still be roaming the plains with tepees and buffalo. In reality, whether it was China or Japan from the East or Europeans from the West, their way of life was destined to be extinguished. The same way Neanderthals were extinguished by homosapiens in Europe a few hundred thousand years ago. I've always wondered why in this day and age of political correctness no one protests their extinction.
You are comparing native Americans to Neandethals and Europeans to homosapiens? Classy.
You have no idea what you're talking about. Best to let your ignorance go unnoticed.
You need to read more...
Perhaps because in this day and age, most people are aware that Neanderthals were a different species, while Native Americans are not. I'm not speaking of you, of course. I'm speaking of educated, rational individuals, (these same people probably also know the difference between tens of thousands and hundreds of thousands, whereas you, apparently, do not). Many of these individuals are also aware that no one imagines for a moment that the indigenous peoples of North and South America would be roaming the plains, woodlands, coasts, and deserts with tipis and buffalo. Partially because tipis and buffalo were not a part of the culture of most of the indigenous peoples. But also because they are intelligent enough to realize that the Native American population would have evolved as it has done, but our numbers would not be so horrifically decimated if it were not for the cruel and savage policy of Manifest Destiny. Again, I'm not speaking of you; I'm speaking of intelligent, rational individuals.
No it wasn't. Their way of life was self sustaining and renewable.
It wasn't until our ancestors arrived and rapidly depleted the food sources by over hunting them, that all the Native Americans saw suffering and blight.
The Native Americans respected the land that provided them with nourishment. They used every part of the animals they could. The white man killed for sport and let the rotting carcass go to waste.
If no one messed with the Native Americans, I have no doubt that many more species would still be alive and their way of life, flourishing.
We Cherokees always made peace with the white men and they still screwed us over very, very hard. Especially that ungrateful bastard president Jackson whose life was saved by a Cherokee brave. Jews were better treated by the Nazis than the First Nation people were treated by Americans. Not British, mind you, but Americans.
Dawg, the white man certainly tried in extinguishing the Native Nations, but didn't quite succeed did they. some well deserved revenge on the stupid white man, love the Casinos, and good for the Nations. Also, congratulations on the long over due settlement regarding the royalties.
Max, we still hold you liable for not letting us terminate Jackson at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend. We had them beat in totality and along come the Cherokee of Algonquin heritage. If you are Cherokee you know the rest of the story of the New York Angonquin and the Cherokee people. We all survived to tell the story or truth. Mvto.
The Jews and Blacks think they had it bad?
Jesus what America did to the Native Americans make Hitler and
Himmler seem like amateurs. Ever notice the only American indian nations that survived are
the ones that fought and didnt believe our government? The Lakota are a good example,
all the peace loving coperative Indians were systematically wiped off the face of the
earth.
He was a great man but some of you guys are so rude to the others on here. TinaLB lay off people a bit, you can understand what he was saying even though part of what his/her number was way off. The "old way" was going to changed by somebody regardless of if it was a eastern or western power at the time. That was his point.
By the way, I am going to go read another article so feel free to call me what you want. I dont care enough to stick around.
I've read his words... I've watched him appear through Hollywood's broadcasts.... and I wish more of the truth was available to everyone from the uprising that happened in Southern South Dakota in the early 70's. I lived in Gordon, Nebraska, where the FBI agents resided during the standoff of Wounded Knee in 1973, and I'd encourage eveyone to research for yourselves the criminal acts that happened to Federal Marshalls during that time. I am sad to hear anyone refer to Means as a Patriot. A believer of Native American Heritage, I'll admit, a force for the Native Averican People, I agree, but to refer to Russell as a "Hero", "Patriot", or "Legend" is far from accurate. He broke laws, he endangered followers, he lead a revolt that resulted in deaths of local and federal lawmen... talk to the families of the Federal Marshalls that were killed.. talk to the families of the local law-enforcement officers that gave their lives for Russell's AIM leadership... Be careful who you lift high to praise...next you'll be posting your love and honor for Charlie Manson when he passes away, or others who endangered innocent lives for beliefs that one, or few honor. I'm sorry to hear of Russell Means passing away, but keep in perspective what he did, and how he did it.
It is utter foolishness to say Jews were treated better by the Nazis than the Indians were by the Americans. Both were treated horribly. It is also most likely wrong to say Neanderthals were a different species than us, since there is evidence of crossbreeding producing viable and fertile offspring. Also, there is evidence that the majority of the native population of N&S America were killed by diseases to which they had no defense, spread as a result of the first contact with Europeans in the Caribbean area, and many years before any of the mainland Indians ever saw a white person. And the responses indicate most did not understand what Dawg was saying.
2004, 2011 , AIM members arlo looking cloud and john graham convicted for murder of Annie Mae Pictou Aquash, Thelma Rois convicted for kidnapping, these trials the included over a half dozen AIM members testimony, established that AIM leadership ordered the execution. for over 30 years Means and AIM leadership Lied to the world, and after these truths came out, they say its a political ploy, that the FBI made them murder Annie Mae. this is not a political issue , it is about morals and ethics and justice for innocent people. many people have and will continue to support murders of innocents, that is their choice to carry the blood of innocents on their hands by doing so, not me, I don't care whrere they are, in another world or whatever, they still have the blood of innocents on their hands.... good riddens
He was a patriot and raised the concuiousness of many people to the problems encountered by the Native American in this country. Broken treaties by the US Govt, displaced peoples for the convenience of white people, and the country stolen from Native Americans. My grandmother would never touch twenty dollar bill because it had the liar Jackson on it. Means made it possible for all to know the truth about what happened in this country.
Skyparrot, if white men are so stupid, then why have they fared so well? No culture is perfect, but you people who like to balme everything bad on whites oughta take notes. The white race, while being dominant has also proven to be the most caring and charitable. Let's see, is it the blacks who are always sending aid to other nations? I don't think so, DAWG. You're Stupid, probably on the government teet...White man's fault!
Thank GOD, John Wayne won the west for us white people.
To complain about how the poor Indians, who the earliest of settlers knew couldn't be dealt with once they saw them disembowl soldiers who had surrendered, is an insult to the people who built this great land of America.
RenegadeOne: It is too bad that you learned the wrong history of america.But then it was written by the Whiteman ! Look outside of your closed mind and you will find that things are not always the way you heard them. There is a lot of history that is still just being told. I expect something like this comming from Joe Wade the Indian Hater who trolls websites along with his friend Simple Simon to badmouth anything Native!
It's the Indians fault they got treated so inhumanely. They lived on the best land, the land with gold on it, with water, of course it was their fault. Just because the white people had no honor and their greed knew no bounds, and it didn't help that they hated everything that wasn't Christian, kinda like today, the Native Americans had no chance. It's amazing they lasted as long as they did. I know of at least one place, after the white people threw the Indians off the land they wanting, and seeing how bad the Indians living situation became, the white ranchers felt so ashamed they brought some of the Indians back.
It might have been inevitable of what was to happen to the Native Americans as America was colonized by foreign powers, it could even have been better if it was China, or Japan, who colonized America, but I don't think it could have ever been worse than what the Europeans did. The figure I once read about was 80 million native peoples died as a result of the discovery and colonization of the New World by Christopher Columbus and the people that came after him.
A little history of the mass murder of Native Americans in South Dakota in the late 1800's. I cannot imagine the hell these people went through.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wounded_Knee_Massacre
I'll catch hell for this, and I'll start by saying I really respect the lifestyle of the inhabitants of this continent before the whites arrived because it seemed to have a lot of respect for the land, but their way of life does get romanticized a bit. Not all were peaceful, and not all were really mindful of the environment. There was a lot of space for the population that was here when the whites arrived, so it was easier to not have trashed so much of the land. They certainly altered landscapes, although not necessarily in a polluting way. We've seen collapsed cultures here before the whites. Look at the southwest and the Mayans for a couple examples. I wish we could see just how civilization would have evolved without the intervention of other peopls.
"In reality, whether it was China or Japan from the East or Europeans from the West, their way of life was destined to be extinguished."
Dog pounds words, not mine. Like it or not, his words are true. More technology advanced nations (i.e. weaponry), are usually going to win the territory of the nations who don't have the firepower to defend themselves.
http://crazyhorsememorial.org/photo-gallery/
Take a look at the progress of the Crazy Horse mountain monument/memorial in South Dakota. One can really see the progress the last 10 years. With the museum they have on Lakota history, the originators of the idea for the memorial, Korczak Ziolkowski and Lakota Chief Henry Standing Bear's dream is becoming a true reality.
By the way.........Mexicans invited American immigrants to Texas not only to settle the land but to kill off the Indians that would raid the land that Mexicans stole from the Indians.
You're not going to read that truth on MSNBC, but anyone who know the real history of "Mexico" know it as a fact. Just try and get Mexicans to admit to it.
@Intellect - Hesci... aye, you are right. First Nations fought too much among themselves, trying to use whites to settle old scores. As a result we were the ones who ultimately lost. I am 3/4 white and I do not hold a grudge with the white people but I try to cling to what to me is the best and most relevant part of my Cherokee heritage. And studying REAL history is always very liberating. Russel was a great inspiration for me in that regard.
Sure I don't know what I'm talking about. I'm only a descendant of an Iroquois tribe which is what brought me to this article. It is unreasonable to think or believe that the American Indians would have been left untouched on an entire continent for the last 600 years. Not only unreasonable but IGNORANT!
Funny, how everyone criticizes Western expantionism but they sure as hell don't mind using and consuming the products of it. Including the computer you are using right now to read this comment. Sit back and be honest with the laughable hypocracy you now find yourself.
@Dawg - yes, we lost in that struggle, such is the way of the world that those less prepared to face the challenges of life and death must ultimately lose. Still, the truth about that struggle has to be kept alive because it teaches us how to avoid the same mistakes. The old ways are gone now but remembering them can lead us to developing our own new ways, not merely copying the ways of the whites or superficially clinging to the old ways for the sake of 'tradition'. The world always changes and we have to adapt or die.
Crushed to hear this, but you know what, he is walking the red road now and has left this earth. One thing though...MSNBC, he is not Indian...he was a Native American or American Indian. We don't live in India.
They were known as Indians until communist from Latin America forced the LA RAZA version of the world on American school children.
Just like they cover up the fact that 95% of all slaves brought to the Americas went to Latin America and the Caribbean by HISPANICS. They need greater amounts of slaves because they treated their slaves so poorly, they died off at an alarming rate.
....it was a good life.
I met both him and Carter Camp at a naming ceremony many years ago on the rez. Nobody told me about this, and it's not easy suddenly reading about it on MSNBC. It's like seeing an obituary in the paper about someone you know but didn't realize had passed. It's kind of a slap in the face.
As Sanchez004 says, he's walking the Red Road now.
My mother has cancer is very close now, and soon will be joining him as well.
Leonard Peltier will be very sad to hear about his passing too. And, we haven't forgotten about you either, my brother Leonard.
And, no, we're not from India. :-)
Is Leonard Peltier still in prison?
Ona, his spirit is at peace now. He did well and lent his voice to all the Nations, sad day for those left behind but joyous too, he's free!
I grew up with Russell and the Peltiers in the '60s. They were an inspiration to the cause of truth and justice. They were also a lot of fun! Hokahey Russell.
A tragic loss. Whether you agreed with his politics and goals or not, the fact is that he was a Voice for his people. Sometimes heard as a dissenting voice, but throughout our history it has been the dissenting voices that have made the real difference.
Was he in Pathfinder?
Yes.
The unidentified person in the photo is Billy Jack. He did as much, if not more, to help better the image of the Red Devil.
Billy Jack? You mean the character, played by Tom Laughlin? Or do you speak of someone I never heard of? If so, please tell me who that Billy Jack is....
@heavyjuice, I don't think that is Tom Laughlin. Billy Jack always wore a levi jacket.
Was he the Indian on that littering commercial that showed a tear rolling down his face in the 70's?
I think that was Chief Dan George...I apologize if I got that wrong...
No, wrong on both accounts, it was Iron Eyes Cody.
No he wasn't. And that guy was an actor who wasn't even a native american. He was italian......
wtf? iron eyes was well known. italian? in your dreams!
Sorry sandyv and others, but the dude in the anti-littering ad, known as Iron Eyes Cody, was born Espera Oscar de Corti, son of Sicilian immigrants. He was no more American Indian than Frank Sinatra.
Sandyv, Iron Eyes Cody was an Italian who had a big nose stereotyping what mainstream America thought an American Indian looks like. To this day the EPA has his picture in their buildings even though they know he was an Italian actor.
There goes a man revered by the liberal press and reviled by most real native Americans - Sioux in particular. He was little more than a self-serving, publicity seeking poser.
The Liberal Press needs to Go-To-Hell
Lol, agreed. However, while I may not have always agreed with his politics, nor been a fan of his character, I do believe that he did do good for the people. If nothing else, you can't deny that his publicity-seeking nature helped to bring Native issues to the attention of the world.
If the Liberal press went to hell, where would go to complain endlessly about nothing?
Admit it. You live for sites like this. You get to feign outrage.
and don't forget about all the leftists on this board....they revere him. lol...
Sorry. Never heard of him. Maybe if he walked along the highways crying at all of the trash...
The guy crying about the trash was an Italian the EPA hired to do the commercials. The joke is on you, BigBaldGuy!
Let us never forget that we stole this entire Country that is now the greatest Country in the World from from Native Americans. Shame on US for not showing this in all of our History books and not paying them back
The Indians "stole" each other's land all the time before we got here. We're singled out because we were bigger, better and we won...and we're white.
Amen! I couldn't have said it better myself. Very well put.
True ChestyPuller, The indians stole land from each other, but all in all it was the American Native's land that we took over. And your comment, We are bigger, better and we're white, is bigoted and racist! Completely uncalled for.
M Gail Greene, how do you know if they stole land from each other? Was you there? Or are you going off of the history books that the White man wrote which paints them in a great light? Also, being White is nothing to brag about!! EWwwwwww!!!
I hate when people use the phrase Native American in reffernce to the American Indians. It shows their lack of knowledge of the English language. Native means per Websters dictionary"belonging to a region or country by birth or growth, etc". American means "native of America". Thus anyone one born in the USA is a Native American. As for people taking away the land from the American Indians, if my history is correct they migrated here from Asia. Also, as I have read in history books, many indian tribes took land away from other tribes. So, the question is really who did have rightful ownership of the land? Throughout history, nations have taken land from others and keep it. So let us start using the right term for American Indians and not Native Americans.
M Gail - save your I'm offended BS for those that can't separate sh_t from shinola. Means was an out-of-control activist that was indirectly involved in the death of a federal agent during the "Wounded Knee Incident" as well as the disappearance AND deaths of several native Americans. That he became a celebrated actor does not erase his violent youth any more than Bill Ayers terrorist background who now makes six figures a year teaching in the University of Chicago. The American Indian WAS a savage, blood-thirsty, butchering aberration of the human species to any tribe or nation they didn't agree with, and the Sioux were the worst of them all in that respect. The Anglo-European "guilt complex" has completely erased this FACT, and, as Chesty Puller stated, albeit rather roughly, they DID lose out to a tribe that was more powerful than they - US!! I do not apologize for my ancestors that carved out this nation to become what it is, nor am I condoning those that had to suffer in the creation of this "great experiment". All great nations were built on the blood of those they defeated or destroyed. That they have continued to suffer is because of many injustices, and it is true that they were not treated well by the victors all of the time. Today however, they have access to more types of aid, education programs, and tribal benefits that those who defeated them, and I would challenge ANYONE to compare the way native Americans were treated in the USA to what happened to indigenous peoples in Central and South America, Mexico, and much of Canada. They are GONE!! History is exactly that, THE PAST, and the future cannot be based on lies and Rousseau "Noble Savage" crap. I will miss Means for the actor he was - and that's about all. Enough said.
M Gail Greene, for failing to understand a basic english sentence, you lose: 50 pts.
JP, you are full of BS and yourself. American Indians do not have access to all kinds of free stuff. If an American Indian wants to attend a main stream university they pay just like anyother American for the priviledge of a higher education.
As for being defeated that is another story to which this piece is not about. Russel and the others were fighting for their rights to exist as humans and to receive what was due to all American Indians and tribes due to treaties that were never honored. You know a business agreement like buying a house or a car. If you do not pay for it they reposes it. In this instance it was a papal bull the US Courts relied upon to justify the taking of land without just and fair compensation. It was the Doctrine of Discovery of the papal bull Inter caetera. Here is a link to read and comprehend to dispell the myths you have been taught.
Flush out your headgear "we have had enough"....read a little history before you post babbling bull@!$%#...
Based on your ridiculous example, I guess we all should be living in caves. No one should benefit by learning for other races. So go to Mexico and take away every single invention that the whiteman created and force them to live like Aztec or "Native Mexicans"!
M Gail Greene, what you claim is just not true. Traditional American Indian belief revered the Earth as their mother or grandmother. So how can you own your mother or grandmother? When the Europeans began pushing the tribes from the East westward the displaced tribes in turn displaced those tribes due to access to hunting grounds for sustenance. By the time American Indians were being force fed Christianity and assimilated they were too weak to fight each other over land with the new found greed the Europeans brought to them. Nothing you say holds water.
A man of courage has passed. May his journey continue...
RIP.....but, how come none of these guys are ever expected to embrace diversity????....is that just for the "white man" in America???
We did embrace diversity and the white man killed us for it.
....yeah, ok......white people, take note what you're in for if you embrace diversity.....the next millenium with a free pass for your bitterness and hatred.....good luck with that......
nycguy Why don't you just wear a great big sign around your neck that says "Pity me for I am a white fool."?
Marky Mark.....what's the matter, you don't believe in what's good for the goose is good for the gander.....most racists like you don't......
nycguy, the Southeastern tribes did embrace diversity and adopted the White Man's ways. They were so good at it that Georgia kicked them out and started the great removal years or the "Trail of Tears." The Five Civilized Tribes had better governments, schools and farms than the White men of Georgia. Read the history behind Cherokee vs. Georgia and you will read, if you can comprehend, that the Cherokee won the court decision, but Andrew Jackson wanted them removed so White men could take their lands and homes that were already cleared, planted with the houses built for them to move right into.
It was shameful that these savages were better educated and better organized than White men and women of Georgia. Imagine the surprise. Just think the KKK, descendants of those early Georgians, still lives on in GA to this day and hold meetings at Stone Mountain, GA to name one well known place. The Muscogee (Creek) of GA were better off than their neighbors in GA. You know those who were citizens of GA and the USA while the American Indians were denied citizenship well into the 20th Century. Talk about who was civilized and who was not. Doesn't atke a rocket scientist to figure that one out.
RIP dear friend. You are a true American Hero and you will be greatly missed. We are all blessed to have had you in our lives.
Yes Blueskygal, He was a true American Hero, A fantastic actor and quite a man. He will be missed.
Here was a great leader. Hopefully somebody picks up where he left off with petitioning the UN to recognize the Lokota Nation as a sovereign state.
CHESTY, KINDLY CHECK THE SMITHSONIAN FOR PAPERS SENT TO THE POTUS FROM THE "FIELD" AND HOW THEY WOULD EXTERMINATE THE NATIVE. THEY PURPOSELY GAVE THEM Infected blankets with small pox, no meat except maggot filled rotten meat, starved them, made it a purpose to kill children (often referred to as "nits" in those letters). I don't know where the hell you were educated but you sure can't research information that our own government has in storage. The entire purpose, the end result, was to exterminate ALL natives any way they could. Letter from Custer proves to be quite educational about him and the potus. Good grief, I learn more in white school about natives over 60 years ago than you have ever learned. And I have lived on or near many reservations in this country. People like you only know how to hate, pick and choose what you WANT to believe and then spread the fertilizer to others. Shame on you for not educating yourself and proving your own stupidity about Native.
Good Actor......By the Way, Let Me Just Comment, on His Passing, Regarding a Related Topic:
The Genocide of the American Indians never happened and was invented out of thin air by Marxists in the 1950's and 60's; flowing from them to the rest of the Left, who aren't too bright and will believe any(anti-American)thing.
We know historically of massacres of Indians at Sand Creek, Wounded Knee, and very few others. We also know of massacres of whites by Indians. We have no historical evidence that even 5,000 Indians were killed in cold blood during the entire American West period, much less any fictitious "genocide". At Sand Creek, the most clearly criminal act against Indians in the history of the West, there was a Congressional investigation into those who were responsible for it at the time, as opposed to it being some kind of standard practice nationwide.
We didn't even exterminate the fiercest Indian tribes that opposed us like the Sioux or the Apache, they're both still around today. We didn't even kill their most warlike leaders such as Geronimo. We kept putting him back on the res after he would break out and kill people.
The Policy of the US was to put Indians on reservations, not to kill or exterminate them. There was no genocide, its existence was concocted by Marxists seeking to put the US on an equal footing with them on the mass-murder scale, and then be able to claim "it was a wash" between people like Stalin, Mao etc, and the free country of the United States.
Never Happened.
I wonder if the crux of the issue is that the Natives didn't want to be "put" on reservations.
No, that's understandable that they didn't want that.
But it's not genocide, which is the crux of the issue.
You need to read more, also, Chesty...
Thanks chesty, I'm sure all of those native Americans that didn't lose their lives are ecstatic... what a putz.
YOU are a complete idiot. Obviously you don't know your ass from a hole in the ground. And obviously your a white person trying to make yourself feel better about your race and what they did to native americans............
ChestyPuller - You are nothing at all like the person whose name you stole - Chesty was a person of respectability. Perhaps a little crazy, but he would not have come up with something as absurd as your statement. The slaughter of the Native American came in different ways - illnesses, battle, forced relocation, and stealth. With illnesses, once it was noticed that the Native people had no resistance to yellow fever, smallpox, chicken pox and other illesses whites had developed some immunity to, they began to give them blankets and other provisions that had been in places that were infected by small pox - deliberately. They wanted to wipe them out. In battle, like Wounded Knee when US calvary soldiers came upon the camp which was mostly women, children, and old men (the men were hunting food) - and destroyed the whole camp. Forced Relocation - Trail of Tears, the whole Reservation system - enough said. William T Sherman made the statement "The only good Indian is a dead Indian". Yes, Chesty, the Indian extermination happened. It would have happened sooner if it hadn't been for the Civil War, and it would have been more complete had it not been for the fact that many chiefs tried to keep their people alive by either going to Canada, or going to the reservations.
KLAMATH NATIVE: Please don't go there with your White People comments. There are way too many whites who are, and were sympathetic to the Native American cause, and would never think like that moron. Also, there were others who were not whites who were working against Native American causes - including other Native Americans.
ChestyPuller: Explain the Trail of Tears and "battles" like Wounded Knee where soldiers like Custer came in and attacked women, children, and old men who were too old to even hunt anymore. Explain William T Sherman's statement "The only good Indian is a dead Indian".
Chestypuller,
As a Native American tribal member all I can say is " We-nug. Nug ba-akway meezy jeed "
what a bunch of jibberish!!!!
You guys can't name massacres totalling even 10,000 dead, you just claim it with no basis, accepting the Marxist myth.
--The smallpox in blankets myth is another urban legend, with no historical basis.....the sum total of the proof for the deliberate smallpox spreading myth is that a British officer said in his diary that he gave blankets to the Indians, and later on those Indians got smallpox. The incident never happened.
--many Indians died of smallpox, we have no evidence it was ever deliberately spread by whites.
--debran, I already mentioned Wounded Knee, dumb-dumb, we don't know who fired first, historically, we just know the US wiped out most the people there afterwards
--Klamath, I don't give a crap that you're an ignorant idiot, and has no response, but are mad nonetheless. You know nothing about reality and accept myths from Marxists and their dupes. Klamath is in Oregon.....find historical evidence that even 1,000 Indians were killed in cold blood in Oregon....you can't.
--Debran, APPLICATION TO RE-INVENT WHAT THE TERM GENOCIDE MEANS: "The slaughter of the Native American came in different ways - illnesses, battle, forced relocation, and stealth." DENIED
--When William Sherman said "the only good Indian is a dead Indian" that clearly wasn't US policy or the Sioux and Apache Indians, who were the most troublesome ones he dealt with at the time, would have been exterminated, much less all the other tribes.
--obviously, Indians killed in battle...maybe 50,000 or less during the history of the US, most battles were a couple hundred vs. a couple hundred, with the biggest being the Little Bighorn...don't count as genocide, unless we're going to say that the Indians pre-Europeans were committing genocide against each other. Which is absurd of course. Comanches used to beat up on the Apaches before we showed up.
There was no genocide of the Indians. Our policy was to put them on reservations. We have no Record that 5,000 were killed in cold blood in the history of the US, much less any genocide. In fact, if you include all Americans who have Indian blood in them, their population has only grown over the years...and obviously you have to include any Indian blood in your calculations, only a 2 bit Marxist liar would claim the descendants of a white guy who married a squaw don't count in estimating later Indian populations.
A Real Genocide occurred in WW2. They gathered up all the Jews from Europe, killed some in cold blood immediately, sent most of them off to camps, where they were nearly all gassed right away, with a few more worked to death. The whole extermination took 4 years or so.
Hey debnran, that wasn't William Tecumseh Sherman who said that. Commonly attributed to General Phillip Sheridan, I couldn't find it in an actual quote:
Racial invective is one thing, but damning a Civil War hero with a misattributed quote is another.
This story is a good reason why ALL American natives should vote for Barack Obama and NOT Mitt Romney..!! As you can see...the posters who support Mitt Romney are very easy to identify...the community collapsed comments..hint , hint, hint..!! lol
Chesty, all of this has been well documented and is generally accepted as truth. Where you are coming up with this other stuff is beyond me, but it is incorrect. To add more evidence that you can research if you like, the buffalo, which were pivotal to the Lakota life way and survival, not only spiritually but physically, were systemically wiped out. It didn't take long for our government to understand that to kill off that animal (which we did, from approx. 64 million to 300 left before we stopped) would result in death and hardship for the Plains Indians. You do not have to do something directly to achieve the same ends indirectly, right?
Chesty, I would love to sit down with you and tell you the stories my grandfather (1906 - 1977) and his brother (1910 - 1987) told me about being a Indian. About how they were abused by so many for being a "dirty Indian", how they were forced to go to school run by abusive nuns, how they were forced to watch their brother drown, as the same nuns and adults stated that the young child wasn't worth the effort to save, how they had to watch their sister die from a lung infection as she was not worth the waste of medicine to save. How his mother (1894 - 1950)was treated on and off the reservation. That is how we know what happened to our ancestor's, our elder's sat us down and told us, just as their elders sat them down and told them. These stories are stories your elder's would not tell you as they didn't have the same experience's, the one's not in the books that teach our children history. That is just my family stories, imagine sitting down with all of us who have those similar stories and then you'll find truth in your version of myth.
lol Sialia, thanks for the factless babble.
Beloved, look up the meaning of the word genocide, then compare it to your stories of being bullied.
There are no documented killings of Native Americans in cold blood that total even 5,000 dead, much less a genocide.
Chesty, maybe you should look it up and then sit down with us and listen. Actually open your ears, mind and listen. Again, then you'll see the truth. As I said the examples I gave are when they were forced to watch family member's die, by white men/women. There are so much more. They lost several family members to the destruction of their culture. Add my family to the many others who have stories about the time and you will see, again, the truth.
Bullied is not even close to what they went through, I would think being bullied would have been easier for them. But that's my opinion.
Chesty, as a student in Germany at the MPI for advanced scientific studies I learned Hitler learned genocide from the US. His thought was if America could kill and put American Indians in POW camps and no one cared or fought against this genocide he could do the same. You know what he did until it started hurting our bottom line. So the modern genocide happened here and then Germany. I can tell you have never studied real history but some word of mouth BS. A scholar, NO way.
Chesty is a troll. Please igonre her.
Hitler also thought that America was a powerful country because it controlled its immigration by only accepting people that were healthy and from the better races of Europe. Hitler wanted to do the same thing but he went to extremes by getting rid of some of the most intelligent and educated people in Europe because they were Jews. His own hatred of Jews killed Germany.
Latinos are trying to dominate US immigration by flooding the US with illegals from Latin America. Over 94% of illegals caught are from Latin America. Seems like LATINOS want to be the "master race" of the 21st century, doesn't it?
Could YOU explain the recent change in the description of the Fort Dearborn Massacre of White People by Indians to a more Indian friendly "Battle of Fort Dearborn" by Chicago politicians.
These COWARDS want to change the facts of history just to make Indians feel better and make white people look worse.