Compare And Contrast The Assimilation Of Native Americans

Native Americans had no other option than assimilation. Today, we have the right to choose. Back in the days you had rights only if you were part of the elite society, in this case, a white person. White people were so hungry power that they did whatever they had to as to gain all the land that belonged to the Native Americans. They took advantage of the inocense of the Native Americans and achieved their goals. Whites wanted total control over the Native Americans, they forced them to assimilation, tricked them and took everything away from them.

Back in the 1800's white americans came into the Sioux lands where Native Americans settled, they wanted to have their lands, the gold and all those sources which back then meant a lot.. White people always wanted to have total control. They believed everything had to be done as they said because they were "superior" and for it they ruled and they deserved everything they wanted. They
forced the Native Americans to leave their home lands and put them to live on reservations. Some reservations were the Lakota, Pine Ridge, Rosebud and Standing Rock. Whites wanted the Native Americans to become so like them that they banned the Ghost Dance on Lakota reservations in December 1890, then on Pine Ridge and Rosebud as the rites of this religious fervor continued. Native Americans were very naive, but still they struggled againt the whites trying to remain with some dignity and being loyal with in themselves. As the Ghost Dance was banned, Short Bull, Kicking Bear and Sitting Bull tried to resist since they didn't like to be told what to do. By the end, a struggle struck where Sitting Bull died, and none of the Native American's efforts were worth since the whites always had their way.

Assimilation should be an option not an obbligation. Whites wanted the Native Americans to mish into their culture, customs and beliefs as a way to assimilate and become more like them. They wanted Indians to convert into christianity and to speak their languange (English). They even gave them "Christian" names and banned eveything that was not good for the white's eyes. Native Americans had no saying in this whole situation, they either accepted it or died (second option was the best for the whites since they wanted to exterminate the indian race). Charles Eastman, once called Ohiyesa was a great example of this assimilation. He couldn't resist to the white orders so he became assimilated, he was going to med school and had a romance with Elaine Goodell, a teacher of the reservations.

Native Americans passed through a lot, they were tricked and constantly abused.
They were forced to leave their lands and put to live on reservations, where life wasn't easy at all. Some refused to leave their lands but as the situation worsen, they had no other option than accepting. Native Americans and whites were not always fighting, they usually traded and negotiated peacefully. Things went peacefully until the white's started tricking the Indians, like signing the treaty of Traverse de Sioux; when Red Cloud signed it they were promised many things which never happened, the white's tricked him and now he had no option than signing or all of the tribe would be killed. Also General Sherman and General Custer, they were always trying disastrous things against the harmless Native Americans, like burning their homes and forcing them to do things they didn't want to. The whites betrayed the Native Americans, but there was nothing the Indians could do, if they tried to rebel against the whites they would end up just like Sitting
Bull.

It is clear that the only way Native Americans could survive was by assimilating. I think the whites went too far. They were very rude and hard to the Indians. I believe we were all born with differences and were all raised differently, just as the Native Americans and the whites, but to the eyes of God we are all equal, and for that major reason we should all accept who we are. Assimilation was a great option, but it was opt to them if they wanted it or not. Native Americans were very ignorant and whatever they were said they would believe it. I think many of the events that happened could have been prevented if the whites tried to communicate and kept real the promises they made to the Indians. Most of this was for the government's fault, but it is more than obvious that they will never accept it.

http://alyidel.blogspot.com/