http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/10/07/south-dakota-racial-reconciliation/2933709/
South Dakota has been trying to delve into, acknowledge, and celebrate the lives of Native Americans and there place in history. A movemrnt was fueled twenty years ago, compelled by the thought that there was to be a "lookback" at the past century and Natives, a huge paart of American history, would not be looked back on. George Mickelson evewn had Columbus day changed to Native American day. This pegged S.D. the only place with a Native American national holiday. Some saw this day as another step, among many up to this very day, toward reconcilliation among the races. Other's thought that the fire had died down in that plane crash with Sioux Falls, one of the men who'd started it all. Believed the talk was too soft and congradulating where it needed to be critical, informative, and maybe even a little scornful. I believe although it is a nice eeffort, every issue should be adressed. A day named after your race, does not excuse years of abuse, mistreatment, and killing an entitre way of life including it's people. It is a pity that the forward movement slowed so significantly after the death of Falls. However, it is not uncommom\n for such things to happen. Once a subject stops being talked about, it falls to the back of people's minds. The recognition should not be one of forgetting to leave a part of history out of our history reports, but the fact that the american people created such a terrible history for them in the first place. Knocking the race back many many years in progress, and ultimately shortening the chance of survival for the ones left for the future.
Tyra Harris, 5th period
ReplyDeleteIt's about time Natives started to get the recognition they deserve in our country. For too long, we (as in the entire nation as a whole) have been trying to "cover up" or "sugar code" the actual gruesome crimes that English settlers performed against the American indigenous people. More states should follow North Dakota's steps in honoring the Native Americans.
Finally native Americans get recognized for something! We have days for almost every other minority race but the Natives have always been overlooked. It's nice to see we are finally opening our eyes to their role in history.
ReplyDeleteIt's so crazy that they're the ones being overlooked when you think about the fact that they were here first. They built complex societies and even empires and helped inspire aspects of our government. Uuuuuggggghhhh.
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