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I think you're right that pretty much any approach to Native Americans by non-Native Americans is going to end up being problematic -- but is that really so sur

I think you're right that pretty much any approach to Native Americans by non-Native Americans is going to end up being problematic -- but is that really so surprising, given the immensity of what happened? How to even begin making amends for a multi-century campaign that literally erased a continent's worth of civilizations off the face of the earth? Massive reparations maybe? Massive land reform? If we're not talking about actions at that scale, then isn't any monument, memorial, or other form of honor little more than a sop and, arguably, more about assuaging the feelings of non-Natives?

ryandrake 5y ago
> How to even begin making amends for a multi-century campaign that literally erased a continent's worth of civilizations off the face of the earth? Massive reparations maybe? Massive land reform? This is the right question. What is an effective process for the descendants of oppressors and the descendants of the oppressed make amends and move past it? If we can't answer this, our descendants will be quarreling about it forever. 1000 years from now, someone's going to say "Well my Native American great, great, great X 40 grandfather was oppressed by your white great, great, great X 40 grandfather, therefore blah blah blah." It might never end. There are feuds today that go back 1000 years. It's kind of ridiculous. How do you solve it?
- boomboomsubban 5y ago
  This makes it seem like the injustices are all ancient, when this story is an example of non-Indians profiting off the continued misery of Indians. Both government and private oppression is still common, the first act should be resolving as much of that as possible.
cuakknife 5y ago
>literally erased a continent's worth of civilizations You're thinking about the USA. Other native american cultures in America (the continent) faced different degrees of destruction, but I wouldn't say "literally erased" them.

ryandrake 5y ago

> How to even begin making amends for a multi-century campaign that literally erased a continent's worth of civilizations off the face of the earth? Massive reparations maybe? Massive land reform? This is the right question. What is an effective process for the descendants of oppressors and the descendants of the oppressed make amends and move past it? If we can't answer this, our descendants will be quarreling about it forever. 1000 years from now, someone's going to say "Well my Native American great, great, great X 40 grandfather was oppressed by your white great, great, great X 40 grandfather, therefore blah blah blah." It might never end. There are feuds today that go back 1000 years. It's kind of ridiculous. How do you solve it?

boomboomsubban 5y ago
This makes it seem like the injustices are all ancient, when this story is an example of non-Indians profiting off the continued misery of Indians. Both government and private oppression is still common, the first act should be resolving as much of that as possible.

cuakknife 5y ago

>literally erased a continent's worth of civilizations You're thinking about the USA. Other native american cultures in America (the continent) faced different degrees of destruction, but I wouldn't say "literally erased" them.