When I first read the title for this week's entry, I thought of everything Native Americans went through, with their land, having to share, and not really been given a choice. This started when Columbus first came to America, but I'm just going to write about something that happened a few centuries later.
It all started with gold. When gold was discovered in Georgia, part of the Cherokee land, Americans thought that since it was valuable, they can take it, and they don't have to care because they are better then the Native Americans, even thought they are NATIVE Americans. I think that the Americans thought that since the Cherokee were different, they they were worse, and it wouldn't be an issue taking their land. But they were wrong, the Cherokee were were smart and civilized and did things such as sending their children to school, or having newspapers. And, I wasn't surprised when they put up a fight and tried to stay in their land. President Andrew Jackson, had to go as far as to have them forced out of their land, illegally, and on May 23, 1838, President Martin Van Buren started their forced removal. I think that the Native Americans felt weak at that point and knew that they couldn't win even when they use the justice system. Many people died during that 1200 mile walk or ride. I want to say that I wish that didn't happen, but part of me thinks, that if it didn't happen, the America we know right now would be a lot different.
I really like how you explained how being different was considered a bad thing...(to them). That totally relates not only to the Native Americans and the settlers, but it also relates to teenagers today. When someone is different, other teens categorize them as misfits, and it shouldn't be that way. Being different is BETTER. In an uncertain world, we need to be certain of who we are. In my opinion, it should be called a crime when someone steals that uncertainty.
ReplyDeleteI liked your piece a lot. You expressed the idea that just because a group's culture is foreign, does not nessicarily mean that they are inferior. You also showed that the removal made the native Americans feel pathetic. I feel like you could have expanded on this thought.
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