Thursday, May 18, 2006
Lewis and Clark
One of my favorite questions to ask people is, name a member of the crew that went with Lewis and Clark that isn't Sacajewea? Most cannot. In fact, I haven't met a single person that could. In fact, I am one of those people. I still cannot tell you the name of any of their crew members other than Sacajawea. I ask you...why do we only know the names of the wealthy white male characters in this alleged important event in American history.
The only reason Sacajawea's name is mentioned, I allege, is because the women's movement in the late part of the 19th and early 20th century clung to her as a symbol of female empowerment. A friend of mine, a Blackfoot, told me his daughter was once asked by a kindly white woman, "do you know who Sacajawea is?" His daughter corrected her pronunciation. After getting the pronunciation correct, the woman asked her the question again. She knew of Sacajawea and she told the kindly white woman, "yeah! She was a traitor!"
My friend and former co-host, head of the Economics Department at Clark College in Vancouver, Washington with full tenure and Solicitor General for the Blackfoot Traditional Government, Jim Craven, was asked to be on the Lewis and Clark Committee to honor only the two wealthy white men on that journey. At the initial meeting, Jim mentioned that Lewis and Clark were the "front men for genocide." This is a fact. Because of this statement, he was "removed" from the committee. Jim is not the kind of Indian perspective they want to hear from. They want to hear the Indian voices that drop to their knees and open their mouths for the gifts of wealthy white men. They want Indians who dress in feathers and war paint and entertain the masses by making their horses rear up on their hind legs. They don't want any educated uppity red nigger academics raining on their celebration of genocide.
When I was growing up, I remember hearing the story of Lewis and Clark's encounter with the Blackfoot nation. The cartoon story said that the Indians attacked them (the reasons are unclear to me). An wounded man turned the little swivel gun on the Indians and shot over their head. The primitive Indians, allegedly not understanding this noisy deadly technology, trembled in fear before the "mighty whities" and let them roam free. Even at my young age, I questioned this version. I already knew that "gun traders" were in the area since at least the 1750's, which meant the Indians knew that when one fired a gun, it took at least a minute to reload. Lotsa brave mother-fuckers amongst the Blackfoot. They'd have been on those boats and killed every last one of those pieces of shit before they got any further. But, I let this slide, though the idea stuck with me all these years later.
Talking with the traditional leaders of the Blackfoot Nation, and their Solicitor General, Jim Craven, they tell the story a little differently. "We knew, 'there goes the neighborhood,'" as Jim put it. Lewis and Clark, it seems, according to Blackfoot oral tradition, "only wanted to fuck our women and take our resources." (Some things never change). Seems their absolutely RUDE behavior managed to warrant the anger of the Blackfoot peoples who decided to administer justice to the pieces of fucking shit. They tell the story that after they killed three of them, Lewis and Clark emerged from the hold of their boat with vials that had cloth in them. The Blackfoot had already survived a number of smallpox plagues, all but one which was deliberately set already. They knew what was in those vials, and let the demons who claim human form go. It wasn't the "superiority" of any swivel gun. It was the brutality of a disease deliberately set to slaughter Indians that stopped them from killing every last one of those cruel pieces of shit.
Here, I must request that you don't give me that stupid bullshit argument that people didn't know how diseases spread. That is a lie! As early as the Mongol invasion of Europe, there are signs that state people knew how diseases spread. A good example, as well, is Jeffrey Amherst, who, in 1756 set a smallpox plauge amongst the Indians (documented), and Amherst, Maryland and Amherst University are named after this wonderful wealthy white man. As well, in a 1726 document of the doctor Zabdiel Boylston, who was Cotton Mathers physician, had created a vaccine for smallpox. Hmmmm!
If you wish, as well, to argue genocide, I suggest you first read the "UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide," which defines the crime. That is the basis I use for my arguments when I discuss this issue with people who don't know, aren't convinced, or already know everything about the issue so what the fuck do I know.
Lewis and Clark are often referred to as "The Corps of Discovery," because you see, nothing exists until a "wealthy white man" discovers it. The people that were here prior to Lewis and Clark really didn't exist until these two wealthy white men discovered them. Since those people were here, they simply had to be "exterminated" (genocide) to make room for their truly superior white masters. And our great white masters took such actions.
And, goddamn, if they were incapable of finishing the job. They left this, and many more, loud mouthed red niggers who continue the struggle and resist the descructive forces of the U.S. government. I know, I'm sure you all have some regrets, such as me having a big fat mouth and being capable of making some serious arguments against such abusive and genocidal behavior. Sometimes, you just can't superiorly finish off us inferiors. Good effort, though. You were successful in eradicating many indigenous nations without any legal ramifications, but it was foolish to think you've managed to change the hearts of all of us to fall to our knees and suck you tiny white cocks. For, even according to your laws, this is still our land. You all occupy it illegally. But you have the "rule of force" on your side. Any time we bring up an argument, you can simply push it aside as inferior primitive thinking and all we want is to go back to the "good ole days." In the eyes of many, we are just too "stupid" to think in terms of reality. Hey, fuck heads, we live reality. We are aware there are many other peoples here now. We're trying to make you understand that we are still here, too. But you just don't give a fuck unless we are wearing buckskin and rearing our horses for you entertainment. You don't want to understand the "reality" that this is a nation founded on brutal genocide and that supports itself on that genocide and many other genocides around the world RIGHT FUCKING NOW! But, there again, "the rule of force" is on your side should you choose to use it as a cop-out. And you can simply tell me I want to go back to some perceived "golden age" without even asking me, because you really don't need to ask some primitive red nigger who doesn't appreciate the gifts brought to us by our superior white masters. I'm unappreciative of the gifts the genocide of my people brought to me, like a computer to send out my voice with. DISMISSED! Wrong color, unappreciative, doesn't simply accept the lies of wealthy and privileged white men as truth...How dare I!
So, from this Indians point of view, and from the point of view of many Indians I know (but not all), Lewis and Clark were the "front men for genocide," just like Columbus (any names of Colubus' crew members, I do know a few of those). And The United States loves celebrating their genocidal maniacs. Fuck! The U.S. elects them president, gives them jobs in the police force, military, FBI, etc.
One last question, to put a few things in perspective. During World War II, one of the worst death camps in Europe was Jasenovac. It was a complex of 5 different sections in Croatia and was most specifically concerntrated on eradicating the Serbs (Serbs being mostly Muslim). Even the Nazi's who visited the Ustasha (sp?) ran death camp thought they were exceptionally cruel. Why do you think you don't hear of this death camp, which produced Peter Brzica, King of the Cut Throats. Peter sliced the throats of 1360 Serbs with a butcher knife in a single evening to make more room for an influx of prisoners (there was a contest. How many the others murdered I don't know). In my opinion, you don't hear of Jasenovac because it was ran by the powerful political force (not religious IMO) known as "The Vatican." Hmmm! More things to think about. (find our more at www.jasenovac.org).
Many pieces of the puzzle are discarded or left aside, like the names of the crew members of Lewis and Clark. Like the behaviors of Lewis and Clark and their crew. Like what followed from the illegal purchase of land that others stole by simply telling us red niggers they had some sort of crazy divine right which actually turned out to be the "rule of force." If you have a narrow view of things, it is much easier to lie to yourself and justify the horrors that happen today that give us the privileged world where I can write this shit to you.
And women get it the worst, and most men don't notice this until it is pointed out and more often than not, don't even notice it then because women ALL OVER THE WORLD ARE CONSIDERED SECOND CLASS OR LOWER INCLUDING IN THE UNITED STATES. Here's a story from a lodge I recently attended. An honoring song for women was sung in the lodge. A man asked if there was any songs around that honor men. A woman said, "yeah. All the rest." People need to understand the world from the perspective of others. When one listens instead of just saying, "I'm right and therefore that is how it is and I will not let any more information in because if your view isn't the same as mine, you are wrong."
Lewis and Clark, front men for genocide. Wealthy white men. No one else on their crew except a token Indian woman. Sometimes you'll hear about the slave. You don't hear about how they ate their dogs because they were tired of eating fish. Why should you hear that story? What other pieces of the story aren't heard? What other pieces of the story are ignored? Do we really need to aggrandize more wealthy white men? What about the poor? What about the Indians? What about the slave? What about the rest of the Lewis and Clark crew? What about the genocide that followed against the Indians which we were already experiencing? What about the women? What about the children? What about the pollution that followed? What about the extinction of plant and animals species that followed? What about the invasive species of animals and plants introuduced in this nation?
Let's have none of that! Let's just sing great praise to two more wealthy white men who are genocidal maniacs. [fingers in ears, eyes closed, now singing LALALALALALALA!]
The only reason Sacajawea's name is mentioned, I allege, is because the women's movement in the late part of the 19th and early 20th century clung to her as a symbol of female empowerment. A friend of mine, a Blackfoot, told me his daughter was once asked by a kindly white woman, "do you know who Sacajawea is?" His daughter corrected her pronunciation. After getting the pronunciation correct, the woman asked her the question again. She knew of Sacajawea and she told the kindly white woman, "yeah! She was a traitor!"
My friend and former co-host, head of the Economics Department at Clark College in Vancouver, Washington with full tenure and Solicitor General for the Blackfoot Traditional Government, Jim Craven, was asked to be on the Lewis and Clark Committee to honor only the two wealthy white men on that journey. At the initial meeting, Jim mentioned that Lewis and Clark were the "front men for genocide." This is a fact. Because of this statement, he was "removed" from the committee. Jim is not the kind of Indian perspective they want to hear from. They want to hear the Indian voices that drop to their knees and open their mouths for the gifts of wealthy white men. They want Indians who dress in feathers and war paint and entertain the masses by making their horses rear up on their hind legs. They don't want any educated uppity red nigger academics raining on their celebration of genocide.
When I was growing up, I remember hearing the story of Lewis and Clark's encounter with the Blackfoot nation. The cartoon story said that the Indians attacked them (the reasons are unclear to me). An wounded man turned the little swivel gun on the Indians and shot over their head. The primitive Indians, allegedly not understanding this noisy deadly technology, trembled in fear before the "mighty whities" and let them roam free. Even at my young age, I questioned this version. I already knew that "gun traders" were in the area since at least the 1750's, which meant the Indians knew that when one fired a gun, it took at least a minute to reload. Lotsa brave mother-fuckers amongst the Blackfoot. They'd have been on those boats and killed every last one of those pieces of shit before they got any further. But, I let this slide, though the idea stuck with me all these years later.
Talking with the traditional leaders of the Blackfoot Nation, and their Solicitor General, Jim Craven, they tell the story a little differently. "We knew, 'there goes the neighborhood,'" as Jim put it. Lewis and Clark, it seems, according to Blackfoot oral tradition, "only wanted to fuck our women and take our resources." (Some things never change). Seems their absolutely RUDE behavior managed to warrant the anger of the Blackfoot peoples who decided to administer justice to the pieces of fucking shit. They tell the story that after they killed three of them, Lewis and Clark emerged from the hold of their boat with vials that had cloth in them. The Blackfoot had already survived a number of smallpox plagues, all but one which was deliberately set already. They knew what was in those vials, and let the demons who claim human form go. It wasn't the "superiority" of any swivel gun. It was the brutality of a disease deliberately set to slaughter Indians that stopped them from killing every last one of those cruel pieces of shit.
Here, I must request that you don't give me that stupid bullshit argument that people didn't know how diseases spread. That is a lie! As early as the Mongol invasion of Europe, there are signs that state people knew how diseases spread. A good example, as well, is Jeffrey Amherst, who, in 1756 set a smallpox plauge amongst the Indians (documented), and Amherst, Maryland and Amherst University are named after this wonderful wealthy white man. As well, in a 1726 document of the doctor Zabdiel Boylston, who was Cotton Mathers physician, had created a vaccine for smallpox. Hmmmm!
If you wish, as well, to argue genocide, I suggest you first read the "UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide," which defines the crime. That is the basis I use for my arguments when I discuss this issue with people who don't know, aren't convinced, or already know everything about the issue so what the fuck do I know.
Lewis and Clark are often referred to as "The Corps of Discovery," because you see, nothing exists until a "wealthy white man" discovers it. The people that were here prior to Lewis and Clark really didn't exist until these two wealthy white men discovered them. Since those people were here, they simply had to be "exterminated" (genocide) to make room for their truly superior white masters. And our great white masters took such actions.
And, goddamn, if they were incapable of finishing the job. They left this, and many more, loud mouthed red niggers who continue the struggle and resist the descructive forces of the U.S. government. I know, I'm sure you all have some regrets, such as me having a big fat mouth and being capable of making some serious arguments against such abusive and genocidal behavior. Sometimes, you just can't superiorly finish off us inferiors. Good effort, though. You were successful in eradicating many indigenous nations without any legal ramifications, but it was foolish to think you've managed to change the hearts of all of us to fall to our knees and suck you tiny white cocks. For, even according to your laws, this is still our land. You all occupy it illegally. But you have the "rule of force" on your side. Any time we bring up an argument, you can simply push it aside as inferior primitive thinking and all we want is to go back to the "good ole days." In the eyes of many, we are just too "stupid" to think in terms of reality. Hey, fuck heads, we live reality. We are aware there are many other peoples here now. We're trying to make you understand that we are still here, too. But you just don't give a fuck unless we are wearing buckskin and rearing our horses for you entertainment. You don't want to understand the "reality" that this is a nation founded on brutal genocide and that supports itself on that genocide and many other genocides around the world RIGHT FUCKING NOW! But, there again, "the rule of force" is on your side should you choose to use it as a cop-out. And you can simply tell me I want to go back to some perceived "golden age" without even asking me, because you really don't need to ask some primitive red nigger who doesn't appreciate the gifts brought to us by our superior white masters. I'm unappreciative of the gifts the genocide of my people brought to me, like a computer to send out my voice with. DISMISSED! Wrong color, unappreciative, doesn't simply accept the lies of wealthy and privileged white men as truth...How dare I!
So, from this Indians point of view, and from the point of view of many Indians I know (but not all), Lewis and Clark were the "front men for genocide," just like Columbus (any names of Colubus' crew members, I do know a few of those). And The United States loves celebrating their genocidal maniacs. Fuck! The U.S. elects them president, gives them jobs in the police force, military, FBI, etc.
One last question, to put a few things in perspective. During World War II, one of the worst death camps in Europe was Jasenovac. It was a complex of 5 different sections in Croatia and was most specifically concerntrated on eradicating the Serbs (Serbs being mostly Muslim). Even the Nazi's who visited the Ustasha (sp?) ran death camp thought they were exceptionally cruel. Why do you think you don't hear of this death camp, which produced Peter Brzica, King of the Cut Throats. Peter sliced the throats of 1360 Serbs with a butcher knife in a single evening to make more room for an influx of prisoners (there was a contest. How many the others murdered I don't know). In my opinion, you don't hear of Jasenovac because it was ran by the powerful political force (not religious IMO) known as "The Vatican." Hmmm! More things to think about. (find our more at www.jasenovac.org).
Many pieces of the puzzle are discarded or left aside, like the names of the crew members of Lewis and Clark. Like the behaviors of Lewis and Clark and their crew. Like what followed from the illegal purchase of land that others stole by simply telling us red niggers they had some sort of crazy divine right which actually turned out to be the "rule of force." If you have a narrow view of things, it is much easier to lie to yourself and justify the horrors that happen today that give us the privileged world where I can write this shit to you.
And women get it the worst, and most men don't notice this until it is pointed out and more often than not, don't even notice it then because women ALL OVER THE WORLD ARE CONSIDERED SECOND CLASS OR LOWER INCLUDING IN THE UNITED STATES. Here's a story from a lodge I recently attended. An honoring song for women was sung in the lodge. A man asked if there was any songs around that honor men. A woman said, "yeah. All the rest." People need to understand the world from the perspective of others. When one listens instead of just saying, "I'm right and therefore that is how it is and I will not let any more information in because if your view isn't the same as mine, you are wrong."
Lewis and Clark, front men for genocide. Wealthy white men. No one else on their crew except a token Indian woman. Sometimes you'll hear about the slave. You don't hear about how they ate their dogs because they were tired of eating fish. Why should you hear that story? What other pieces of the story aren't heard? What other pieces of the story are ignored? Do we really need to aggrandize more wealthy white men? What about the poor? What about the Indians? What about the slave? What about the rest of the Lewis and Clark crew? What about the genocide that followed against the Indians which we were already experiencing? What about the women? What about the children? What about the pollution that followed? What about the extinction of plant and animals species that followed? What about the invasive species of animals and plants introuduced in this nation?
Let's have none of that! Let's just sing great praise to two more wealthy white men who are genocidal maniacs. [fingers in ears, eyes closed, now singing LALALALALALALA!]
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