- Misunderstanding & Disrespect: White Americans misunderstood and looked down on Indigenous lifestyles, viewing their way of life as ‘’. For example:
- The teepee was seen as a dirty tent, exposure as abandonment, and polygamy as immoral.
- Indigenous religions were labelled as superstition; even the 1890 Ghost Dance was seen as a .
-
Attitude to Land: Indigenous people saw the land as sacred and communal, not something to own, which the wašíču could not understand. In the end, settlers took it by force when Indigenous people refused to sell.
- Environmental Impact: Railroads, fences, and hunting threatened the Indigenous way of life, especially with the decline of the buffalo population. Settlers expected Indigenous people to settle on reservations, farm, and adopt a new lifestyle.
- Mutual Distrust: Indigenous people viewed white Americans’ to the land and the spirits as a destructive force and a threat their way of life, leading to heartache and resentment.
2. Racism and Genocide
- Manifest Destiny: Many white Americans believed they were superior and that it was their destiny to ‘civilize’ the West. President Jefferson even compared Indigenous people to .
- Open Hatred: Some settlers openly called for the extermination of Indigenous people, and exaggerations of Indigenous attacks fuelled demands for violent responses from the government.
- Complete : In the 1850s, militias killed Indigenous Californians for $5 per scalp. In 1864, Colonel Chivington's forces massacred peaceful Indigenous people at Sand Creek. Hunters targeted buffalo to cut off Indigenous food sources, aiming to force Indigenous people into starvation.
- Limited Choices: Chiefs attempted negotiations and treaties, but the Indigenous people were ultimately faced with declared , with no real path to peace or survival.
3. Economic Motivations
- Growing Interest in the Plains: Originally, white Americans avoided the Plains, seeing it as a desert. However, as they discovered gold and pursued ranching and farming, they crossed and eventually settled in the region.
- Broken Promises: The 1851 Laramie and 1867 Medicine Lodge treaties initially aimed to define Indigenous territories, but as settlers’ desires grew, these agreements were ignored. When gold was found in the after 1874, miners invaded Sioux lands, violating the treaties.
- Indigenous Defence: Indigenous Nations, like the Sioux, resisted encroachment to protect their lands and communities from this constant influx, which Black Elk described as a ‘’ of white settlers.
4. Political Betrayal by the US Government
- Supporting Settlers Over Indigenous Rights: The US government prioritized settlers' interests and routinely broke treaties with Indigenous Nations to encourage settlement.
- Broken Agreements: Despite guaranteeing the Black Hills to the Sioux ‘for all time’ under the Laramie Treaty, the government did not enforce this when miners moved into the area. Promises made in the Medicine Lodge Treaty for food and medicine also went unfulfilled.
- Military Intervention: When Indigenous Nations appealed for help, the government instead sent Colonel to destroy the Sioux villages, which inevitably incited further conflict.
5. Take Up Arms and Fight Back
- Forced to Fight Back: Indigenous Nations faced a difficult choice—submit to government demands or resist and face further violence. Attempting to protect their way of life, they took up arms against encroachment and violence.
- Key Conflicts: The Cheyenne fought back in 1861 after the government attempted to give away their lands. In 1866, led an ambush against US forces (Fetterman Massacre). In 1876, defeated Custer at the Battle of Little Bighorn in response to provocations.
- Tragic Outcome: Even Army Generals like Custer and admitted that, had they been in the Indigenous Peoples’ position, they would have fought back. But each act of defiance only led to harsher responses from the government until Indigenous resistance was crushed completely.
1. Cultural Differences
- Misunderstanding & Disrespect: White Americans misunderstood and looked down on Indigenous lifestyles, viewing their way of life as ‘BARBARISM’. For example:
- The teepee was seen as a dirty tent, exposure as abandonment, and polygamy as immoral.
- Indigenous religions were labelled as superstition; even the 1890 Ghost Dance was seen as a REBELLION.
-
Attitude to Land: Indigenous people saw the land as sacred and communal, not something to own, which the wašíču could not understand. In the end, settlers took it by force when Indigenous people refused to sell.
- Environmental Impact: Railroads, fences, and hunting threatened the Indigenous way of life, especially with the decline of the buffalo population. Settlers expected Indigenous people to settle on reservations, farm, and adopt a new lifestyle.
- Mutual Distrust: Indigenous people viewed white Americans’ EXPLOITATIVE ATTITUDE to the land and the spirits as a destructive force and a threat their way of life, leading to heartache and resentment.
2. Racism and Genocide
- Manifest Destiny: Many white Americans believed they were superior and that it was their destiny to ‘civilize’ the West. President Jefferson even compared Indigenous people to BEASTS.
- Open Hatred: Some settlers openly called for the extermination of Indigenous people, and exaggerations of Indigenous attacks fuelled demands for violent responses from the government.
- Complete EXTERMINATION: In the 1850s, militias killed Indigenous Californians for $5 per scalp. In 1864, Colonel Chivington's forces massacred peaceful Indigenous people at Sand Creek. Hunters targeted buffalo to cut off Indigenous food sources, aiming to force Indigenous people into starvation.
- Limited Choices: Chiefs attempted negotiations and treaties, but the Indigenous people were ultimately faced with declared GENOCIDE, with no real path to peace or survival.
3. Economic Motivations
- Growing Interest in the Plains: Originally, white Americans avoided the Plains, seeing it as a desert. However, as they discovered gold and pursued ranching and farming, they crossed and eventually settled in the region.
- Broken Promises: The 1851 Laramie and 1867 Medicine Lodge treaties initially aimed to define Indigenous territories, but as settlers’ desires grew, these agreements were ignored. When gold was found in the BLACK HILLS after 1874, miners invaded Sioux lands, violating the treaties.
- Indigenous Defence: Indigenous Nations, like the Sioux, resisted encroachment to protect their lands and communities from this constant influx, which Black Elk described as a ‘FLOOD’ of white settlers.
4. Political Betrayal by the US Government
- Supporting Settlers Over Indigenous Rights: The US government prioritized settlers' interests and routinely broke treaties with Indigenous Nations to encourage settlement.
- Broken Agreements: Despite guaranteeing the Black Hills to the Sioux ‘for all time’ under the Laramie Treaty, the government did not enforce this when miners moved into the area. Promises made in the Medicine Lodge Treaty for food and medicine also went unfulfilled.
- Military Intervention: When Indigenous Nations appealed for help, the government instead sent Colonel CUSTER to destroy the Sioux villages, which inevitably incited further conflict.
5. Take Up Arms and Fight Back
- Forced to Fight Back: Indigenous Nations faced a difficult choice—submit to government demands or resist and face further violence. Attempting to protect their way of life, they took up arms against encroachment and violence.
- Key Conflicts: The Cheyenne fought back in 1861 after the government attempted to give away their lands. In 1866, CRAZY HORSE led an ambush against US forces (Fetterman Massacre). In 1876, SITTING BULL defeated Custer at the Battle of Little Bighorn in response to provocations.
- Tragic Outcome: Even Army Generals like Custer and SHERIDAN admitted that, had they been in the Indigenous Peoples’ position, they would have fought back. But each act of defiance only led to harsher responses from the government until Indigenous resistance was crushed completely.
