----- Original Message ----- From: Roland Elliott <RolandElliott@thegrid.net> To: Robert L. Rice <laverner@ezonline.com> Sent: Tuesday, June 13, 2000 12:45 PM Subject: Re: [PABRADFO] OFF TOPIC America Before Columbus > Good job Bob .post it,it is about as true as what I wrote,The truth is > rarely and accumulation of the facts but rather ones interpretation of the > facts,you can quote me.R > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Robert L. Rice" <laverner@ezonline.com> > To: "Roland Elliott" <RolandElliott@thegrid.net> > Sent: Tuesday, June 13, 2000 10 04 AM > Subject: Re: [PABRADFO] OFF TOPIC America Before Columbus > > > > Dear Roland: > > American Indians prior to European settlement were hardly a paragon of > > virtue. They warred with other tribes, held captive Indians as slaves, > > practiced cannibalism, burned other Indians at the stake, skinned other > > Indians alive and in many cases, wiped out neighboring and competitive > > tribes. Those in North America, as new Europeans first knew them, existed > in > > peace for the most part because they were proficient warriors and because > > some of them were part of Indian leagues (such as the Iroquois nation) > under > > the coercion of stronger tribes. For everything good as offered up by the > > Indians, there are examples of atrocities equally perpetrated on early > > settlers and competitor tribes. To be brutally frank, they are no longer a > > dominant influence because they were poor and lying traders and because of > > disease and inadequate warring powers. In other words, they lost! To be > > quite frank, I grow very tired of this "POLITICALLY CORRECT" view of the > > Indians as some example to be followed by a parade of sycophantic United > > States citizens. Sure, we can learn from every society but you must hold > > them up AS A WHOLE ... GOOD AND EVIL (not just the attractive or > interesting > > aspects!). If you want to distribute this kind of romantic propaganda > about > > the Indians, present the whole story, not just the attractive parts. > > > > Bob Rice > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: Roland Elliott <RolandElliott@thegrid.net> > > To: <PABRADFO-L@rootsweb.com> > > Sent: Tuesday, June 13, 2000 12:13 PM > > Subject: [PABRADFO] OFF TOPIC America Before Columbus > > > > > > > > > > > > > > America Before Columbus > > > > > > > > When Columbus came to America in 1492, there were over 75 > > > > million people, twenty-five million living in North America, > > > > inhabiting the land he supposedly discovered. Columbus called > > > > them Indians believing he had reached the east by going west. > > > > > > > > The natives had migrated across the Bering Straits and settled > > > > into warmer areas of the continent. The Hopi Indians were > > > > building cliff dwellings, farming and creating villages about > > > > a thousand years before Christ in what is now New Mexico. > > > > > > > > When Julius Caesar was conquering the Western world an Indian > > > > culture called the Moundbuilders, who lived in the Ohio > > > > Valley, were making huge structures out of earth. One of them > > > > was said to be over three miles long and the area served as > > > > a trading post. Indians came from the west, the Gulf of Mexico > > > > and the Midwest to trade and exchange goods. So you can see a > > > > system of trade and commerce existed before Columbus arrived. > > > > > > > > In what is now called Pennsylvania and upper state New York > > > > lived the Iroquois. The Iroquois lived in villages and had a > > > > very sophisticated social system which was in many ways > > > > superior to the European culture. The land was worked in > > > > common and was owned by the whole nation. > > > > > > > > Women held a much higher place in the Iroquois culture versus > > > > the European. For instance, family names were tied to the > > > > women not the men. When a man married, he joined the family > > > > of his wife. Women farmed the land while the men hunted for > > > > fish and game. Men and women shared power and the European > > > > model of male dominance was conspicuously absent in Iroquois > > > > culture. Children were not punished harshly and taught > > > > equality in possessions. This is contrasted with the severity > > > > of the Puritans who believed in harsh punishment. > > > > > > > > What did the culture of the Europeans bring to the new world? > > > > The Europeans were a society of both rich and poor, controlled > > > > by priests, governors and male heads of families. The Iroquois > > > > society had no laws, sheriffs, judges or juries, however > > > > boundaries of behavior existed. If someone stole food or shamed > > > > their family, they were banished until they had morally atoned > > > > for their actions. > > > > > > > > So this was the land Columbus "found." There was no written > > > > language but their history was passed on by an oral culture > > > > that was far superior to the Europeans. They told their > > > > history through songs and fables. They paid attention to > > > > the development of an individual's personality. This kind of > > > > community lasted among natives long after the Indians were > > > > conquered. John Collier who lived with the tribes of the > > > > American Southwest said of the spirit of the natives, "if > > > > we could make it our own, there would be an eternally > > > > inexhaustible earth and a forever lasting peace." > > > > > > > > Perhaps this is myth-making. But these ideas have been > > > > repeated in European journals. What can we learn from this? > > > > First, we can see that hierarchy leads to divisions in all > > > > societies and this stratification of power leads to dominance > > > > by a few to the cost of many. This is true of all European > > > > systems whether it be capitalism or communism. Secondly, mere > > > > laws and punishment do not lead to a peaceful society. Maybe > > > > we should study other cultures in our schools and incorporate > > > > some of their beliefs into our own violent society. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >