From: QueeneMUSE@aol.com
Date: Thu Apr 27 2000 - 08:49:03 MDT
In a message dated 4/27/2000 1:12:28 AM Pacific Daylight Time,
JonathanR@iclshelpdesks.com writes:
>
> And while we're on the subject, surely you should move back to Scotland and
> stop oppressing the native Americans.
>
That's snippy ; - )
Almost not worth responding to, but:
FYI, Junior:
There is a fascinating history in North America between the dispossessed
Scottish and the Native Americans, who bonded easily. The Native Americans
had no quarrel with the Scottish, since they had a common tyranny to blame
for their situation. As you might know, Native Americans also were part of
the Underground railroad and helped African Slaves escape, why would they not
sympathize and bond with the Highlanders?
Especially in many parts of America and Scotland the stories of submission to
British have striking similarities. ( I am speaking of the Pacific Northwest
tribes of which I am a member, and the Highland and Island clans). Both were
rich and highly socialized hunting and fishing tribes, proud and very land
conscious peoples.
The British considered them barbarians and had no moral problem moving their
soldiers in to take whatever they could.
Once conquered, the British "assimilated" both nations, and stripped them of
their original culture. Banned from wearing their tribal costumes; language
outlawed; chieftains and sons killed or de-powered, women and children sent
to "English schools", forced to move from one place to another until very
little sense of clan, or family or land was present...
Both cultures are victims of massacre and dispossession.
Both survive strongly, while their culture and wealth have been permanently
f**cked up out of their control by a nation who was fond of stealing
everything by force, then backpedaling and trying to make "contracts" and
"treaties" they never kept their side of, which allow just enough property
rights to ease the conscience I suppose, while never allowing the natives to
own their prosperity or land again.
When I visited Scotland I was surprised to see a LOT of our totems and
artwork worn proudly on T-shirts, emblems and so forth. I also saw one of the
largest and most beautiful collections of pacific Northwest Indian art at the
Glasgow Museum of Art.
Whereas here in America mostly people think of the Navajo or Plains Indians'
art.
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