While wandering around the television dial the other day, I happened to land on a speech by some Native American personage, wherein he enthusiastically patted himself on the back for getting a small shitload of Government (your) money to pay for elevating Native culture, language, crafts, and religion within their community, which apparently resides mainly on reservations. One might note, incidentally, that there are hundreds of such communities, all with their own culture, language, crafts, and religion, throughout North America.
It is with no animus or hate that I find myself asking, What is the point?
There is NO FUTURE for native people (use whatever expression you like) that does not involve assimilation with the larger culture. If they do not assimilate they will forever be nothing more than government-dependent wastrels. Were it not for our bizarre laws that allowed them to get into the gambling business, where would those communities be today?
Yes, "we" stole their lands and forced them into places where no rational people would want to reside. The "white man" has acted - and continues to act - disgracefully w/r/t the "red man." But it's far past time for those communities to buck up and join Western Civilization. It is utterly pointless to be perpetuating hunter-gatherer culture when the world long ago passed that lifestyle by. They don't need to be schooled in primitive culture; they need to be learning valuable trades, the Queen's English, and contemporary American middle-class values.
The Canadian and American movements of the last century to bring native peoples into modernity were flawed and caused a lot of evil things to be done, but it was in the right direction generally. To spend good Government money to perpetuate native culture is idiotic in the extreme.
It is with no animus or hate that I find myself asking, What is the point?
There is NO FUTURE for native people (use whatever expression you like) that does not involve assimilation with the larger culture. If they do not assimilate they will forever be nothing more than government-dependent wastrels. Were it not for our bizarre laws that allowed them to get into the gambling business, where would those communities be today?
Yes, "we" stole their lands and forced them into places where no rational people would want to reside. The "white man" has acted - and continues to act - disgracefully w/r/t the "red man." But it's far past time for those communities to buck up and join Western Civilization. It is utterly pointless to be perpetuating hunter-gatherer culture when the world long ago passed that lifestyle by. They don't need to be schooled in primitive culture; they need to be learning valuable trades, the Queen's English, and contemporary American middle-class values.
The Canadian and American movements of the last century to bring native peoples into modernity were flawed and caused a lot of evil things to be done, but it was in the right direction generally. To spend good Government money to perpetuate native culture is idiotic in the extreme.