| First and Foremost: What is Genocide?
Genocide is a Latin word meaning - genos(race) cide (killing) - literally translates into "the killing of a race."
Webster's New World Dictionary defines genocide as "the systematic killing of a whole or nation." The United Nations General Assembly defines genocide as "... a denial of the right of existence of entire human groups."
According to the UN, there are 5 acts that constitute genocide:
Killing members of the group;
Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of group;
Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part;
Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group;
Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.
Fact: It is estimated that prior to European contact in 1492, the Americas (North and South) were populated by roughly 145,000,000 people. By the end of the 1800's, 95% of the population had been killed; or 9 out of every 10. "Indian-hating still exists; and, no doubt, will continue to exist, so long as Indians do."
~ Herman Melville ~ 1857
Methods of Genocidal Madness The following is a list of acts perpetrated upon indigenous people of the American continents. This is not, in any way, a full list, nor are the charges given a lengthy, and deservedly so, extensive explanation. It is a mere roster of known acts, events and atrocities committed by the European race against the Native race for political,
social and monetary gain. Each represent an aspect of genocide I have included resources at the end of this column for your own research on these subjects.
"If my people are wiped out you must destroy all photographs of us, because future generations will look at our photographs and be too ashamed at such a crime against humanity."
~ Davi Yanomami ~ Yanomami, 1990 * STERILIZATION - In the mid-70's, illegal sterilization of Native American women were performed usually after childbirth and
often without proper consent. Common Sense magazine reported that the Indian Health Services sterilized about 3,000 women per year.
* There is evidence to suggest that DISEASES were deliberately introduced to Native populations by a variety of sources, including blankets. In 1763, Lord Jeffrey Amherst suggests to Colonel Henry Bouquet that blankets infected with smallpox be given to the Lanape and Ottawa people, "You will do well to [infect] the Indians by
means of blankets as well as to try every other method that can serve to extirpate this [execrable] race." Evidence is also available that shows the Native people were purposely weakened so the diseases could
easily infiltrate their communities.
* Unprovoked MASSACRES - The list of unprovoked slaughter of innocent Native people by both soldiers and civilians is extensive. Here's a small sampling of the atrocities:
* Sand Creek (200+ killed)
* Bear River (up to 400)
* Slaughter of the Innocents in 1643
* Indian Island Massacre (over 100 killed)
* Puritans burn over 700 Pequot Indians alive in 1637
* Over 300 die at Wounded Knee
* Battle of Washita - over 103 sleeping Cheyenne men, women and children are killed
* 144 defensiveness Aravaipa Apache Indians are raped, beaten, murdered and mutilated by an angry mob in Arizona. "One infant of
some ten months was shot twice and one leg nearly hacked off" said by Lieutenant Royal E Whitman, describing the brutal massacre.
28 of the remaining children were confiscated and sold into slavery.
* March 8, 1782, 90 innocent Christian Indians were erroneously blamed for various crimes and then sentenced to death. The following morning, the Indians were led out in pairs and murdered by blows to their heads with copper mallets - in front of white settlers. 39 of the victims were children. Later, their scalps were removed and held as trophies.
"You will... use all means to pursade any tribe to come in for the purpose of making peace, and when you get them together kill all the grown Indians and take the children... sell them as slaves to defray the cost..."
- Confederate Governor John R. Baylor, 1862
* MASS EXECUTIONS - The largest mass executions held in American history were of Native people.
In 1862 Santee Sioux attempted to collect their promised payment and rations from US government officials. Agents denied both,
even though their food was stored in a warehouse at the Agency.Though the soldiers and local townspeople were aware of the peoples dire straits and near starvation, they took no effort to release the food that was rightfully - and legally - theirs. In August Andrew Myrick, an agency trader and store-owner, knew of the desolate condition of the Native people, yet callously replied, "So far as I am concerned, if they are hungry let them eat grass!"
Within days the Santee Sioux could tolerate no more ill treatment. On August 18th the Sioux Uprising began. Little Crow lead the revolt and approximately a thousand settlers died during raids and killings, including Myrick who would later be found dead in his
store with grass shoved into his mouth. By 1864 the Sioux Uprising would end with nearly 90% of the Santee either imprisoned or dead. Several hundred would later be charged in the killings, leading to the
largest mass execution in US history.
* FORCED REMOVAL from HOMELANDS - Indigenous people were taken from their homeland, their burial grounds, and their hunting/farming
grounds and forced to relocate to a place completely foreign to them.
Nearly 3 billion acres of land were stolen and thousands upon thousands of people died during the journey from disease, exhaustion, illness, childbirth, old age, and starvation. Some soldiers shot women in labor, children or the elderly who were straggling behind. And once the weary POW's made it to their final destination, they
were often met with even worse conditions than those endured during the trek.
"Tell your people that since the Great Father promised we should never be removed, we have been moved five times. I think you had better put the Indians on wheels so that you can run them about wherever you wish."
~ Anonymous Chief ~ (1876)
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