Solidarity Through Suffering Although the “Speech to the Osages” was written back in the 19th century, the notion that suffering can bring people together is still present today. Native Americans were the first people to inherit the land now known as America, but it was later destroyed by European colonization. Tecumseh, a Native American leader, discusses how the Indians were more than considerate and generous to the white people when they needed assistance with food, shelter or land. Yet now that they are well again, they are only anxious for more. While the Indians have had to endure a lot from the white people, Tecumseh’s “Speech to the Osages” suggests that pain and hardship can also produce solidarity between two nations. Through the …show more content…
From an Indian’s perspective, difference may exist between themselves and the Osages. However, from the white people’s perspective, they are all the same, which means that all the Indians are equally in danger. He contradicts himself by stating his goal of peace, yet suggesting the solution of violence. Nevertheless, his solution is hard to refuse because the goal of many of the Indians at the time was simply to end suffering. Tecumseh reveals to them the truth of how the white people feel towards them by describing how they only “despise and cheat [them]”, as well as “abuse and insult them” (Tecumseh 233) because they do not think that the red men deserve to live. Unlike the white people, the Indians do not resort to violence for to gain profit or simply to hurt others, but as a means of protection and peace. As a result, their actions would not be considered selfish, but rather an honorable act upon their nation. The speech acts in a way that makes the Indians reflect on their lives and decide how they want to go about living. It aims to be inspiring, while also attempting to stir up emotions of vengeance and anger. He states that his “people are brave and numerous; but the white people are too strong for them alone” (Tecumseh 233). They need to unite and stand up for themselves or else “they will destroy [them], and then [the Osages] will fall easy prey to them” (Tecumseh 233). Hence, Tecumseh uses descriptions of suffering to give the Osages hope in overcoming the cruelty from the white people and to show them that they deserve justice. He uses their shared feelings of pain and hatred to persuade them into joining together as one nation to fight the same battle and does not leave them much option into choosing anything else. Moreover, his language and the way his speech is put together shows his good intentions and true devotion
They truly wanted justice in the United States and most of the time, they were shot down. However, with this belief that the white men could soon be gone, they would do basically anything to get that. After the all, the white men were the ones holding the Indians back. In conclusion, this article has taught me that you can believe in something that may not be realistic. The Indians thought it was reasonable, but of course looking at it now from my point of view, I know that it was not.
(Silko, 177) To elaborate, the answer to his internalized struggle is how colonialism has in bred whites as the saviors to the savage Indians. Moreover, it has brought him to believe the lie that whites are there to save him and can not do any harm. Also, how he
Before the 1860’s the native americans were living in peace until the Colonists attacked. The Western Expansion of 1860-90 greatly affected the lives of Native Americans, due to the powerful role
In “Then I Must Worship the Spirit in My Own Way”, preached by Red Jacket, and a “Lecture Delivered at Franklin Hall” by Maria Stewart are speeches that persuades the audience through rhetorical questions and connects with the audience in order to establish the speaker’s authority. Through a serious and passionate voice, Red Jacket, Sagoyewatha, defended the Iroquois religion during his speech, “Then I Must Worship the Spirit in My Own Way” that consisted of a mini history lesson and rhetorical questions. The New York Seneca chief, Red Jacket, was the negotiator between the new U.S. government and the Seneca. The speaker portrays a good reputation because he was given a peace medal for his efforts in 1792.
Historians differ on what they think about the net result of the European arrival in the New World. Considering that the Columbian Exchange, which refers to “exchange of plants, animals, people, disease, and culture between Afro-Eurasia and the Americas after Columbus sailed to the Americas in 1492,” led to possibly tens of millions of deaths on the side of the American Indians, but also enabled agricultural and technological trade (Henretta et al. 42), I cannot help but reflect on whether the effects should be addressed as a historical or a moral question. The impact that European contact had on the indigenous populations of North America should be understood as a moral question because first, treating it as a historical question is difficult due to lack of reliable historical evidence; second, the meaning of compelling historical claims is contestable as the academic historian perspective tends to view the American Indian oral history as invalid; and finally, what happened to the native Indians is morally repulsive and must be discussed as such. The consequences of European contact should be answered as a moral question because historically, it is hard to be historically objective in the absence of valid and dependable historical evidence.
Merrell’s article proves the point that the lives of the Native Americans drastically changed just as the Europeans had. In order to survive, the Native Americans and Europeans had to work for the greater good. Throughout the article, these ideas are explained in more detail and uncover that the Indians were put into a new world just as the Europeans were, whether they wanted change or
Ailsa Lewis Gidick APUSH- 8 8 January 2018 The Earth Shall Weep: A History of Native America Book Review Wilson James. The Earth Shall Weep: A History of Native America. New York: Grove Press.
After watching Tecumseh’s Vision, I became more knowledgeable about the struggles Natives had to experience as western civilization occurred. Tecumseh was a trailblazer to his people and was a visionary. He was in favor of a strong Indian confederacy and was a strong Indian leader. As a result of rising tensions between the Shawnees and the Americans, it lead to a costly culmination of battles in order to claim Ohio land and westward expansion. Tecumseh’s legacy lives on and he is remembered for his leadership and courage to take on the Americans.
Losing one’s cultural knowledge, and therefore the reality of their culture, allows others to have control over their collective and individual consciousness as well as their destiny. In this case, it is clear that the United States government has had the dominant relationship over the Native
Many even died of starvation with lack of food on the long journey. This removal also split apart families and ruined close relationships among friends. Not only did the Indian Removal affect Indians physically, but it also developed mental issues with in the tribes that would last forever. These Indian’s tribes forever lived with the memories of their friends and family being killed and continued to remember all of the cruelty they were put through being forced off of their
Take Back Our land: Tecumseh Speech to the Osages “We must be united” was the plea from Tecumseh to the Osage tribe. In 1811, Tecumseh, known as the “Greatest Indian”, gave a speech pleading with the Osage tribe that they should unite together to fight against the white man (Tecumseh, 231). He goes on to tell how they had given the white man everything they needed to recover health when they entered their land but in return the white man had become the enemy. The speech to the Osages by Tecumseh illustrates the dangers of the white men to the Indian tribes, and why the tribes should unite together against the white man.
He goes on to show how different white men and Native Americans are; by how they collect food by hunting, where they choose to live is not in the same place for long periods, and although white men have everything they did not have the right to take away liberty.
Upon the first colonial establishments, the Europeans viewed Native Americans as uncultured, unintelligent, and uncivilized. The first colonizers found themselves ultimately superior to the perceived rudimentary cultural and societal customs that were observed. Native Americans viewed Europeans as a strictly one sided cultural mass enforcement foreign establishment, stopping at nothing to enforce their perceived superiority in all forms of cultural and societal aspects. Differences in land use, gender roles, and societal history added to the wedging and hostility between the Native Americans and European people. Upon the European's first impression of Native American culture, the first notable aspect of their "species" and society was their promising outlook as potential slave laborers.
Throughout history, there have been many literary studies that focused on the culture and traditions of Native Americans. Native writers have worked painstakingly on tribal histories, and their works have made us realize that we have not learned the full story of the Native American tribes. Deborah Miranda has written a collective tribal memoir, “Bad Indians”, drawing on ancestral memory that revealed aspects of an indigenous worldview and contributed to update our understanding of the mission system, settler colonialism and histories of American Indians about how they underwent cruel violence and exploitation. Her memoir successfully addressed past grievances of colonialism and also recognized and honored indigenous knowledge and identity.
Petalesharo’s writing reflected the treatment of Native Americans during the 1800s. Being a Native American himself, Petalesharo was able to give perspective on a point in history typically viewed from a white man’s opinion. The excerpt “Petalesharo” explains how the Native American was able “to prevent young women captured by other tribes from being sacrificed”, making Petalesharo well liked by the Americans (588). Petalesharo gave the “Speech of the Pawnee Chief” infront of Americans to convey the differences between Native Americans and Americans through emotion, logic, and credibility, which showed how the two groups will never be the same, but still can coexist in the world together.