From: pearson_steven@tandem.com (Steven R. Pearson)
Subject: Re: WHAT indigenous people?
Organization: Tandem Computers Inc.,  Cupertino, CA
Distribution: usa
Date: Thu, 15 Oct 1992 17:49:33 GMT

In article <1992Oct14.205513.4801@pb2esac.uucp>, rgrodr1@pb2esac.uucp (Robert Rodriguez) writes:
> 
> In article <1992Oct13.173811.5030@tandem.com> pearson_steven@tandem.com (Steven R. Pearson) writes:
> >What's all this I'm hearing lately about so-called indigenous peoples?
> >It's not like they { evolved into humans } here on this continent. 
> >                   { were created by God }
> >Heck, WASP that I am (and a wicked, oppressive male to boot), I am just
> 
> Wow, now there's something to be real proud of.  Do you need Tom Metzger's
> 900 number ?

No.  Do you require a smiley in order to detect sarcasm?  I am (stuck being?)
white and male.  That does not mean I support Mr. Metzger or any of his ilk.
In fact, I fervently oppose them.

> >as indigenous as any Native American living today.  I was born here too!
> >My ancestors came from Europe, theirs from Asia.  Our common ancestors
> >probably came from Africa.
> >
> >Don't get me wrong; I am not denying that Europeans gave their ancesotrs
> >a raw deal. Part of me is sensitive to that.  And I don't have any
> >problem with them wishing to preserve their culture.  Another part of
> >me says, hey, this kind of thing happens all the time.  Life is tough;
> >people get conquered.  Especially if they are outnumbered and not quite
> >up to date technologically.  And nothing is ever going to bring back
> >"the good old days" for these folks.
> >
> >That being the case, why can't we focus on the future, that which *can*
> >be changed.  It seems to me that the best thing would be to integrate
> >Native Americans more fully into the society.  I think this would go much
> >further toward restoring their dignity than trying to stir up racial guilt
> >over things that none of us experienced and none of us can change.
> 
> Racial Guilt.  That seems to motivate alot of responses to this issue.
> 
> The reason we cannot let Columbus day pass without saying anything is
> simple.  Without understanding your past, you cannot hope to determine
> your future.  The children are still being taught that Columbus was a
> great man who DISCOVERED America.  The simple fact is you cannot
> discover a land where people already live.  Columbus was a CONQUEROR not
> a discoverer.  The purpose is to educate, not to change the past.
> 
> Columbus and Cortez.  They were NOT great men, only another example
> of why it is imperative to keep church and state separate.

Conquerors, yes.  Nice guys?  Depends on who you ask.  They and those who
followed were certainly not very nice to the Native Americans.  No doubt about
that.  However, great men?  Most definitely!  Great adventurers, who took
tremendous risks, and whose exploits led to the settling of the Americas by Europeans
and the establishment of many new nations.  A definite historic turning point,
and one well worth commemorating.

Few things are purely good in nature.  Yes, we should show the children that
the European invasion was not all goodness.  Let's also teach them that history
is filled with conquest.  Native Americans themselves brought war upon each
other (being self-centered is completely natural, and not an exclusive trait of
white males).

I believe Berkeley went too far when it changed the day to "Indigenous Peoples'
Day."  And, I refuse to let anyone burden me with guilt for things that happened
long ago.

-steve p.  (opinions mine, no warranty, standard disclaimers)