Last Wednesday I attended the Becker/Rose Cafe Series and heard Professor Eric Cheyfitz speak about the past and ongoing plight of American Indians. To say that they have been “mistreated” by the United States would be a gross understatement. I was appalled to hear of the systematic genocide and ethnic cleansing that our nation has wrought on Indian people groups, from preemptive war to mass slaughter to withholding vaccinations to forcing assimilation to denying Indian political and legal authority. Doctor Cheyfitz made it abundantly clear that the US has had no qualms blatantly reneging on treaties with Indian Nations and denying them the authority and resources needed to maintain health and safety in their territories.

I find two things especially enraging about what we as a nation have done to Indians. First off, we rarely talk about the enormity of past atrocities, such as the Wounded Knee massacre of Indian women and children or the forced assimilation of the Dawes Severalty act. In US History classes we often admit that the US has occasionally been on the wrong side of history: slavery was heinous, and the Vietnam Conflict extremely damaging to all involved. However, history classes never come close to describing what we have done to the Indians as genocide. Even worse, the genocide is still happening! I had no idea that we continue to leverage Indians to assimilate by keeping their societies as impoverished and dangerous. The US has done a great job of propagating the myth that Indian peoples are a thing of the past, swept away by the advances of modern society.

Confronted with these truths, I’m deeply impressed by the resilience of the Indian peoples, as they seek to maintain their culture in the face of great opposition and suffering. I am also convicted. How can I just sit here while a such a beautiful people group bears the force of ethnic cleansing by the most powerful superpower in the world? Now that I know the injustice that is going on, I have the choice to do something about it, or support it by my indifference. Fortunately, Cornell has an American Indian Program which fosters Indian community, and is engaged in service events such as tutoring Indian high school students in Lafayette, NY. I’m excited to explore these opportunities!