Reactions:

Mykaella

     In history human societies has always progress by relaying in others people resources and working power. It happened with the Egyptians, the Romans in the Mediterranian,and when European settlers came to America  and took the land of native Americans. Thats why I agree with Mykaelas blog post. Native Americans suffered the effects of colonization, effects that are still present tody as the Native Americans are still daying and suffering from the lost of their land and their culture.

Natas
    
     The event on Wounde Knee Are the best example of the exesuseof violence and the abuse they had towards the NAtive Americans. White officers oppened fire against unarmed Native Americans killing everyone in their path. Most of the actions taken by White officers were the cause of missunderstandings and faer of what could had happened. I think many changes came in such a short period of time that either side were able to keep up resulting in the conflicts on the great planes.

Paulette

      I understand that Native Americans could have improved some points of their lifes, but forced assimilataion was not and it is not the way to improve others. Native Americans had their all  identity  which was almost completely lost with assimilation. As Paulette I do not think that assimilation was not the right way to improve Native Americans  since even today   the down effects of assimilation are present.

Angel

     I agree with Angel statement since Native Americans have an history of misstraetment, violence and death. they were forced to give uptheir lands and assimilate. At the end Naive Americans pride and way of life fas destroyed.

Carlo

     Until I read this blog I was ignorant of the pressen situation of Native Americans. He showed hod the NAtive Americnas changed from a  proud and natural loving society to a depressed and alcoholic society. Do to assimilations their population came to the point of extinction. Here you can learn about the long lating effect of assimilation and the abuse they suffered. this is why I do not think assimilation was corrct and that the government did not take the right decisions at the time.

Violence or self defense:

In Old west movies and in precolonial times Indians have been portrayed as savages do to their life style. They were known for scalping and attacking white settlers; but are they as violent and savage as they were portrayed in the movies and old history books or were they provoked by the circumstance?

Centuries before the Great Plane of North America that occupies the American west, as well as parts of Canada and Mexico became the Wild West we know for the old towns, gold rush and cowboys it was a natural wonder inhabited by a group of people that known as Native Americans. Native Americans were divided into several communities and made decisions as a group. Native Americans believed in the spiritual power of the natural world, they saw the greatness that came every natural process since it gave life, but at the same time they respected the power of the natural world as it also took life away. Most Native Americans were nomad farmers do to their dependence on the North American bison (buffalo) for their main source of food and the center of ceremonial and daily life. This way of life was threatened with the arrival of white settlers. By the late 1800’s the creation of railroads led to a fast increase in the amount of settlers that invaded the Native Americans looking for gold and a chance to get a piece of this free land. Many changes came with the presence of white settlers, but the harshest of all was the division of the hunting grounds. Before the preservation of the hunting grounds was very important to the Native Americans, that depended on hunt for survival.

In order to legally relocate Naive Americans the U.S. government began making treaties with civilized Native American Nations, these treaties gave Native Americans money, government support, and new land to ensure their safety; but many of these treaties were broken like in the case of The 1851 Treaty of Traverse Sioux. The treaty of Traverse Sioux transferred most of the Dakota lands in south Minnesota to the U.S. government in return they would get yearly payments, government assistance, and all their debts with traders would be paid off by the government; but instead most of the money sent by the government was sent directly to traders instead to pay the Dakota dept, and with an increase of white settlers in the area Dakota leaders were forced to sign new treaties giving up more of their land. Many of these violations of treaties ended in violent confrontations like the one in August 17, 1862; were an Indian foraging party from the Dakota attacked a family of settlers starting a war that ended in September 23^rd.

In order to avoid conflict U.S. government officials encouraged many Native Americans to assimilate, since they considered that it was the only way to ensure their survival. In order to assimilate Native Americans had to choose a Christian name, and learn the English language. Native Americans had to give up their old believes and convert to Christianity. Natives that accepted assimilation were moved to reservations were they were “prepared” to become Americans. In reservations many Natives became alcoholics do to the lack of medicine to treat their diseases and to avoid the misery of their lives.

By the 1800’s the life style of Native Americans was being threatened do to the invasion of their lands by white settlers looking for gold, or farming land. The increase in the population and the decrease of their food supply and hunting ground led to lot of tension between the natives and white settlers, and with the enforced treaties and assimilation many Native Americans found no other ways to defend themselves than by using violence. 

bibliography:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/tcrr/sfeature/sf_interview.html#a
http://www.ehow.com/about_5394455_great-plains-information.html
http://www.teacherlink.org/content/social/instructional/pioneer/plains.html