The Trail of Hope and Change

There were no "first Americans" and America was not discovered.  Christopher Columbus and Americus Vespucci did--in fact--lead expeditions.  But while it was all new to them, this land was here long before they arrived.  It was Native America and home to countless tribes of people.  Their laws were of their Elders who were gifted with wisdom by the Great Spirit.  They were self governing, self reliant and did what was best for the whole.  Tribes were not fragmented by special interest groups.  They weren't Democrats or Republicans or caucuses within a tribe nor did they have time for debating nonsense.  Can you imagine living off the land?  Well, yes--there would be a lot of "shovel ready jobs" after you made a shovel.  No one received a ribbon after a plentiful hunt.  Not everyone was a winner.  There were no "entitlements," pampering, hand holding or "no child left behind" type policies.  It was survival.  The survival of the group meant more than the ideologies of the individual.
 
As the white man arrived, Indians knew their days were numbered and they would be "snuffed out."  There were so many tribes yet no organization amongst them.  Somewhere in the Ohio Valley, 1768, a great warrior's life began under the sign of the shooting star--thus his name, Tekoomse (Tecumseh).  The leader of the Shawnee (and other tribes), he and his tribal confederacy opposed the formation of the United States of America.  "With a vision of establishing an independent American Indian nation east of the Mississippi, Tecumseh worked to recruit tribes to the confederacy from the southern United States."  He wanted what we want today--to not want for a vanished existence--to not strive for "change" to the point of no return.  Often working in unison with his brother, Tenkwatawa, also known as "The Prophet," the advocated vision was for the Shawnee and other American Indians to return to their ancestral lifestyle and reject that of the colonists. 

Nature played a roll in Tecumseh's wars.  The New Madrid Earthquake that shook the South and Midwest and the Great Comet of 1811 were seen as signs in favor of his efforts.  But the more he fought for order, the more he was met with the law of maximum randomness--the state of disorder.  Now here we are, 200 years later, really no different than the original Native Americans.  2011 has been a year of signs--earthquakes, tornadoes, drought, fires and floods.  Maybe we aren't living right. Maybe it's a "sign." Some view these times as biblical prophesy. I see it as a time for America to choose--what do we REALLY want? There is dissension, deceit and corruption. Yet there is a moral high ground that many choose to walk regardless of risk and lack of popularity. We want what is good for America--what is right. We want OUR America without the invasion of "foreigners." We want our land of opportunity--our happy hunting ground. We want OUR freedom, OUR law, OUR way of life without interruption. How does it feel to be an Indian?

Andrew Jackson, founder of "Hope and Change"

You might say we are becoming strangers in a familiar land.  We are faced with illegals voting in our election poles yet Native Americans did not gain American citizenship until the 1924 Indian Citizenship Act (Snyder Act),  thanks to Calvin Coolidge.  As Natives were rounded up and herded onto government designated lands and reservations, their opportunities became obsolete.  The Trail of Tears is one such example.  Under the leadership of one of the worst U.S. Presidents up to that point, Andrew Jackson, settlers were encouraged to cast out the Indians.  "Thousands of Cherokee men, women and children died along the trail from exposure, starvation and fevers. Federal funds allotted for their removal was diverted into the pockets of corrupt politicians and military commanders."  Today, this is known as GENOCIDE.  These people who once thrived as the original Americans, became isolated, impoverished and entirely at the governments mercy. 

Another such example is The Wounded Knee Massacre.  "White officials became alarmed at the religious fervor and in December 1890 banned the Ghost Dance on Lakota reservations.When the rites continued, officials called in troops to Pine Ridge and Rosebud reservations in South Dakota. The military, led by veteran General Nelson Miles, geared itself for another campaign....The following morning, December 29, 1890, the soldiers entered the camp demanding the all Indian firearms be relinquished. A medicine man named Yellow Bird advocated resistance, claiming the Ghost Shirts would protect them. One of the soldiers tried to disarm a deaf Indian named Black Coyote. A scuffle ensued and the firearm discharged..."  150 Natives were killed and 50 more severely injured because of the white man's fear of the Indians unfaultering faith.

History is repeating itself.  Andrew Jackson, the original president of "Hope and Change," said,

"My friends, circumstances render it impossible that you can flourish in the midst of a civilized community.  You have but one remedy within your reach, and that is to remove to the west.  And the soon you do this, the sooner you will commence your career of improvement and prosperity." 

In other words, he encouraged Americans to move forward without the culture of indigenous people.  Currently, we are being urged to do just that--only WE The People, ONE Nation, Under GOD--are the target.  Jackson befriended many Americans while leading by immorality and injustice.  His wrongs can not be righted.  All we can do is LEARN from history. 

Note: Opinions (unless quoted) and photographs are those of the writer, Jennifer Jessee.