When the very first European discoverers landed on the eastern shores of North and Central America they discovered indigenous peoples welcoming them. In most cases, including those who ventured inland to explore the territories, the "Indians" helped them to survive.
When reports of the bounty of the land arrived in Europe, the traders came to take advantage. This was the beginning of the problems and the conflicts. These first traders, those who followed the discoverers and explorers arrived with only one goal, to maximize their profits. It was entirely an economic venture. As the business venture of gathering the local resources and shipping them to Europe increased, the traders brought their families over with them and began "settlements'. With the arrival of the wives and daughters, the women, the settlements required ministers and churches. This is what begat what we call civilized life in the new frontiers.
Two things occurred, which likely serve as the foundation of today's "Idle No More' movement. Alcohol and disease. As the demand for greater profits increased the traders began using trickery, deceit and, just like today across the globe, fraud, bribes and payoffs. Alcohol was used to inhibit the Indians good sense and make off with their furs and other valuables. When originally the trade measure agreed to, for a stack of furs or pelts, was the length of a rifle barrel; extra long, specially fabricated, rifles were brought over to deceive.
Conflicts arose over these fraudulent business practices yet the lesson taught in school was the Indians were hostile. When Indian leaders attempted to address the hardship their families and people were suffering at the hands of the traders, they had to go to the settlements. Just like today with the Prime Minister of Canada the Indians complaining of mistreatment were belittled. It is the foundation of all hostilities.
With more arriving settlers the Indians began to get in the way of the resource extraction processes.
Initially, such as in Newfoundland, they simply shot all the Indians. The Beothuk were exterminated. In 1756 the government in Nova Scotia passed a proclamation to initiate scalping Indians for money. Twenty-five pounds for every male scalp. In 1757 Massachusetts increased the pay to $300 pounds for every male scalp promoting it as a profitable business.
When the King of England got word of the deceit, fraud and trickery the traders were using to abuse the Indians he issued the Royal Proclamation of 1763. This was supposed to be a foundation of trust and decency. Yet on July 16, 1763 Lord Amherst advised Colonel Bouquet "to use every other method that can serve to extirpate this execrable race" and began by suggesting he "use blankets to Innoculate the Indians".
To get around the Royal proclamation the corporate interests needed to find another way to get the resources without incurring more costs. The best way was to kill all of the Indians. Purposefully spreading diseases was only one method. In the Prairies they determined to destroy all their food sources and massacred the buffalo leaving tens of thousands of carcasses to rot in the open.
Next Page 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
6
4
2
