shameless plug for this book http://transbooks.com/cata/lus02.html for Lost Lands a little further south.
On 8/19/12, Steve Smith <sasm...@swcp.com> wrote: > Yes Tory, thanks for the correction to iaia.edu ! > > And thanks also to Pamela for noting my omission of the Anglo takeover > of Hispanic (but no longer Spanish, after the original colonists from > Spain, now mixed with the indigenous population, asserted their own > independence to form Mexico). The Anglo takeover started with the > establishment/expansion of the republic of Texas and then was completed > when Texas joined the Union and the railroad came roaring into town. > And yes, every colonization, every expansion (as noted with the Dine... > Navajo/Apache who had "colonized" a large region near this area not long > before the arrival of the Spanish) includes harm to those already there. > Ghengis Khan's depradations being perhaps the most extravagant or most > noted example excepting that I'm not sure he and his were claiming to > bring either civilization nor salvation, but perhaps they had that idea > too? > > I am not sure that "few people share this view anymore" regarding divine > rights or maybe more to the point, "manifest destiny" or "might makes > right". I agree that in spirit most of us are on that page together, > but in practice we may not be. > > We continue to this day colonizing through popular culture and > multinational extractive interests in the third world, and each of us > when we ask for more copper wiring for our houses, more teak furniture > for our condos, more rare earth magnets for our wind turbines and > electric vehicle motors are participating... or so my bleeding heart > believes. I intended not to get political and I think I'm still on the > good side of that, but I know this is very near (or over) a line that > many accept as an obvious and given humanitarian position. Many do > believe that *we* have some right to the resources of the world > independent of the impact on those already living where those resources > are. It is an old plan we have lived on for millenia... and I don't > have answers either (I liked Pamela's use of the word "vexed"). > > - Steve > > >> Great informative post, thanks, Steve. >> >> I suspect the link you mean is www.iaia.edu <http://www.iaia.edu> >> although you are so eclectic, who knows. >> >> Best- >> Tory >> >> On Aug 19, 2012, at 9:12 AM, Steve Smith wrote: >> >>> Jochen - >>> >>> I appreciate this post. >>>> In the recent edition of National Geographic there >>>> is an article about Native Americans named >>>> "In the shadow of wounded knee" >>>> http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2012/08/pine-ridge/fuller-text >>> I am very sensitive to this issue because *I* literally own/live-on a >>> small piece of land that was expropriated from a Native tribe very >>> recently. I also listen regularly to strong rhetoric against the >>> Israelis for their handling of the Palestinians while living amongst >>> our own Native Americans who have been treated (in past centuries) >>> even more brutally and in present times, perhaps less so, but still >>> less than ideal. >>> >>> Some on this list will perceive your post and my response perhaps as >>> "political".. I try to remain relatively neutral in the politics, >>> but I believe this is a significant "humanitarian" issue. And by >>> humanitarian I don't just mean the humanity of those being abused, >>> I'm concerned for the humanity of the abusers... roughly "us". I am >>> not religious so I don't really think in terms of saved or lost >>> "souls" but if I did, I'd be much more worried about the souls of the >>> occupiers than of the occupied. >>> >>> And a simple answer to simple question... NO, the cultural >>> differences (I'm reluctant to use the terms higher or lower) do not >>> justify an occupation. And to this list we can add many more >>> examples (e.g. South Africa) and open questions such as the >>> "Mongolian" occupation of much of Eastern Europe and the middle east, >>> or the Roman Occupation of north africa, middle east, europe, or the >>> Moorish occupation of Spain, or the Native American (Asian?) >>> occupation of North America (did they have a big hand in the die-off >>> of the megafauna of North America?). >>> >>> My house is built on 1.5 acres among a section of 5.5 acres which >>> Public Service of NM took ownership for the purpose of building a >>> natural gas compression station. I do not know their mechanism for >>> this, it *may have been* a trade, but it also may have been a simple >>> request to the State or Fed to "condemn" the parcel they wanted, >>> literally taking it by (legal) force from the San Ildefonso Pueblo, a >>> very small "tribe" on a very small "reservation", Perhaps a thousand >>> people on a few hundred square miles. Apparently PNM changed their >>> minds and decided not to complete the project but managed to hold on >>> to the land and sell it to a private (Anglo) individual who then >>> subdivided and resold (to more Anglos). 4 homes were built on these >>> properties in the 1980's and in 2000 I bought mine from the original >>> owner-builder. Reviewing the title search, I discovered the >>> provenance. It was a little disturbing... the details I give here >>> were not in the document, only the record that PNM was the first >>> "owner" after the pueblo itself. The rest I pieced together from >>> other information. >>> >>> So I am now, just like many of the Zionists in Israel, an occupier. I >>> feel somewhat innocent in my motivations, however i have to admit to >>> having coveted this location since before the homes were built 30 >>> years ago, knowing that it was "embedded" in the "reservation"... >>> appreciating it for it's location, including the proximity to this >>> pueblo. Romantically, I wanted to believe it was some small homestead >>> from the 1800s which had been deeded to the family of the hispanic >>> original occupants when NM became a state in 1912. Of course, the >>> truth was not nearly that romantic. >>> >>> The Natives have a much less adversarial stance with the non-native >>> here than say in Palestine. They were completely crushed into >>> submission centuries ago and have lived in relative peace with their >>> "occupiers" since then with only small abuses of the relationship >>> such as the one that lead to the expropriation of the piece of >>> property that I live on. I have a number of Native friends from >>> cultures distributed mostly throughout the southwest of the US, and a >>> few from farther north, but really hardly any from the East. I >>> also work with the Institute of American Indian Art in Santa Fe which >>> puts me in contact with native students and faculty from all over >>> North America. And I *should* put in a plug for them... they accept >>> students from anywhere, there is no in/out state tuition... they are >>> very affordable... many of their students and studying there would be >>> an amazing opportunity for anyone. www.iaia.org <http://www.iaia.org> >>> >>> New Mexico, as you may know, has the longest history of >>> Native-European interactions in the US. The first incursion of the >>> Spanish into what is now the USA and the first permanent settlement >>> happened about 30 miles from my house in the early 1500's well before >>> the pilgrims or Spanish settlements in Florida. They were (as the >>> Spanish did in those times) looking for vast hoards of gold. The >>> Natives in the area submitted somewhat willingly, being a relatively >>> peace-loving people and the Spanish were not brutal unless there was >>> resistance to their presence whereupon their horses and steel weapons >>> and armor allowed them to be crushingly brutal. Not long after their >>> first settlement among the Ohkay-Owinghe village, the Spanish Priests >>> pulled rank on the Spanish Noblemen and made them move the settlement >>> to what is now Santa Fe... The priests, no matter what else you may >>> think of them, apparently were looking after the mortal as well as >>> the immortal souls of the "children of god" they had come here to >>> "save"... they saw that the presence of the Spaniards was causing the >>> natives grave harm, even without overt abuses... I'm sure there were >>> individual abuses, but in general, it is said that the Spanish >>> "occupiers" were relatively not unkind in this period, but the >>> priests already recognized that their mere presence was very >>> disturbing to the natives well being. >>> >>> As more Europeans arrived, things got worse of course and In the >>> early 1600's the natives pulled together and managed a widespread >>> rebellion large enough to push the Spanish back south of what is >>> modern day El Paso, the entire occupied Rio Grande River Valley for >>> nearly 400 miles was expunged of these foreign devils. A few years >>> later, Juan de Onate returned with a much more significant force and >>> overwhelmed the natives with their "modern weaponry", horses, and >>> brutality. A relatively small but significant group held out against >>> this force on top of a mesa within view of my house... these native >>> warriors were able to use thier knowlege of the terrain and some help >>> from their people now subjugated in the region to remain at large for >>> months. Once they finally fell, Onate and Spain "owned" the region >>> again, and his first act to make the point that rebellion would not >>> be tolerated was to cut one foot off of every able-bodied male of age >>> to be a warrior as a preventative and a reminder of his power (and >>> intolerance). It was nearly 300 years later before the last of the >>> Apache, a much more warlike nomadic people closely related to the >>> Navajo were finally subjugated in the region. In most if not all >>> cases, subjugation of the native population in the Americas was >>> really near-extermination. Both California and Texas, two of our >>> largest, richest States have almost NO indigenous people left... The >>> bulk of the Native Americans *not* exterminated are in the Southwest, >>> concentrated in Arizona, New Mexico and Oklahoma. This of course, >>> excludes the very large native Population in Alaska where their >>> remoteness protected them from abuse and exploitation somewhat until >>> modern technology and our thirst for oil caused us to overrun them as >>> well. >>> >>> I've lived among Natives all my life, meaning in regions where they >>> lived both on their own reservations and among the non-native >>> populations. I've had several good friends who are native. But I >>> do not pretend to understand the magnitude of what we did to them as >>> a population (even if I can pull the numbers and see the landscapes >>> and peoples). One of my friends is Lakota Sioux and he grew up near >>> Pine Ridge and came of age (teenager) during the Wounded Knee >>> debacle. He has spent his life becoming a very proud and capable >>> artist and craftsman but along the way he spent a great deal of it in >>> the depths of alcoholism and homelessness. He has had a number of >>> children, only a few of whom he remains close to. He is currently >>> leading a large effort/proposal among peers to win a grant to do an >>> installation art piece in South Dakota referencing not only the bad >>> things that happened to his people but also the good. I have worked >>> with him to develop a digital maquette of an oversized pile of >>> buffalo skulls to be constructed next to I-70 in this area as well, a >>> huge pyramid in testimony to another travesty we perpetrated with our >>> railroads and our rifles. >>> >>> But I do get queasy when our right-wing contingent supports Israel's >>> strong hawkish/occupational stances in Palestine and when some of our >>> left wing harsh attackers of Israel seem to forget our own (not that >>> far in the past) heritage as not just occupiers but exterminators, >>> perpetrators of genocide. In many ways, our own brutality exceeded >>> anything that Israel has done by far. This does not excuse the >>> Palestinian Occupation, but it should remind us that we have our own >>> wicked heritage which continues (as the stories in your links remind >>> us). It is helpful to me in understanding the Israeli/Palestinian >>> problem to remind myself that I too am an occupier. Anyone living in >>> the Americas are occupiers, etc. My personal case is somewhat more >>> fresh, having been established as recently as the 1970's. >>> >>> I'm not likely to deed over my "legal" property out of guilt, yet I >>> recognize that makes me little different than the Zionists who are >>> pushing back the borders of the Palestinians on a daily basis. I >>> came to this location very respectful of the Natives, both >>> intrinsically because I've lived "among" them all my life, but also >>> because I knew that the land I was living on *was* expropriated from >>> them at some point in history. While I like where I live very much, >>> I would accept being "relocated" to relieve my "occupation" of their >>> territory... I did engage in the US real-estate market in good >>> faith, and would expect *someone* (US Govt, PNM?) to compensate me >>> reasonably for this, but to accept that my choice of "a good >>> location" was misinformed and poorly thought through and needed to be >>> corrected. If the bulk of my financial security were not based in >>> my home ownership, I might also consider truly, simply returning the >>> property to the tribe. This of course would be a drop in their >>> bucket (1.5 acres out of a hundred square miles) and a confrontation >>> to my 3 neighbors who are in the same circumstance, but perhaps >>> spiritually a good gesture. >>> >>> The region enjoys a colorful "tricultural" experience of Native, >>> Hispanic and Anglo and this is part of what I love about it, and >>> perhaps even the Natives themselves can appreciate (every pueblo has >>> a catholic church in it, most natives have hispanic surnames, and >>> many enjoy the lifestyles afforded by working the jobs provided by >>> the "occupying force"). But it is quite disorienting when a modern >>> hispanic man (this is a very coveted role in the region) rides his >>> horse into the plaza in Santa Fe each year during Fiesta decked in >>> armor, sword in hand and the entire population shouts "Onate!", >>> celebrating his 'return' to Santa Fe. Nobody mentions the brutality >>> of that moment, just the splendor. A friend of this list worked >>> with Robert Mirabal (Taos Pueblo) last year to help him produce an >>> extremely moving production called "Poh Peh Speaks", re-enacting the >>> life and experience and perspective of the Native Spirit starting >>> with the experience of the Taos Pueblo Native who instigated the >>> uprising nearly 400 years ago and leading up to the present. It is >>> very moving. He has even traveled to Spain this year to present this >>> performance. I hope that he can continue to reach a wider audience. >>> >>> The problem of colonization and occupation is not an easy one. It is >>> very hard to undo things that were done. Things done centuries ago >>> are hard for one reason while things done today are hard for other >>> reasons. >>> >>> Good issue, IMO, but probably too rich for this lists blood. We'll see. >>> >>> - Steve >>>> It contains a map ("the lost land") which shows >>>> the shrinking land of the Indian reservation (esp. the ones from the >>>> Sioux) during the 19th century. Once the native Americans owned the >>>> whole country, from the Apache in the south west to the Massachusett >>>> in the north east. Then the British settlers and European colonists >>>> came, and in the name of their god they occupied and invaded the >>>> country. Now the Indians live in ever shrinking reservations. >>>> http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2012/08/pine-ridge/reservation-map >>>> >>>> Somehow this reminded me of the shrinking land >>>> of the Palestinian people. Palestinians are a bit >>>> like the native Americans, they are the native >>>> inhabitants of a countried occupied by foreign >>>> settlers. Today they live in a small confined area. >>>> http://sabbah.biz/mt/archives/2006/05/10/the-shrinking-map-of-palestine/ >>>> >>>> In both cases, the occupying force justify the occupation with an >>>> higher entity which gave them the right to live there. Expelled from >>>> there original countries, the settlers (Puritans in American, Jews >>>> in Palestine) came to stay. >>>> >>>> In Australia, the native Australians ("Aborigines") >>>> are confined in aboriginal reserves. Like the >>>> native Americans, the indigenous Australians had not developed a >>>> system of writing. Does this >>>> lower cultural level justify an occupation? >>>> >>>> -J. >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> ============================================================ >>>> FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv >>>> Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College >>>> lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org >>> >>> >>> ============================================================ >>> FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv >>> Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College >>> lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org >>> >> >> >> >> Tory Hughes >> unusual objects and unique adornments >> www.toryhughes.com <http://www.toryhughes.com> >> www.toryhughes-galleryshop.com <http://www.toryhughes-galleryshop.com> >> www.facebook.com/tory.hughes1 <http://www.facebook.com/tory.hughes1> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> ============================================================ >> FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv >> Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College >> lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org > > ============================================================ FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org
