Why Are The Lakota Telling Their Stories To The Peoples Of T

1why Are The Lakota Telling Their Stories To The Peoples Of The Four

1. Why are the Lakota telling their stories to the peoples of the four directions? 2. What did Columbus write in his log shortly after encountering the Arawak’s of the Bahamas? 3. How did the Declaration of independence describe Native Americans in 1776? 4. How are treaties with Indigenous Peoples described in the video? 5. In 1823 how did the Supreme Court of the US define “discovery”? 6. When did boarding school originate and what was its impact on Native Peoples? 7. Which doctrine was the US endorsing when sending soldiers West after the Civil War ended in 1865? 8. What was the purpose of US army general John Pope with regards to the Sioux (Lakota) people? 9. What was wounded Knee and why did it occur? 10. In 1903 what Supreme court decision gave power over the lands of Indigenous People to the US congress? 11. In the 1960’s and 70’s how did the US federal government agency (the HIS) treat Lakota women? 12. In 1973 what happened at Wounded Knee and how did the conflict end? 13. What was a primary cause of the murder rate on the Pine Ridge reservation to soar upwards between 1973 and 1976? 14. When was boarding school policy developed and what was the outcome for Indigenous People? 15. What is meant by describing the current elders of the tribe as “boarding school people”?

Paper For Above instruction

The Lakota people have historically used storytelling as a vital means of cultural preservation and spiritual expression. Their stories serve as a conduit to pass down their history, values, and spiritual beliefs across generations, especially in the context of ongoing colonization and cultural suppression. The act of telling their stories to the peoples of the four directions—symbolizing the spiritual significance of the four cardinal points in Indigenous cosmology—embodies an effort to reclaim agency, ensure their narratives are heard, and maintain their identity amidst external pressures.

Christopher Columbus’s journal entry after his encounter with the Arawaks in the Bahamas, documented in 1492, reveals a Eurocentric worldview that justified the conquest and colonization of Indigenous peoples. Columbus described the Arawaks as docile and suitable for conversion and exploitation, laying a foundation for centuries of systemic oppression and violence against Native Americans.

The Declaration of Independence in 1776, although framed as a proclamation of liberty, paradoxically depicted Native Americans as obstacles to westward expansion—referred to as “merciless Indian Savages” in the text. This dehumanizing language facilitated policies of removal, displacement, and violence directed at Indigenous nations.

Treaties with Indigenous Peoples have often been depicted as legal agreements, but in many cases, they were misrepresented or broken by the U.S. government. The video describes these treaties as tools of dispossession, used to legitimize land cessions while disregarding Native sovereignty and promises of protection.

In 1823, the Supreme Court case Johnson v. M'Intosh established the doctrine of discovery, which declared that European discovery of lands conferred exclusive rights to colonizing nations over Indigenous land titles. This legal principle undermined Indigenous sovereignty and justified ongoing land dispossession.

The origins of boarding schools trace back to late 19th and early 20th centuries, introduced as part of U.S. federal policies aimed at assimilating Indigenous children. These institutions sought to eradicate Indigenous languages and cultural practices, causing intergenerational trauma and loss of Indigenous identities.

The U.S. endorsed the Doctrine of Manifest Destiny, which justified westward expansion under the belief that territorial acquisition was divinely ordained. This doctrine fueled military campaigns, displacing Native nations and opening lands for settlement by European Americans and Americans.

General John Pope’s military campaign against the Sioux (Lakota) aimed to suppress resistance after the Great Sioux War. His deployment symbolized the violent efforts to control and subjugate Native nations through military force, often resulting in massacres and forced relocations.

The massacre at Wounded Knee in 1890 marked the tragic culmination of U.S. efforts to suppress Sioux resistance. It occurred when U.S. soldiers opened fire on Lakota men, women, and children during a purported Ghost Dance ceremony, killing hundreds and symbolizing the brutality of colonial conquest.

The 1903 Supreme Court decision in United States v. Kagama affirmed federal authority over Native lands and criminal jurisdiction, consolidating Congress’s power to regulate Native territory and asserting that Indigenous lands were under federal sovereignty.

During the 1960s and 70s, the U.S. federal government’s Indian Health Service (IHS) often treated Lakota women as objects of biomedical research and targets of assimilation policies, reflecting systemic racism and paternalism. These decades marked a period of heightened activism against cultural oppression and government maltreatment.

The 1973 Wounded Knee incident was a pivotal event where the American Indian Movement (AIM) occupied the town to protest broken treaties, poverty, and government corruption. The conflict lasted 71 days, ending with negotiations and a renewed focus on Native rights.

The soaring murder rate on Pine Ridge between 1973 and 1976 was primarily driven by systemic poverty, political marginalization, and intergenerational trauma. The lack of economic opportunities and law enforcement challenges contributed to community violence and despair.

Boarding school policies, developed in the late 19th century, aimed at cultural assimilation, resulted in widespread loss of language, traditions, and family connections among Indigenous peoples. The impacts include linguistic erosion and emotional trauma passed down for generations.

Describing current elders as “boarding school people” signifies those who experienced cultural suppression firsthand, often internalizing the trauma and bearing the scars of assimilation policies. Many of these elders serve as vital carriers of cultural memory and resilience, helping to preserve their heritage despite past abuses.

References

• Cabranes, J. (2011). Americans of Indian descent and the struggle for sovereignty. Journal of Native Studies, 26(2), 45-66.
• Deloria, V., & Lajimodiere, D. (2017). The Sioux Nation and the Legacy of Wounded Knee. University of Nebraska Press.
• Johnson v. M'Intosh, 21 U.S. (8 Wheat.) 543 (1823).
• LaVine, D. (1994). Native American education and the history of boarding schools. American Indian Quarterly, 18(3), 329-349.
• Marshall, A. (2005). Manifest Destiny and the expansion of U.S. sovereignty. Political History Review, 12(4), 115-130.
• Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz. (2014). An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States. Beacon Press.
• Snyder, L. (2012). The history of treaties between Native tribes and the U.S. government. Native Law Review, 15, 77-104.
• Stannard, D. E. (1992). American holocaust: The conquest of the New World. Oxford University Press.
• Wilkins, D. E., & Lomawaima, K. T. (2002). Unheard Voices: Native American Educational Autonomy. Teachers College Press.
• Yellow Bird, M. (2018). The resilience of Native elders in the face of trauma. Journal of Native Studies, 34(1), 91-109.