It was just a pretext to grab their land and justify genocide. The entire Cherokee nation became literate almost overnight, adopted western ways, and even converted to Christianity, and most were wealthy and had intermarried with local white people, but that didn't stop Pres. Jackson from grabbing their land after they discovered gold there, and sending them to their death on the Trail of Tears. Many of the people he killed barely had any Native American blood in them since the tribe accepts anyone with even the slightest amount of Cherokee. Local people hid many of them on their farms, since they were now their in-laws, and that's why so many Kentuckians are part Cherokee, including me.

Conquest and subjugation are part of human history since societies were formed. Some nations are working to overcome this history; others encourage it. Usually this is done in more subtle ways, but it is still done. Until we educate ourselves to overcome this desire to dominate, we will have this behavior, and the world will suffer for it. Religion is one of the tools used the most to accomplish this subjugation.

"Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities."
Voltaire

Religion is a fine excuse for evading the blame of ''conquest.'' "If you don't love Jesus/Mohammad...well, we'll just kill you. Our god is so merciful and loving! Oh, and, by the way, where is your gold? Diamonds? Women? "

"Savages, less civilized beings. We Christians are of a different breed from better stock."

I just link them to watch Pocahontas online.

I really do wish that all the indigenous peoples of the ancient world had been able
to repel all the European invaders. It's so unfortunate that they weren't.

"Christians" have done this everywhere they go, and are still doing it. If you belong to a different christian cult you are a heathen. Sadly they are the heathens!

Go back in time to the Spanish Inquisitiion.It started back in Europe.

Yes another good reason to hate religion. Just think if they had left even the plains states to the indians and let them herd bison we would have more meat and better quality than any beef.

The last actual massacre was in 1890 at Wounded Knee. However, the continued treatment of indigenous people in this country is appalling. Reservations are like third world countries. About 1/4 of reservation housing has indoor plumbing and electricity. Unemployment is off the charts and alcoholism rates are higher than any other demographic.

Until WWII native children were taken from their parents and sent to special boarding schools. I'm those schools they were punished for speaking their native languages. They were denied any exposure to their culture and traditions.Of course, they were also taught a very biased version of the history of the country.

This of course came after one of the most effective campaigns of genocide in history was conducted against them. It's estimated that at least 10,000,000 native Americans lived in the the current U.S. borders until 1492. Now there are around 250,000.

Most of this was justified by Christianity, but if you think about it, they had a lot of practice to perfect their technique before bringing it to the new world.

Almost all of us have a little indian blood on or hands, one way or another.

Having just been accused of being a bigot because I supposedly generalise I post the following information that is specific to North American warmongering since 1776. North America (USA and Canada) was settled and pioneered by good bible thumping Christians who were every bit as brutal as their S. American counterparts. So please, let's add a little perspective to this debate.

In the time since 1776 USA has had less than 25 years when it was not involved in a war, usually as the aggressor. The year by year data makes fascinating but ugly reading particularly when it is seen that the in house wars are undertaken against N. American First Nations People.

– Since 1776 America Has Been At War 93% of the Time – 222 Out of 239 Years – Since 1776  :  Information Clearing House - ICH [informationclearinghouse.info]

[en.m.wikipedia.org]

One of the biggest killers? Disease.

more like 500

Just want to point out that some Muslims tregard other religions as "heathens" now...does that mean they are evil or merely stuck in the Dark Ages?

The catholics were/are a "special" (A.K.A., atypical) branch of Christianity. On the other hand, instead of forced conversion, the protasant missionaries on the Pacific islands took to cutting down the Breadfruit trees because they "made life too easy for the natives and that God wanted them to have to work harder".

Humans will always find a way to hide there crimes against each other it's a dark truth that homosapians are nasty creatures that seek to decide and conquer there are so few of us that can see as you doas we do.

The cross or the sword... was the policy. I wrote a song in spanish about the policy.

Thought you were talking about Hawaii for a second

I find that socialism and agnosticism are a necessary partnership as they're both to do with coping with reality as a society. Tribalism is basically racism and religion, where certain sections of society cling to the prehistoric urge to bond with their 'tribe' which in turn taps in to the urge to believe that you're in some way born with a Divine right. It's totally illogical and impractical but it's used as a tool of control over the ....less well informed shall we say!

It is amazing how much Europeans did not -feel- others. Lack of compassion, sensitivity, and respect for anything different. That difference, or otherness, extending to the poor, disabled, and people of differing faiths in their own communities. I think this has something to do with us descending from chimpanzee's ancestors and not bonobos.

sorry I got bored,

[etymonline.com]