"Regarding themselves as "friends" of the Indians, they believed that the reservations only served to segregate native peoples from white society and postpone their assimilation"(Takaki. 234). What i was confused about was how is it that reservations were used to segregate the Indians from the whites and i thought the purpose was to give them what they deserved? Even though the Native Americans deserve more than just land i thought the whites were looking out for them. My professor responded to me that they were calling them "friends" so there’s a difference. I can see both sides but at the same time what is a friend? A friend in my opinion is someone that won’t ever do what the white did to minorities in the past. How could friend even come out of their mouths when all they did was abuse the Native Americans physically and mentally? There also is a story in the book where the Indians would go to a meeting that was set up for their reservation. They were told to bring their bow and arrow and traditional costume. "He then retreated to the tepee and reemerged wearing "civilized" clothing, symbolizing a crossing from the primitive to the modern world"(Takaki. 235). How the whites would make them change to what they are doing is wrong. Why did they feel like their way was the right way? If only there was true freedom of speech back then.
I love this blog because I wrote about this topic, almost. I actually love to listen to what you have to say because it always seems like what you say is really on the dot and very intelligent. Its true. I feel that the whites did NOT know what a friend meant. Back then, wouldn’t you of thought that since they were the inventers of the dictionary and all that that they should understand what a “friend” is? Who knows maybe im wrong because maybe later people wrote that dictionary. I think the whites were horrible people. I really am ashamed of my race. I am disgusted to hear all the bad things they did to people that are just like them. I believe one day, everyone will finally be civil to each other.
ReplyDeleteArmani,
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you. What is the definition of a friend? I agree with Rachael, I love the way you think because it seems like you do really know what you are talking about and you are really passionate about it. We all know that "white people" were cruel back than but does not mean we are like that now ( I am sure you know that). lol But no one should have be treated like that. I know that not everyone will be civil because that is the perfect world and that will never happen.
Armani,
ReplyDeleteI also agree with your blog. I thought that you brought up very good points on the whites and how they called the minority friends. In a sense I would think that maybe they did really look at minorities as friends. They didn’t know any other way to treat them so that’s what they did. Your blog kind of remind me of a movie scene in the color purple, the part that Oprah winfrey played, when she hit the white man in the face and was beat and had to leave her family and work as a slave for years. The lady that she worked for looked at her as a friend, but she still in a way mistreated her. Oprah drove her around, and shopped for her. I agree with Brittany that everyone is not the same and does not view minorities in a bad way. It’s just the people that refuse to step out of their box.