Discussion 2, ch 15 - Assignment Example

AMERICAN HISTORY Choose two of the tribes described at the beginning of Chapter 15. Explain who they were, where they lived, what they did for sustenance and why you chose the particular tribes that you did. You should answer this with a minimum of 4-6 sentences.
One of the tribes in Native America was the Washo tribe which was located at the Great Basin and made up of several enegetic men and women who form part of the Hokan family of languages. Living at the Great Basin, the Washo tribe was blessed with abundance of mineral resources, particularly gold, from which the indigenous people engaged in surface mining for their sustenance. The reason for selecting the Washo people is due to how people from this tribe put in efforts in preserving their culture to the extent that even though the Washo language is generally regarded as extinct, there continues to be some elders in Califonia who speak the language today. Another of these tribes is Blackfoot, which is made up of three major groups namely the Piegan, the Kainah, and the Siksika people, and living at the Great Plains (Bruce, 2006). As part of the location of these people, their major occasion was buffalo hunting as the plains were rich in rain forest which supported buffalo ecosystem. This tribe was selected for its unique strength and most aggressive military powers which made them very resistive to oppressive forces that wanted to take their place.
2. Considering the environmental cost of mining described by the authors, which includes poisoning fresh water sources and destroying entire ecosystems, should we value precious metals for jewelry and adornment as much as we do? What does history teach us about the cost of mining? Write a 4-6 sentence paragraph supporting your answer.
The authors clearly criticized the negative environmental impact of mining, which includes the poisoning of fresh water and pollution. This notwithstanding, the important role that precious metals play in society, including their use for jewelry and adornment cannot be totally ignored as being useful. This is particularly because of the important economic role of these precious minerals and the role they play in the preservation of the rich culture of indigenous people. Having said this, the lessons that history teach us about the cost of mining must not be ignored as any forms of excesses in practice can live highly consequential effects for the present generation and generations unborn. Having said this, it will be admonished that even if mining will continue to be part of the highlighted areas of the economic, there should be much moderation when it comes to this practice. By this, reference is being made to the need to ensuring that the best and most advanced forms of mining equipment that pose less risk to the environment be used in mining activities (Hillerman, 1973).
3. According to the textbook the Native American population declined drastically after the westward movement of Americans after the Civil War. Did Americans act immorally in their treatment of Native Americans, or is all fair in love and war (meaning that in a state of war the means justify the ends)? Write a 4-6 sentence paragraph.
It is often said that during war, the end justifies the means but as far as the Native Americans and the Civil War are concerned, it is very important to consider the actual intent that led to the decline of the Native American population. Reading through the textbook, one gets the understanding that there was a calculated attempted by the larger American people to discriminate against the Native Americans by depriving them of what they possessed by way of natural resources. This form of discrimination can be attributed to a stereotype against the competence and social dignity of the Native American, whereby they were virtually regarded as sub-citizens. Under such circumstance, there cannot be any justification for action of the American people for the reduction in the population of the Native American people after the war. This is because if the Native Americans had been treated with the forms of respect and dignity they deserve, what was experienced might have been stopped from happening or taking place (Kevin, 2006). Based on this, it can be concluded that the Americans indeed acted immorally in their treatment of Native Americans by refusing to make the concerns of the Native Americans the concerns of the larger American community.
Reference
Keene J. D., Cornell S. and ODonnell E. T. (2012). Visions America 2nd Edition A history of the United States. New York: Pearson
Bruce E. J. (2006). The Native Peoples of North America. Texas: Rutgers University Press.
Hillerman, A. G. (1973). "The Hunt for the Lost American", in The Great Taos Bank Robbery and Other Indian Country Affairs, University of New Mexico Press.
Kevin K. W. (2006). "American Indians, Crime, and the Law". Michigan Law Review 104: 709 to 778. Read More