Role Of Reparations For Native Americans - Essay Example

 Role Of Reparations For Native AmericansIntroduction The Native Americans were the original occupants of the United States. The coming of Europeans to the North American shores in the 15th century marked the beginning of the displacement of Native Americans (Kennedy 56). The Native Americans began to die in large numbers with the arrival of the Europeans. One of the causes of death was because the arrival of Europeans had caused the spread of diseases like measles and chicken pox. The Native Americans had no knowledge about these diseases nor did they have immunity or medication for them and, as a result, many of them died.

The Europeans also started building firms and homes in the lands thereby displacing the Native Americans. Today many Native Americans in the United States live in reservations. These reservations experience widespread poverty and segregation, yet they are still part of America. Some of the Native American tribes have also not been officially recognized by the United States government. These are examples of wounds that the Native Americans have and which are aimed at being healed by reparations.

According to the English Oxford dictionary, reparations can be defined as the action of making amends for a wrong one has done by making payments or providing any other assistance to those who have been wronged. The United States government is giving reparations to the Native Americans in the form of cash, land and official recognition of tribes. The pros of giving these reparations is that it helps to heal the relationship between the United States people and the Native Americans. The only way to heal the present is by looking into the past and making amendments for the wrongs done in that time.

These reparations will also help the Native Americans feel like part of the current United States. It will enhance patriotism and ensure development without discrimination. The cons of giving reparations are that it puts the legitimacy of the United States at risk. When the United States pays for the land that it occupies then its legitimacy as a state is in question. The United States government is also not responsible for all the damages done in the past to Native Americans, for example, some Native Americans were driven from their lands by their fellow community members.

Therefore, it is wrong for the United States to be blamed for all atrocities experienced by Native Americans in the past and for them to be demanded to pay huge sums of reparations (De 6). ConclusionThe present cannot exist without the past. Various races are significant to America and its history. The payment of reparations to Native Americans may be a controversy as different people support its payments while others do not. Regardless of one’s stand it is important to note that the Native Americans represent the history of the United States and represents its diversity in culture and race.

They show the present generations of the ways of life that existed in the previous generations and that have been passed down through various generations. Works Cited:De, Wet C. J. Development-induced Displacement: Where to from Here? New York: Berghahn Books, 2005. Print.Kennedy, David M, and Thomas A. Bailey. The American Spirit: United States History As Seen by Contemporaries. Boston, MA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2010. Print. Lipsitz, George. The Possessive Investment in Whiteness: How White People Profit from Identity Politics. 2006. Print.