Indian Reservation Preservement Essay, Research Paper
Indian Project
The Indians had every right to fight. Their land was being taken away by the whites. They were forcing them out by starving them and compressing them into small reservations. Many of the Indian leaders had felt safe before the whites began attacking and invading their territory. The whites provoked the Indians into war according to Ten Bears when he said, “My people have never first drawn a bow or fired a gun against the whites. There has been trouble on the line between us, and my young men have danced the war dance. But it was not begun by us. It was you who sent out the first solider and we who sent out the second.” (Pg. 241 The War to Save the Buffalo) Unfortunately, the whites did not care about the Indians and thought of them as inferior and less advanced.
The Indians were thought of as less intelligent because they never developed their land or had been educated. Many even seemed more intelligent than many whites because they did not want to have war or develop the plains and kill all the buffalo. The Indians were, however, blessed with many strong leaders. Each one had their reasons some more strong than others. A few of the more important leaders were: Sitting Bull, Red Cloud and Crazy Horse. They were all able to deal crushing blows to the white army. Many battles took place over the plains, some were not even battles but were massacres. The most famous of them all was the Little Big Horn. This was where Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull and their people came together. The whites had chased them away and they had formed the largest village ever made on the plains. About 7,000 Indians were said to be living there. George Custer of the 7th Cavalry was sent to take out this large encampment. It is too bad that he under estimated the Indians, otherwise he might have had a better chance of living. In the early morning, Custer attacked the village and he was over run by more than 3,000 Indian warriors. The 7th had no chance. The Indians were forced to run away. As they ran the army was right on their tale. Most of the Indians have been forced onto reservations or have been killed by the whites. I only wish the Indians could have taught the whites a lesson.
The main reason for this is that the Indians had been living there before then the whites thought they could just take it over with no input from the Indians. The Indians were widely discriminated in the plains section of the country. On one account the people of Denver were cheering as news came out about the first massacre of Sitting Bulls people. This was very sickening and was very unsettling. The whites also lied to the Indians by allowing them to own all the land in the plains. The Indians signed a contract allowing them to use all the land and then 10 years later the whites wanted it back. I believe what Motivate said, “I once thought that I was the only man that persevered to be friends with the white man, but since they have come and cleaned out our lodges, horses and everything else, it is hard for me to believe white men anymore.” (Pg. 67 War Comes to the Cheyenne’s) This is what happened to all the Indians. It did stop once all the Indians were placed onto reservations. They still did not get what they deserved. Even today they are fighting for their rights.