"Before our white brothers arrived to make us civilized men…"

[mikekohr]

86. Or perhaps massive climate change was the culprit, but let's blame the Indians anyway

Native People were here 28,000 to 38,0000 years ago. The massive die off of large mammals did not occur until about 17,000 years ago when the climate dramatically and suddenly (in geological terms) changed.

Native people did indeed manage the forests and grasslands which produced an environment that supported massive numbers of wildlife. That balanced eco-system was wiped away in large part within a few hundred years of the arrival of Europeans.

There were an estimated 40-60 million bison in the United States when Columbus was rescuded by the Taino People in 1492 after wrecking his flagship, the Santa Maria. By the early 1800's the estimated 20 million bison east of the Mississippi were extirminated. The remaining 20-40 million bison west of the Mississippi were reduced to about 250 by 1890.

There was also an estimated 18 to 22 million Native People living in what is now the United States. By 1900 approx. 250,000 remained.

Ceratinly between 1492 and 1890 something very evil happened. What could that have possibly have been?


from the webpage: "Your Heroes Are Not Our Heroes."
http://www.brotherhooddays.com/HEROES.html#GENERAL PHILLIP SHERIDAN:
GENERAL WILLIAM T. SHERMAN:
In a telegram to President U.S. Grant, "First kill off the buffalo, then kill off the Indian. We must act with vindictive earnestness against the Sioux, men, women, and children."

Ever the ruthless soldier and never one that could be mistaken as an "Indian lover," Sherman, never-the-less, was also quoted in his astute observation when he described a reservation as, "...a parcel of land inhabited by Indians and surrounded by thieves."