Dow Jones > Recent Status Updates

Post-Civil War led to further treaty-breaking by the federal gov. Capt. Richard Henry Pratt’s military pedagogy led to the Carlisle Indian Industrial School where kidnapped kids were whitewashed to join American society. Reconstruction Era led to 3 amendments in 5 yrs that further excluded Natives, as well as Civil Rights Act of 1866 that gave birthright citizenship to all but Natives not taxed.

The Civil War also included many early Native wars like the Dakota as settlers pushed west and there wasn’t any real treaty enforcement throughout the 1850/60s. Lincoln focused most of his attention on slavery and preserving the union, so Native relations were left to “more experienced military commanders”. The southwest gained statehood kind of late as populations boomed westward.

Latin American independence gave blacks & Indians equality & abolished slavery. Andrew Jackson & Calhoun started Seminole War for Florida & Caribbean territory. Monroe Doctrine was garbage & John Marshall’s “Doctrine of Discovery” was ridiculous. Federal gov power of Indian land sales etc is growing stronger & no foreign nation can intervene. Next comes Civil War period.

Now the PNW story gets told. California begins to take shape as Spanish begin colonizing. The Russian-Aleut colonizers were brutal rapists who spread VD rampantly from Alaska - south. PNW Natives are praised for fishing & whaling techniques. Maquinna is one Native leader whose redistributed wealth made him powerful & respected. Smallpox spreads from central Mexico up to Manitoba. Violence & disease annihilation.

Georgia battles the Cherokee to push them out and when the Indians try to take the state to court, Marshall tosses it because they’re not a foreign nation w/ legal right to sue the state, but a year later, progress is made. Andrew Clayton was Georgia’s rep in Congress, had Corn Tassel hanged to peacock “power”, and he echoes others with concerns of the South’s freedom & states rights leading into Lincoln.

Damn, even as Natives ceded their lands further and further just to have their sovereignty in the writings of treaties, Georgia and many southern states just ignored federal powers and said anything on state land was the state’s. French Revolution ceded Louisiana Purchase lands as well but citizenship of inhabitants was rocky. Andrew Jackson is coming up soon and then more trouble begins.

As Jefferson is recasted by the Haitian Revolution, he and James Monroe agree that they should find a way to deport all the black slaves somewhere else before an uprising could happen. Sierra Leone was an option considered.

1790’s Naturalization Act was the first time whiteness was put in legal writing, thus perpetuating legal racism in the US. 2 years later, the Militia Act followed its use as well. Very wild chapter 7. Tons of interesting info. Jefferson going to Paris in 1785 & love affair w/ 14yr old slave Sally Hemmings. His absence led to modern romanticization of American beginnings; he wasn’t even here.

The Articles of Confederation fail in enforcing any laws, so the Constitutional Convention establishes our 3-tiered system and it becomes obvious colonialism is about to reach new heights as Indians are barely mentioned & land acquisition & the standing army are more intimidating than state militias. Now onto Part II - Struggles for Sovereignty.

Washington’s fed up with western expansion squatters and how the land scramble is devaluing property and risking Native relations. He says Indians have sovereignty over their lands and can act as they see fit, as well as expanding his beliefs on republicanism and a stronger government to deal with land settlements and tribal relations. Subsequent presidents spent more time in Europe than America, so only he knows.

As GW retires from military service, states struggle with control and start printing their own currencies which further inflation and contribute nothing to national debt. The founding documents are drafted & implemented w/ little support. Natives keep getting pushed west or north & side w/ British. So many unpaid soldiers (2yrs+) and government distrust is high.

The Paxton Boys (later Black Boys) were such cowards, as was Lieutenant Charles Grant for turning over criminals because he didn’t know if he had any power to keep them. Colonists kept pushing Indians west or killing them & blocking British trading missions. Now it jumps from 1765, glosses over a decade of most important independence, and seems to resume in 1783. Too many details missing between chapters.

British colonists & Amherst really give up on peace w/ Indians so they continue to have power struggles. Colonists also grow tired of soldiers & lack of government (enforcement). Amherst is the one who started passing out smallpox blankets to “reduce their power, extirpate them, & it’s for the security of their future.” Fucking nuts. Totally lawless during these 1760s.

The British empire grows exponentially as the French flee but the colonists start to grow weary of the crown after seeing they can deal with Indian relations on their own. Natives tell them it’s not British land, but theirs, and tensions rise to take land from them and push Natives out. Britain was also gain too much land too quickly so they couldn’t pay international soldiers as they’re already in growing debt

The British eventually push the French out completely & Natives are increasingly unhappy about disrespecting treaty lines & treatment. Colonists were told to exclude all Indians unless super important and to even then still be under guard. No more munition provisions for them despite crucial Native involvement supporting the British fight the French. GW felt too burned, though Franklin’s thoughts undiscussed.

interesting lead up to the 7 Years War w/ Washington just starting out and making many mistakes in his first campaign leading British forces into the interior. French had empty promises of trades & stockpiled furs w/ nothing in return for Natives, so English took up the trade. GW misunderstood Native sentiments for French & thought they’d fight w/ him but they sided w/ French, forcing GW surrender, & he’s bitter.

Elf Tails was very funny. Lord Voldemort’s Request had great lore memories to visit & they told much of his afterschool activities. Loved it. So many memorable scenes. They figure out where Draco’s been & the Polyjuice covers. Herm & Harry have Apparated & Ron finally barely does. Kreacher has many funny lines. Snape’s retorts in class to H&R were actually funny for once. Is he using occlumency for comebacks?

My new favorite name: Fort Michilimackinac

Getting into the 1700s with the Iroquois still running the show and trying to maintain peace between France & Britain for trade purposes. Pushing further into the interior near the Great Lakes, Missouri River, towards the Mississippi River.

The Iroquois are extremely resilient in their survival and they pit tribes & countries against each other. 1701 Great Settlement gave New France peace as French leaders acted as intermediaries to settle tribal disputes. Power and sovereignty were fairly distributed and even though French accounts are paternal, these Indians were products of the new world too so it was inevitable to find peace and acceptance.

Dang, the Iroquois really take over and start wars w/ the Wendats and anyone else who may intercede on their trades. I love the part of the French finding the desecrated cross w/ carved pics of their captives on it. Captivity became key to rebuilding important family roles, but changing names to assume dead identities is a bit much. But the torture to retribalize was effective. Brutal. Very feared tribe.

As Mohawks & Mahicans were rivals, their battles to gain access to Dutch trading were intense. It was also that because English, French, and Spanish refused to trade for guns, their dependence on Dutch trade was crucial for survival & as fur was their most valuable commodity, they over hunted.

The Pequot War was short lived as Dutch and Englishmen fought for the Long Island Sound due to a couple guys getting killed, even though leaders said the guy Stone wasn’t one of theirs. Just wanted an excuse for wampum and land. They fixed wampum as debt but made higher prices so reparations would be land cessations. Tricksters. Puritans were making more progress in trading & rivaled the Dutch.

Tisquantum, Squanto, made many transatlantic voyages after enslavement & he’s the one who brokered the Thanksgiving meeting. He picked up languages & was never mistreated so we didn’t try to flee as others had. His tribe and fam was mostly wiped out by disease while he was gone. Now trying to see how “wampum” became currency as highly valued beaded belts Europeans sought out. Quahog & whelk shells.

Native slave exports totaled more than the African slaves imported in the 16/17th centuries. The northeast started with some more peaceful trades of fur as Algonquian women controlled production, but French & Puritan traders required more. Virgin land wasn’t settled, resident populations were displaced & destroyed. Puritans may have originally sought America as part of their quest, Cotton’s “city on a hill”.

The Pueblo revolt of 1680 successfully reconstituted Indigenous sovereignty in many southwest regions even though some tribes didn’t participate. As Spanish brought horses over, Natives stole them and the entire landscape henceforth changed. Spanish slowly gave them religious freedoms but still pursued a northern mission to link with CA to further connect to the Philippines.

The late 1400s-1500s are covered pretty briefly as the Spanish arrive & invade the southeast/west to enslave, find material wealth, & missionize. Many Indians tried to defend themselves but others eventually gave up after years of knowing inevitability. Some priests tried to lessen punishments, but Oñate, de Soto, Cortes, Coronado, etc were evil. Nilco, Acoma, & others were devastating. Silver expansion to Europe.

Wonderful intro outlining the need for a book to address what Europeans & Americans have left out in their histories of America: Natives! I appreciate seeing how each part will interweave indigenous involvement with what’s already “known” as well as that new discoveries published annually still aren’t respected or implemented in educational institutions. Absolutely love the subject & look forward to the book!

Very simple letter to Sarah and as she says her goodbyes and screams about how it isn’t fair how things turned out, she feels his hand on her neck and his presence may be everywhere. Then she drives away to continue her life.

Pt3 has J’s powerful letter to Herb interspersed w/ Committee hearings from Weizak, his old roadwork foreman in AZ, Dr. Vann, & Clawson who took Greg’s damning photo. He had a tumor where he’d had his accident and maybe even since his childhood ice fall. Terribly sad but brave final act to save the world. Now Sarah is visiting J’s grave & her husband is very successful.