Well, everybody born in the american continent is technically “american” too, including Central and South America. Is there a specific term in english for these people?
Edit: Thanks for all your answers, especially the wholesome ones and those patient enough to explain it thoroughly. Since we (South Americans) and you (North Americans) use different models/conventions of continent boundaries, it makes sense for you to go by “Americans”, while it doesn’t for us.
No problem, I’m always happy when someone is interested in learning more! I’m Muscogee Creek, specifically Thlopthlocco but Creek or Muscogee is preferable and easier for everyone lol. I’d recommend some books. One is not too long and it’s the one I would start with, it will help reframe a person’s understanding of who indigenous people are which I think is essential. Otherwise all further learning is being done behind a false idea of who Indigenous people are. Something I remember most from this book was along the lines of, “for many people Indians don’t exist and if they do exist it’s outside of their preconceived notion of who they are so to them they aren’t real Indians. They have placed themselves as the experts on what it is to be Indian.” The books, All the Real Indians Died Off: And 20 Other Myths about Native Americans by Dina Gilio-Whitaker and Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz. The second would be, by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
Id you’d like something quick and dirty online the War of 1812 was also the , which is what he wrote in a letter to his wife. He meant to make an example of how we could be “civilized” and was going to send the Creek boy to West Point but the political climate had changed. Americans didn’t want to see Indians “civilized” anymore they wanted us gone. He was never going to be able to pass the Indian Removal Act if people saw we were just like them so he sent the Creek boy to be a saddler instead. He died of TB not long after. Then Jackson sent thousands of us, starving and freezing, on a death march across the country to Oklahoma. (I had links in here for you. For the books and the pages about the war but they didn’t seem to work. It’s an easy wiki dive though.)
Totally more than you asked for but I got on a roll. It’s rare someone asks so I try to post as much as I can so people don’t have to go far to learn a bit more of the real history of the US. It’s important we know so we all can heal and move forward, together.
I’m Canadian, so I didn’t learn about Andrew Jackson at all, and only was aware of his existence because he’s on some money or something. But WOW what an ASSHOLE!!! Imagine how fucking full of yourself you’d have to be to wipe out a whole village, find one tiny sole survivor, and then give him to your child to be a fucking pet.
Unbelievable!!! And then to act like you’re some kind of benevolent savior when you were the cause of the goddamn genocide to begin with. I can’t even.
I’m sorry this happened to your ancestors. I’m sorry all of it happened. People are horrible.
Edit: wait, this was the guy responsible for the Trail of Tears as well?! Wasn’t he the inspiration for Hitler?!? Holy fuck.
What the fuck, America!!!
Yea Jackson was a real piece of work. And yes you are also correct that he was a massive inspiration for Hitler, most Americans don’t know that. Hitler would quote portions of Jackson’s speech to Congress about the Indian Removal Act during his own speech about the Jewish people. In fact, Hitler didn’t actually come up with very much on his own in terms of the annihilation of the Jewish people and conquer of Europe. In Jackson’s speech to Congress he called it the “the final solution to the Indian problem” which should sound quite familiar to those who know WWII history. Everything from ghettos, work camps, mass extermination, medical experiments, stolen children, sterilization, and death marches were straight out of Jackson’s playbook.
In one of Hitlers speeches he says that he wanted to “make Germany greater than even the great American empire which had succeeded in creating a perfect society for God’s chosen race, chaining any of the savage native inhabitants still alive in camps to work and starve.” He would also go on to say, “the East will be our Redmen and the Volga our grand Mississippi.” When Nazi Germany did finally invade Poland the German newspapers quoted their head general (iirc), “Go East young men, go East!” His plan wasn’t just war, it was settler colonialism à la USA style and all of his top generals were aware.
If anyone is ever in any doubt about how horrifying the conquest of hundreds of Indigenous Nations really was just remember this. As absolutely and indescribably evil as Hitler was, he wasn’t completely successful, Jackson and the United States were. (In regard to the conquest of a continent. Genocide is genocide, there’s no competition for the greatest evil this world has to offer.)
Saving your response because I really want to read these. I love it when I come across a post like this. Teach me all the things I didn’t know that I need to know! Healing together is the only way that we can move forward in a way that is actually progressive. Thank you for sharing.
