Editing Amerindian Genocide
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{{Act of Villainy | {{Act of Villainy | ||
| | |Image = California skulls.jpg | ||
|perpetrator = Spanish Empire<br>Portuguese Empire<br>British Empire<br>French Empire<br>Russian Empire<br>Mexican government<br>Canadian government<br>United States government<br>Argentine government<br>Chilean government<br>Brazilian government<br>Paraguayan government<br>Uruguayan government<br>Guatemalan government<br>[[Paxton Boys]]<br>[[Confederate States of America]] | |||
|perpetrator = Spanish Empire<br>Portuguese Empire<br>British Empire<br>French Empire<br>Russian | |date = 1494 - 1994 | ||
|date = | |location = North, Central and South America | ||
|location = | |||
|motive = Enslave the Native population and use them to find gold<br>Gain the land of Native tribes<br>Impose "superior" cultural values on the Native Americans | |motive = Enslave the Native population and use them to find gold<br>Gain the land of Native tribes<br>Impose "superior" cultural values on the Native Americans | ||
|crimes = | |crimes = [[Genocide]]<br>[[War crimes]]<br>Mass [[murder]]<br>[[Slavery]]<br>[[Rape]]<br>[[Ethnic cleansing]]<br>Forced assimilation<br>[[Hate Speech]]}}{{Quote|It is also apparent that the shared history of the hemisphere is one framed by the dual tragedies of genocide and slavery, both of which are part of the legacy of the European invasions of the past 500 years. Indigenous people north and south were displaced, died of disease, and were killed by Europeans through slavery, rape, and war.|Excerpt from ''American Philosophy: From Wounded Knee to the Present''.}} | ||
The '''Amerindian Genocide''', AKA the '''Native American Genocide''', the '''American Indian Genocide''' or the '''American Indian Holocaust | The '''Amerindian Genocide''', AKA the '''Native American Genocide''', the '''American Indian Genocide''' or the '''American Indian Holocaust''', is a blanket term for the various atrocities carried out against indigenous peoples of North and South America from their discovery right up to the 20th Century. It is considered the foremost example of [[Genocide of Indigenous Peoples|genocide of indigenous peoples]] and the largest genocide in history, surpassing even [[The Holocaust]] in scale. It began in 1494, when the Americas were discovered by the Spanish Empire, and continued well into the 20th century in various different forms and nations. It is estimated a total of 100, 000, 000 died. | ||
==History== | ==History== | ||
===Genocide | ===Genocide by Spain=== | ||
When [[Christopher Columbus]] first landed in Mesoamerica in 1494, he took several members of the Arawak tribe captive in the hope that they could lead him to gold. Upon writing to King Ferdinand of Spain of his discovery, Columbus was granted permission to enslave the native population and use them to find gold. Columbus's troops immediately set about raping, killing and [[Torture|torturing]] in an attempt to force the natives to tell them where the gold was. Columbus organized several groups of armed men to search for the non-existent gold, leading to the deaths of thousands of sick and unarmed natives. Captives were used for sword practice, with Columbus's soldiers attempting to decapitate them or cut them in half with one blow. The situation was so extreme that about 50,000 Taíno natives chose to commit suicide rather than live under Spanish rule. | When [[Christopher Columbus]] first landed in Mesoamerica in 1494, he took several members of the Arawak tribe captive in the hope that they could lead him to gold. Upon writing to King Ferdinand of Spain of his discovery, Columbus was granted permission to enslave the native population and use them to find gold. Columbus's troops immediately set about raping, killing and [[Torture|torturing]] in an attempt to force the natives to tell them where the gold was. Columbus organized several groups of armed men to search for the non-existent gold, leading to the deaths of thousands of sick and unarmed natives. Captives were used for sword practice, with Columbus's soldiers attempting to decapitate them or cut them in half with one blow. The situation was so extreme that about 50,000 Taíno natives chose to commit suicide rather than live under Spanish rule. | ||
Columbus enslaved the population of Hispaniola and set up a system wherein all natives over 14 were responsible for gathering a certain amount of gold each month, awarding them with a copper token to hang around their neck if they succeeded. If a native was caught without a token they would have their hands cut off and be allowed to bleed to death. Natives who attempted to flee slavery were mauled to death by attack dogs. Sexual slavery was also widespread, with Columbus forcibly marrying native women to his men. During this period the native population of Hispaniola plummeted rapidly until it was practically wiped out, partly due to being killed and partly due to smallpox introduced by the Spanish which the natives lacked any immunity to. Columbus was eventually arrested by agents of the Spanish Crown for his atrocities, but the charges against him were dropped. | Columbus enslaved the population of Hispaniola and set up a system wherein all natives over 14 were responsible for gathering a certain amount of gold each month, awarding them with a copper token to hang around their neck if they succeeded. If a native was caught without a token they would have their hands cut off and be allowed to bleed to death. Natives who attempted to flee slavery were mauled to death by attack dogs. Sexual slavery was also widespread, with Columbus forcibly marrying native women to his men. During this period the native population of Hispaniola plummeted rapidly until it was practically wiped out, partly due to being killed and partly due to smallpox introduced by the Spanish which the natives lacked any immunity to. Columbus was eventually arrested by agents of the Spanish Crown for his atrocities, but the charges against him were dropped. | ||
After approximately three million natives were killed, the Spanish colonial authorities reformed their approach, adopting the [[ | After approximately three million natives were killed, the Spanish colonial authorities reformed their approach, adopting the ''[[encomienda]]'' system; a system of slavery wherein certain grant holders were awarded a monopoly on the labor of certain groups. Natives were allocated to certain ''encomiendero'' and put to work mining for gold. This ended up being deadlier than traditional slavery because there was no incentive to keep the native slaves alive as they could be replaced for free, resulting in the Spanish abusing and killing the native slaves regularly. The ''encomienda'' system has been described by modern historians as explicitly genocidal, because it resulted in the intentional deaths of millions and the eradication of potentially thousands of native cultures. | ||
=== | ===Genocide by Portugal=== | ||
Inspired by the Spanish colonization of Mesoamerica, [[Pedro Álvares Cabral]] colonized Brazil for the Portuguese Empire in 1500. Over the following century the native tribes suffered massive depopulation due to ethnic violence and smallpox introduced by the Portuguese, who enslaved them in a system similar to ''encomienda'' and forced them to cut down the forest for tropical hardwoods. When slaves began to die at a higher rate due to poor treatment, the Portuguese disguised themselves as Jesuits (who were welcomed by the natives due to being less likely to mistreat them) in order to gain access to native villages, where they would abduct and enslave as many natives as they could, killing any who resisted. It is estimated that abuses by the Portuguese led the Brazilian population to drop by over 90%. | |||
=== | ===[[Kalinago Genocide]]=== | ||
The Caribbean island of Saint Kitts was colonized by British, French and Irish settlers in 1623, upsetting the native Kalinago tribe. The Kalinago chief [[Tegremond]] began plotting to kill the settlers in 1626 out of fear they would massacre his people. However, the settlers were informed and decided to take pre-emptive action against the natives. | |||
Tegremond and other Kalinago were invited to a feast, where the settlers got them drunk before allowing them to return to their village. The settlers then attacked the village and killed 120 Kalinago, including Tegremond, while they were in a drunken stupor. The following day, 4,000 Kalinago were rounded up and forced up to what is now known as Bloody Point. The Kalinago fought back, leading to the killings of 2,000 of the captives. The other 2,000 managed to escape into the mountains, where they were hunted down and either enslaved or forcibly removed to Dominica. | |||
===Genocide by Mexico=== | |||
====Campaign against Apaches==== | ====Campaign against Apaches==== | ||
The Mexican government hired bands of scalp-hunters to hunt down and kill Apaches in the 1830s and 40s, offering a cash reward for every Apache scalp brought back. The most infamous of these groups was lead by [[John Joel Glanton]]. Many of these groups killed Mexican civilians in addition to Apaches since it was impossible to distinguish between the scalps of Apaches and non-Apaches. The Mexican authorities eventually ended this practice in 1849 and declared all scalp-hunters outlaws when they realized how many non-Apaches were being targeted. | The Mexican government hired bands of scalp-hunters to hunt down and kill Apaches in the 1830s and 40s, offering a cash reward for every Apache scalp brought back. The most infamous of these groups was lead by [[John Joel Glanton]]. Many of these groups killed Mexican civilians in addition to Apaches since it was impossible to distinguish between the scalps of Apaches and non-Apaches. The Mexican authorities eventually ended this practice in 1849 and declared all scalp-hunters outlaws when they realized how many non-Apaches were being targeted. | ||
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The 1890 Yaqui Uprising against President [[Porfirio Díaz]] was crushed by the Mexican and United States armies. A peace treaty was signed in 1897, but this was later broken and another war was started, continuing into the 20th Century. By 1903, President Díaz had decided to resolve the Yaqui Wars once and for all by deporting all the Yaqui. Organized manhunts were carried out by the government to capture all Yaqui. 15, 000 Yaqui were enslaved, and 60, 000 died during deportation. The genocide came to an end when President Díaz was overthrown in 1911, although minor skirmishes continued until 1929. | The 1890 Yaqui Uprising against President [[Porfirio Díaz]] was crushed by the Mexican and United States armies. A peace treaty was signed in 1897, but this was later broken and another war was started, continuing into the 20th Century. By 1903, President Díaz had decided to resolve the Yaqui Wars once and for all by deporting all the Yaqui. Organized manhunts were carried out by the government to capture all Yaqui. 15, 000 Yaqui were enslaved, and 60, 000 died during deportation. The genocide came to an end when President Díaz was overthrown in 1911, although minor skirmishes continued until 1929. | ||
=== Genocide in South America === | === Genocide in South America === | ||
==== [[Massacre of Salsipuedes]] ==== | ==== [[Massacre of Salsipuedes]] ==== | ||
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==== [[Pacification of Araucania]] ==== | ==== [[Pacification of Araucania]] ==== | ||
Similar to Argentina's Conquest of the Desert, the Chilean occupation of Araucania was a campaign of territorial expansion to colonize Patagonia and annex Mapuche territories. The Chilean conquest led to many Mapuches getting killed in war and dying of foreign diseases such as smallpox. The occupation also led to the Mapuches being left in a state of poverty for generations | Similar to Argentina's Conquest of the Desert, the Chilean occupation of Araucania was a campaign of territorial expansion to colonize Patagonia and annex Mapuche territories. The Chilean conquest led to many Mapuches getting killed in war and dying of foreign diseases such as smallpox. The occupation also led to the Mapuches being left in a state of poverty for generations. | ||
==== [[Selk'nam Genocide]] ==== | ==== [[Selk'nam Genocide]] ==== | ||
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The Peruvian government ceded to the [[Peruvian Amazon Company]] the Amazon territories north of Loreto, after the company's founder [[Julio César Arana]] purchased the land. Shortly after, private hosts of Arana – brought from Barbados – which consisted of forcing Amerindians to work for him in exchange for "favors and protection", with the offer being unable to deny as disagreements led to their [[kidnapping]] by mercenaries paid by the company. The Amerindians were subjected to isolation processes in remote areas to collect rubber in inhuman conditions and if they did not meet the required amount, they were punished with death or were disappeared in "distant camps" where ninety percent of the affected Amazonian populations were annihilated. | The Peruvian government ceded to the [[Peruvian Amazon Company]] the Amazon territories north of Loreto, after the company's founder [[Julio César Arana]] purchased the land. Shortly after, private hosts of Arana – brought from Barbados – which consisted of forcing Amerindians to work for him in exchange for "favors and protection", with the offer being unable to deny as disagreements led to their [[kidnapping]] by mercenaries paid by the company. The Amerindians were subjected to isolation processes in remote areas to collect rubber in inhuman conditions and if they did not meet the required amount, they were punished with death or were disappeared in "distant camps" where ninety percent of the affected Amazonian populations were annihilated. | ||
=== | ===Genocide in USA and Canada=== | ||
====Beothuk extinction==== | |||
The Canadian Beothuk people of Newfoundland became extinct in 1829. Initially co-existing with English settlers, the Beothuk had been forced off their fisheries and hunting grounds in the 17th Century, leading to starvation. The Beothuk’s attempts to reclaim these lands resulted in an all-out war during which the Beothuk were hunted down and killed. The colonial government attempted to mitigate this by putting out a reward for capturing Beothuk alive, but this just lead to more killing as settlers slaughtered any Beothuk who resisted capture. The last few Beothuk died of tuberculosis introduced by the settlers in captivity. | |||
==== | |||
The Canadian Beothuk people of Newfoundland became extinct in 1829. Initially co-existing with English settlers, the Beothuk had been forced off their fisheries and hunting grounds in the 17th Century, leading to starvation. The Beothuk’s attempts to reclaim these lands resulted in an all-out war during which the Beothuk were hunted down and killed. The colonial government attempted to mitigate this by putting out a reward for capturing Beothuk alive, but this just lead to more killing as settlers slaughtered any Beothuk who resisted capture. The last few Beothuk died of tuberculosis introduced by the settlers in captivity. | |||
====[[American Indian Wars]]==== | ====[[American Indian Wars]]==== | ||
Many wars were fought against Native American tribes in the United States and Canada, first by colonial powers and then by the United States and Canadian governments. These wars left thousands, if not millions, of Natives dead and are generally viewed as [[Xenophobia|xenophobic]] and genocidal, often leading to colonists adopting policies of outright extermination against the natives if they started winning (notable examples of this tactic being seen in the Pequot War, King Philip’s War the French and Indian War and the First Seminole War among others) | Many wars were fought against Native American tribes in the United States and Canada, first by colonial powers and then by the United States and Canadian governments. These wars left thousands, if not millions, of Natives dead and are generally viewed as [[Xenophobia|xenophobic]] and genocidal, often leading to colonists adopting policies of outright extermination against the natives if they started winning (notable examples of this tactic being seen in the Pequot War, King Philip’s War the French and Indian War and the First Seminole War among others). | ||
====[[Conestoga Massacre]]==== | ====[[Conestoga Massacre]]==== | ||
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On 27 December the Paxton Boys attacked Lancaster Gaol. They shot six Conestoga adults and eight children purposefully non-fatally before mutilating and scalping them, executing those who survived with shots to the head. Governor Penn increased the reward for their capture to $600 ($21, 000 in today’s money) but they were never brought to justice because many locals sympathized with them. Only two Conestoga survived, leading to the extinction of the tribe when they died. | On 27 December the Paxton Boys attacked Lancaster Gaol. They shot six Conestoga adults and eight children purposefully non-fatally before mutilating and scalping them, executing those who survived with shots to the head. Governor Penn increased the reward for their capture to $600 ($21, 000 in today’s money) but they were never brought to justice because many locals sympathized with them. Only two Conestoga survived, leading to the extinction of the tribe when they died. | ||
====[[Gnadenhutten Massacre]]==== | ====[[Gnadenhutten Massacre]]==== | ||
At the time of the American War of Independence | At the time of the American War of Independence many Native Americans had been converted to Moravian Christianity and so remained neutral due to Christian pacifism. This alienated them from the American militias, who saw them as traitors for not helping to resist the British. | ||
On 4 March 1782, Lieutenant Colonel [[David Williamson]] lead the Pennsylvania Militia in a raid on Gnadenhutten, a Moravian Indian village inhabited mostly by Lenape and Mohican tribesmen. They first came across the half-Lenape Joseph Schebosh and hacked him to death before proceeding on to the village, where they acted friendly and falsely promised the Moravians that they would take them to Fort Pitt to keep them safe from potential enemies. Several militiamen also persuaded Moravian Indians from the nearby town of Salem to come to Gnadenhutten for safety. | On 4 March 1782, Lieutenant Colonel [[David Williamson]] lead the Pennsylvania Militia in a raid on Gnadenhutten, a Moravian Indian village inhabited mostly by Lenape and Mohican tribesmen. They first came across the half-Lenape Joseph Schebosh and hacked him to death before proceeding on to the village, where they acted friendly and falsely promised the Moravians that they would take them to Fort Pitt to keep them safe from potential enemies. Several militiamen also persuaded Moravian Indians from the nearby town of Salem to come to Gnadenhutten for safety. | ||
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Once all the Moravian Indians had gathered, the militia confiscated their guns and axes (which they used for hunting), tied them up and announced that they had been found guilty of false charges of [[murder]] and espionage. The militia voted in favor of killing them (with the exception of eighteen who refused to take part in the massacre) before taking them to “killing houses” on 8 March where they were beaten, [[Scalping|scalped]] and hacked to death while singing hymns and praying. Many native women were [[Gang Rape|gang-raped]] by the militia before being killed. Overall, 96 Moravian Indian men, women and children were killed. The militia planned to commit another massacre at a nearby Moravian Indian settlement but the inhabitants were alerted to the events at Gnadenhutten and fled before the militia arrived. | Once all the Moravian Indians had gathered, the militia confiscated their guns and axes (which they used for hunting), tied them up and announced that they had been found guilty of false charges of [[murder]] and espionage. The militia voted in favor of killing them (with the exception of eighteen who refused to take part in the massacre) before taking them to “killing houses” on 8 March where they were beaten, [[Scalping|scalped]] and hacked to death while singing hymns and praying. Many native women were [[Gang Rape|gang-raped]] by the militia before being killed. Overall, 96 Moravian Indian men, women and children were killed. The militia planned to commit another massacre at a nearby Moravian Indian settlement but the inhabitants were alerted to the events at Gnadenhutten and fled before the militia arrived. | ||
==== [[ | ====[[The Trail of Tears]]==== | ||
On | On 28 May 1830, President [[Andrew Jackson]] signed into law the [[Indian Removal Act]], which authorized the US government to confiscate Native American land. The Act was strongly enforced under Jackson’s presidency and that of his successor, [[Martin Van Buren]]. | ||
Under the Indian Removal Act, the government had a mandate to remove 50,000 Cherokee, Choctaw, Creek, Seminole and Chickasaw people from their homeland and seize it for themselves. No means of transportation were provided after the Natives were removed, meaning they were forced to walk 2,200 miles to Indian reservations. 4,000 deaths were reported on one march alone, and estimates of the total death toll range from 5,000 to 25,000. Others Natives were herded into [[concentration camp]]s until new land was found for then to settle on, but this was generally used as a last resort. | |||
==== [[ | ====[[California Genocide]]==== | ||
Following the American conquest of California, the American government decided to remove the native population of approximately 150,000 in order to make room for white settlers. This started with the first meeting of the California State Legislature in 1846, when it was decided that white settlers had the right to forcibly adopt native children against their will and instituted enslavement as the punishment for any crimes committed by natives, up to and including minor crimes such as loitering and drunkenness. | |||
When it became apparent that the natives were prepared to resist these abuses, Governor [[Peter Hardeman Burnett]] formed several state militias tasked with hunting down and killing natives, declaring that “[A] war of extermination will continue to be waged between the races until the Indian race is extinct”. The militias raided tribal outposts and shot and scalped natives, and local people soon began to form their own militias to do the same. Entire tribal populations were wiped out during the massacres, and rape of Native women by white settlers was common. Some have tried to claim that the use of rape against Native women during the California Genocide qualifies as [[genocidal rape]]; this claim, however, remains disputed. | |||
Even when the massacres ended in 1873, violence was still rife and thousands continued to die from starvation and illnesses introduced by the settlers. | |||
====[[ | ==== [[Sand Creek Massacre]] ==== | ||
On February 18 1861, a group of Cheyenne and Arapaho chiefs signed the Treaty of Fort Wise to cease much of their lands under the Fort Laramie treaty to the U.S. Government in exchange for a new reservation in eastern Colorado. | |||
Three years later, Colorado governor John Evans declared that any native should move to a fort to be granted protection by the U.S. Government in order to be recognized as peaceful. A Cheyenne tribe led by the chiefs who signed the Fort Wise treaty set out to move to the fort to be granted protection and decided to camp at Sand Creek. On May 16th, the 3rd Colorado Cavalry under Colonel [[John Chivington]] began attacking the camp, despite the chiefs signifying that they were peaceful. Under Chivington's orders, the soldiers opened fire and attacked the camp, where they killed and mutilated over one hundred women and children. Chiefs White Antelope and Lean Bear were killed during the massacre, while Black Kettle managed to escape the camp. | |||
==== [[ | ==== [[Long Walk of the Navajo]] ==== | ||
In 1864, after a Navajo tribe led by Chief Manuelito were defeated by the U.S. Army with the help of a Ute tribe, they were forced to walk 300 miles from their ancestral homelands in Arizona to eastern New Mexico. The U.S. soldiers were complicit in the suffering of the Navajo during the Long Walk. Several women who struggled to keep up were mercifully killed by the soldiers based on oral accounts from the survivors. The Navajo were also subjected to slavery after being captured by New Mexican and Ute raiders. It is estimated that about 200 Navajo people died on the Long Walk. | |||
====[[Wounded Knee Massacre]]==== | ====[[Wounded Knee Massacre]]==== | ||
Based on the 1868 Treaty of Fort Laramie, the U.S. government was able to convince the Lakota tribe to move to the Great Sioux Reservation in return for less inhumane treatment. At around this time, the Sioux took up the "Ghost Dance" religion, which taught that loving each other, working hard and not stealing or fighting would lead to the reunion of the living and the dead and the sweeping away of evil. White authorities, alarmed by this new religion, began arresting Lakota leaders, leading to many Lakota attempting to flee the reservation. | Based on the 1868 Treaty of Fort Laramie, the U.S. government was able to convince the Lakota tribe to move to the Great Sioux Reservation in return for less inhumane treatment. At around this time, the Sioux took up the "Ghost Dance" religion, which taught that loving each other, working hard and not stealing or fighting would lead to the reunion of the living and the dead and the sweeping away of evil. White authorities, alarmed by this new religion, began arresting Lakota leaders, leading to many Lakota attempting to flee the reservation. | ||
On December 29, 1890, the Seventh Cavalry Unit, lead by [[James W. Forsyth]] and acting on orders from President [[Benjamin Harrison]], intercepted a group led by Chief Spotted Elk as they were fleeing the reservation. Forsyth announced that they were to surrender all their weapons, but one deaf-mute man, Black Coyote, did not understand his orders and failed to put down his rifle. The soldiers attempted to take the rifle from | On December 29, 1890, the Seventh Cavalry Unit, lead by [[James W. Forsyth]] and acting on orders from President [[Benjamin Harrison]], intercepted a group led by Chief Spotted Elk as they were fleeing the reservation. Forsyth announced that they were to surrender all their weapons, but one deaf-mute man, Black Coyote, did not understand his orders and failed to put down his rifle. The soldiers attempted to take the rifle from him, causing it to discharge. The panicked soldiers immediately opened fire and a few warriors quickly retrieved their rifles in defense. Women and children fled and took cover in a nearby ravine, but were killed when Forsyth ordered light artillery positioned on the hill to fire on their position. It is estimated that around 300 Lakota were killed in the massacre. | ||
====Assimilation policies==== | ====Assimilation policies==== | ||
The [[Bureau of Indian Affairs]] pursued a policy of cultural assimilation of Native Americans under the Dawes Act of 1887. Based on [[Richard Pratt]]'s ideology of "kill the Indian and save the man", the BIA forcibly enrolled Native American children in "Indian boarding schools" (most infamously [[Carlisle Indian Industrial School]]) where they were banned from speaking their native language and practicing their religion. Children were harshly disciplined if they refused to assimilate into white culture and many died. Parents who refused to give up their children were incarcerated. This policy of cultural genocide finally ended in 1934 when the failures of the policy became clear and the schools were all closed. | The [[Bureau of Indian Affairs]] pursued a policy of cultural assimilation of Native Americans under the Dawes Act of 1887. Based on [[Richard Pratt]]'s ideology of "kill the Indian and save the man", the BIA forcibly enrolled Native American children in "Indian boarding schools" (most infamously [[Carlisle Indian Industrial School]]) where they were banned from speaking their native language and practicing their religion. Children were harshly disciplined if they refused to assimilate into white culture and many died. Parents who refused to give up their children were incarcerated. This policy of cultural genocide finally ended in 1934 when the failures of the policy became clear and the schools were all closed. | ||
The Canadian government pursued the same policy with the [[Canadian Indian residential school system]] which was designed to forcibly assimilate native children into | The Canadian government pursued the same policy with the [[Canadian Indian residential school system]] which was designed to forcibly assimilate native children into white culture. These schools were even more brutal than the American ones, with many acts of physical, mental and sexual abuse being committed against the children. Thousands of children died due to poor treatment until the system was closed down in 1996, and mass graves are still being uncovered today. | ||
====[[Indian termination|Indian termination policy]]==== | ====[[Indian termination|Indian termination policy]]==== | ||
"Indian termination" is a phrase describing United States policies relating to Native Americans from the mid-1940s to the mid-1960s. It was shaped by a series of laws and practices with the intent of assimilating Native Americans into mainstream American society. Cultural assimilation of Native Americans was not new; the belief that indigenous people should abandon their traditional lives and become what the government considers "civilized" had been the basis of policy for centuries. What was new, however, was the sense of urgency that, with or without consent, tribes must be terminated and begin to live "as Americans." To that end, Congress set about ending the special relationship between tribes and the federal government. | "Indian termination" is a phrase describing United States policies relating to Native Americans from the mid-1940s to the mid-1960s. It was shaped by a series of laws and practices with the intent of assimilating Native Americans into mainstream American society. Cultural assimilation of Native Americans was not new; the belief that indigenous people should abandon their traditional lives and become what the government considers "civilized" had been the basis of policy for centuries. What was new, however, was the sense of urgency that, with or without consent, tribes must be terminated and begin to live "as Americans." To that end, Congress set about ending the special relationship between tribes and the federal government. | ||
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During the 1960s and 1970s, the Indian Health Service performed thousands of sterilizations on Native American women between the ages of 15 and 44, with 3,406 women being sterilized between 1973 and 1976. Most of these sterilizations were performed without informed consent, with the women being either tricked into thinking the process was reversible, blackmailed into consenting with threats of losing welfare or simply forced to undergo the procedure with no prior knowledge. This was part of a wider policy of [[eugenics]] which also included African-Americans and the poor. It was halted in 1976 when the General Accountability Office found the sterilizations to be noncompliant with IHS ethics and policy and declared a moratorium on all sterilization procedures. | During the 1960s and 1970s, the Indian Health Service performed thousands of sterilizations on Native American women between the ages of 15 and 44, with 3,406 women being sterilized between 1973 and 1976. Most of these sterilizations were performed without informed consent, with the women being either tricked into thinking the process was reversible, blackmailed into consenting with threats of losing welfare or simply forced to undergo the procedure with no prior knowledge. This was part of a wider policy of [[eugenics]] which also included African-Americans and the poor. It was halted in 1976 when the General Accountability Office found the sterilizations to be noncompliant with IHS ethics and policy and declared a moratorium on all sterilization procedures. | ||
=== [[Guatemalan Genocide]] === | |||
During the [[Guatemalan Civil War]], Guatemalan officials began persecuting Mayan civilians for allegedly supporting leftist rebels during the war as well as being viewed as sub-human. Mayan women were subjected to [[genocidal rape]] and abductions, while others were executed and dumped in unmarked graves. It is estimated that 150,000 Mayan civilians were killed during the genocide, while another 200,000 people fled the country and took refuge in southern Mexico. | |||
[[Category:Villainous Event]] | [[Category:Villainous Event]] | ||
[[Category:United States of America]] | [[Category:United States of America]] | ||
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[[Category:War Criminal]] | [[Category:War Criminal]] | ||
[[Category:Mongers]] | [[Category:Mongers]] | ||
[[Category:Starvers]] | |||
[[Category:Eco Destroyer]] | [[Category:Eco Destroyer]] | ||
[[Category:Animal Cruelty]] | [[Category:Animal Cruelty]] | ||
[[Category:Kidnapper]] | [[Category:Kidnapper]] | ||