Native American Discrimination
Sarah E Sturdy
Discrimination of Native Americans
The discrimination of Native Americans can be traced back through history for many generations. Though not as bad today, Native Americans have suffered many injustices over the years. Native Americans have been forced to live with dual labor markets, environmental justice issues, and institutional discrimination (Schaefer 2006).
By finding artifacts and ruins left behind, it has made it easier for scientists to track their migration as well as learn more of their traditions. Spanish explorers made their way to the Americas in the 15th century. Some people believe Columbus was the first to find and inhabit America. The truth is the Native Americans were already here. This is when the first contact with Native Americans took place. Soon after this, more Europeans started arriving and eventually colonized most of the Americas.
Native Americans were not the minority group at this time and they did little in the way of welcoming the European. In fact, they were really quite hostile towards the Europeans. The feeling was somewhat mutual too. The European pilgrims always felt that there was not enough land for both colonists and Native Americans to live in peace. (Philbrick, 2006). There were often fights and battles between the two settlers. There is even evidence that Natives would capture and torture the new settlers.
European settlers said that the behavior of the Native Americans was unchristian-like and that they deserved slavery or genocide. (Philbrick, 2006). Europeans viewed the Indians as savages. Spanish Conquistadors traveled all over Central and South America slaughtering thousands of these “savage people.”
In the 19th century is when the segregation of Natives took place. The American Government treated Natives as though they were trash. They acted as if they had no say in their own lives. The Natives were to do as the...