The Colonization of Native Americans:
Journal Entry of a Native American Woman
Rachelle Knapp
August 17, 2009
Axia College
The white men are taking over our lands. They are pushing us further and further away from
our hunting grounds. They are taking our heritage and do not seem to care how it is affecting us.
They have killed all the bison to keep us dependent upon them for survival. They want us to
change our spiritual ways and believe in their god. I do not understand why this is all happening
to us. We lived here peacefully for many years. We shared everything. All they have done is
come in and taken from us. We do not deserve this. We have done nothing wrong. They claim
the land is theirs. But the land does not belong to any one person. It belongs to all. We respect
the land we have been given and used it to produce health, life and harmony. All they have done
is take what they want and destroy the rest.
about this situation. We are being forced more and more to leave our lands and live in colonies
set up by the white man. My people are dying from diseases we have no treatments for. I believe
the white man has brought some of these diseases intentionally.
tribes trying to save what little we can. I fear every day for my life. I do not know if I will live or
die. Many of us have been enslaved and forced to work for the white man upon threat of death if
we refuse. I have lost my husband because of this. He was a proud man and would not be a slave
to anyone. So they killed him. He went to his death peacefully. I am proud of him but I miss him
so much as do our children. My eldest son wants to go fight in the wars but I cannot bear to lose
him as well. I keep my children close with me at all times. We are moving constantly and always
hiding.
They have fished all our waters so much there are no fish left either. The poor fish can not spawn
fast enough to keep up with how fast they are...