Webblog

Sharp discussion

2008-10-14T13:33:00.002-05:00

Hello all,

I noticed that nobody had posted any initial impressions of Sharp's book, so I thought I would throw a few thoughts out and see if it helps get anything going. Anyway, my simple questions are how does Sharp's argument compare with Webb's environmental determinism? And what Sharp's ideas of the Native Americans compared with Webb's?

Tom

Lecture 4 rp

2008-10-14T12:56:00.002-05:00

Lecture 4 began with how the Indians were viewed by whites and how there have been three phases of white historys of the plains that first saw the Indians as savages, then victims, and then people with agency. Given that there have been three phases of history so far with reguards to how we view this time period would it be possible to see another phase? The lecture then goes on to talk about how the first historians used documentation to learn about the Indians and not archeology which may have explained some of their harsh views of the plains Indians. The lecture also talks about the different stages of Indian life from the paleo-Indians to the hunter-gatherer stage and the village farmer stage. The lecture also covers the Metis, discussing their orgins and how they lived early on and later covers the Metis rebellion during the discussion on the Indian wars. Another big part of the lecture was the discussion on the many different treaties between the U.S. government and the plains Indians. What I found most interesting is how our government was so quick to change a treaty when there was something they wanted involved. I think that shows either a blatant disrespect for the Indians or maybe the government felt so strongly that the Indians would eventually be assimilated and dissappear that it would not really matter if they broke the treaties or not. The lecture also covers Indians during WWII, recent Indian movements, Indian policy in both the U.S. and Canada, Indian boarding schools, assimilation of the Indians, and the railroads dooming the Indians. I find the railroad sealing the fate of the Indians interesting mostly because close to our cabin all withing twenty miles of each other there are historical markers two of which are marked so. One of the markers is for a railroad site, the next not more then 15 miles south west would be a U.S. Indian war site maker, and not more then 15 miles north west of that site, if you know the right people you can find some Indian burrial mounds.

RP: Lecture 4

2008-10-14T12:45:00.001-05:00

Lecture 4 began with Mr. Isern talking about how the Indians used to be looked upon as harsh savages, and he told a little bit about some of the books that were written supporting this idea. He then went on to explain the white histories of the Plains Indians, how they went from being seen as savages to victims, and finally to people with agency.
We also talked about Indians being hunters and gatherers, and some of what they did hunting mammoths and what types of foods they gathered. It was really interesting to me how Indians getting horses transformed their culture to a more solid trading economy. The Metis were alsom mentioned around this time, and we talked about their ties with fur-trading businesses and things like that.
One thing that stuck out to me was the different ways that Indians identify themselves, and what it means to be an Indian. I liked the story Mr. Isern told about Indians from different tribes getting sent to boarding schools and forming a broader sense of being Indian, not just a certain tribe.
After all of this we talked more about whites and the Americans trying to eradicate the Indians through much of history Whether it was by putting them on reservations, fighting them in battles, or things like the Dawes act and the boarding schools, the government tried for a very long time to either get rid of the Indians or to destroy their culture. It seems weird to me how the government who says everyone is equal thinks they could get rid of a culture, but I guess they just didn’t view Indians as actual people. Eventually the government has learned better though, and is now treating Indians much better and trying to make up for what they have done in the past.
One last thing I found interesting and hadn’t known before was that the Indian culture might not have continued on without interruption from whites. I thought that the buffalo would have lasted them forever, and I wonder what would have actually happened had the whites not pushed west so fast in America.

Lecture 4

2008-10-14T12:34:00.002-05:00

During lecture four we discussed the lives and hardships of Native Americans. We touched on reservation life, boarding schools for Native American children, and Indian uprisings throughout history. I learned that the main strategy to break up the Native American culture was to separate families by either sending their children to boarding schools or by relocating young adults and giving them some money to start on. Neither of these strategies worked as planned. An example of the boarding schools failing is the football game at Hascle school in 1926. The parents of the children at the boarding school played their drums and intimidated the other team. The children at these boarding school no longer stayed in groups according to tribe, but instead banded into one group and took on an “Indian Identity.” The idea of relocation didn’t work either because these young adults had never been taught how to live on their own and the amount of money they were given didn’t last very long. Another attempt to get rid of the Indians occurred in the 1950’s. Treaties with tribes were terminated in an attempt to force Indians to blend in with Americans, but this plan didn’t work either.

I thought the most interesting part of this lecture was the ways the U.S. tried to make Indians blend into society. In my opinion the way they went about it was both ineffective and poorly planned way. What did the government expect the Indians to do when their families were forced apart. When people are forced to do something they are less likely to conform to your ideas and will definitely do as much as they can to ensure that you plan doesn’t work. I don’t think Indians could have been made to blend in into society no matter what strategy was used.

RP: Heritage Event

2008-10-14T10:13:00.002-05:00

On Sunday October 12th, my mother and I traveled to St. John the Evangelist Church in Grafton, ND for their turkey and ham fall supper. The first thing I noticed when we were driving into town was the large double billboard proclaiming the 3 state titles that the high school had won the past year, stressing how important that aspect is to the community. The parking lot was crowded as we tried to find a parking spot. The meal ran from 11am to 4pm, and we had arrived at peak lunch time around 1pm. The church itself looked rather modern, although upon questioning the older gentlemen at the ticket table I found out that the current building was built in 1963 and that the parish itself has been in Grafton since Christmas Day of 1881. As we were standing in line I thought it was a great idea that there was a bake sale/raffle going on at the same time. We couldn't resist and purchased some homemade donuts and something my mom said my grandmother used to make for her as a kid called prune rolls.

The food was amazing, and everything was homemade. We walked up with our plate and were served turkey, ham, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy and of course some dessert! It was definitely worth the trip for the food alone. We seated ourselves next a family and proceeded to ask them about the church and fall supper. They were very friendly, especially the young girl who I poured the lemonade for who said please and thank you for everything. The one comment that stood out to me was from an older woman who worked the fall supper and was just on a break to eat. She said that although the supper was for a fundraising purpose it was more of a social gathering. She mentioned how after all the work and time, it would almost be easier to just send out donation slips to the members, but that it just wouldn't be the same as having the fall supper.

An interesting aspect that I noticed while looking at the crowd gathered in the social hall of the parish was an age gap. It seemed like there was young kids, like the 6 yr old sitting next to me, and then it jumped up to adults, with a high number looking like they were in their 60's 70's or 80's. Where are all the high school and college kids? Even the mom sitting at the table with us was questioning how there must be some student organization that could at least help, but none were to be found. I am just wondering if anyone else who went to a fall supper has noticed this age gap or was Grafton just an exception?

Addition to ND Heritage Center

2008-10-14T09:16:00.002-05:00

I get e-mail alerts from the Grand Forks Herald, and this article is one that might be of interest to those in this class. It talks about a $52.4 million addition to the ND Heritage Center. Enjoy...

http://www.grandforksherald.com/articles/index.cfm?id=89458&freebie_check&CFID=102195959&CFTOKEN=22113522&jsessionid=8830e290ec0668296b66

Further Hutmacher Details

2008-10-13T22:38:00.001-05:00

Heritage Service Learning at the Hutmacher Farmstead, Dunn County, North Dakota

Heritage Service opportunity! 60 points possible! (See grade pages of course websites for how service learning points fit into the grading scheme.)

Participants: 16 students (from HIST 431 & HIST 103 classes) + Prof. Isern & wife Suzzanne Kelley

Departing Friday 17 October, 5pm, from T Lot
Returning Sunday 19 October, 7pm, to same place

Transport provided (state vans)
Lodging provided (three persons to a room in Dickinson motels)
Snacks & beverages provided at work-site
Buy your own meals
- Dining Friday evening en route at the Wood House, Bismarck
- Dining Saturday evening at the Buckskin Bar & Grill, Killdeer

The project: restoration of the Hutmacher farmstead, a stone & earth building complex in Dunn County, North Dakota. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Hutmacher farm is an outstanding example of German-Russian folk architecture. Restoration is being conducted by Preservation North Dakota. NDSU student participation is sponsored by the Center for Heritage Renewal. Check out the center's Webshots and Youtube sites for photos and video of previous work parties at this historic site. Look up additional material about the Hutmacher farmstead at the PND site.

Main tasks underway: rebuilding exterior stone walls and the earth roof. The roofing is of particular historical and architectural interest. The roof rests on native timbers, across which are laid branches of local chokecherry, plum, and so on. Atop that goes a layer of flax straw. Atop that goes a layer of locally quarried clay, applied by hand. And atop that a mix of clay and gravel. Process carried out under specifications provided by an expert consultant in earthen buildings.

Have collected expressions of interest by email – thanks to all who have responded. Will need definite commitments on or about Tuesday 14 October. If you commit, show up, on time!

Clothing: we'll watch the weather and dress for it. Work clothes, and the work will be dirty. Tools provided. Try not to over-pack, because we’ll be six to a van.

I can tell you, it's an amazing place, the Hutmacher farm, and a good time to be had working with mud and stuff like that and then relaxing in the Buckskin Bar & Grill.

Lecture 4 Response

2008-10-13T18:20:00.004-05:00

In Lecture 4, "Born Upon the Prairie," Mr. Isern mentioned the three terms that whites used to describe Indians. They were "savages," "victims," and then "people." We talked about what constitutes being an Indian. Tribal membership has been used to decide on qualifications for tribal rolls and the Haskell Model of Indian Identity was made. Additionally, we talked about alternative Indian labels. Honestly, the only terms that I've heard include Indians, Native Americans, and Natives. The others were unfamiliar to me until now. Personally, I prefer to use the label, Native Americans.

We talked about the fact that the Plains Indians were hunters and gatherers. A popular hunt included assembling a mammoth hunting group. Gatherers often collected berries. We also talked about how village farmers resided in semi-permanent villages in conjunction with fields of crops. A new cycle of adaptation emerged when Reservation life was introduced to the Indians. They were confined through removal and conquest.

In class, Mr. Isern mentioned that cultural transformation largely consisted of the acquisition of the horse and induction into mercantile economy. This was important because it resulted in commercial hunting and acquisition of firearms.

Learning about the Metis was interesting to me because their European-Indian identity led to alliances in the fur-trading business. Yet, in the lecture, it was clear that whites wanted to get rid of the Indian way of life. Acts of "Indian Removal" were included in the concentration policy, Red Cloud's War, Colorado's Indian War, and the Red River Wars. I thought that Mr. Isern was justified in describing the White's actions as an "assault on cultures." I know that I wouldn't be happy to have been put on a reservation! In the end, I guess it was understandable that such rebellions as the Red River Rebellion and the 1885 Rebellion took place. - Dain Sullivan

LR:Lecture 4

2008-10-13T15:42:00.002-05:00

Lecture four was entitled "Born upon the prairie". The lecture focused mainly on the native peoples of the plains. We began the lecture by discussing the three most used terms used by whites to explain Indians; those three ideas were savages, victims, and people with agency. We then moved in to what an Indian is and from the definition given in class it seems as though they get to decide (each individual tribe) what the qualifications are for being in a tribe. The next part of the lecture we talked about the history of the native peoples, from Paleo-Indians, hunter and gatherer, farmers, to reservation life; harping on what caused this transformation between farmers to being forced on reservations. The next part of the lecture was very interesting to me, it focused on the Metis who were mix bloods between Europeans and Indians. I guess I had just never thought about the effects of mingling between the explorers and the Indians; this must have caused a lot of scrutiny maybe even racism. We then dove into fatal contact. Now personally I believe this a little, white people would have to have certain diseases that were unknown to the Indian's immune system but I think more of what fatal contact is, is simply the way settlers perceive human life. They believe that the Indians are "savage" so it is OK to kill all of them.
Parts of the lecture that I enjoyed were the discussions we had about the wars that occured. For the most part it seemed that these weren't really wars just the random slaying of natives. The other part of the lecture I enjoyed was the talks about the bison. I am a zoology major so anything with animals is right up my ally. Before I moved up here I didn't even really know what a bison was, now after living here for 14 years it seems bison had a huge part in my childhood, from the Dickinson monument, our school name, to camping trips to Theodore Roosevelt Park. If there was one thing I would like to know more about this lecture is would be the Indian service in WWII. I find that war very interesting and have not heard much information about the contribution of Indians to that war.

Film Review: Friday Night Lights

2008-10-13T13:21:00.002-05:00

The film "Friday Night Lights" is based on a true story that took place in west Texas in 1988. Billy Bob Thornton plays the head football coach for the Permian Panthers, Gary Gaines.

The movie begins with the football team's first practice. Football is a huge part of the town and many people have played football for Permian and won state. The Panthers with their star running back Boobie Miles are predicted to win state, so expectations couldn't be any higher. Because of this and football begin a corner stone of the town, there is a great deal of pressure on the players. Once the season starts, Boobie Miles gets injured. The Panthers struggle for the next couple games because they relied so heavily on Miles. Coach Gaines receives most of the blame. The players face many challenges on and off the field, but the team then comes together and steps up to eventually find themselves at the state championship. Now, I don't want to spoil the ending because it's one that needs to be seen.

This movie was very enjoyable to watch. One particular thing I liked was the wide angle views of the Texas plains. A reason I enjoyed it is because it can be related to our own experiences of playing sports on the plains. This film is structured very well and has good themes. A major theme of the film was unity or coming together. The town, the players, the parents, and the coaches all have their own problems, but when it's Friday and those lights come on everyone comes together to watch or play the game of football. The movie has plenty of suspense so if you enjoy a good sports movie this is one for you.

Lecture #4 Response

2008-10-12T20:37:00.001-05:00

"Born Upon the Prairie" focused on the Indians of the Plains. Europeans viewed Indians in different ways as time progressed. First, Indians were seen as savages, then victims, then people with agency. When Europeans colonized the Great Plains, they assumed that the Indians would disappear due to what became known as the fatal contact. At the time, Europeans assumed that other people groups would die out because of the Europeans' superiority. Now we know that exposing people to new diseases played a big role in fatal contact. The Plains Indians were different. They, in fact, did not disappear, so whites were faced with a new challenge. The Plains Indians went through stages of vanishing. First was moving them to one big reservation (the Plains). This was done in the 1840s because it was thought that no white person wanted to live there anyway. Next was the Concentration Policy. It was designed to clear the routes that whites traveled. Finally, Indians were moved onto Reservations. Americans were insensitive to Indian culture, attempting to make Indian children assimilate into the white man's culture. The Merriam Report of 1928 took the focus off assimilation and tried to help Indian children adapt to both cultures.

One of the most interesting parts of this lecture for me was learning about the Metis. The Metis had a major settlement on the Red River where they farmed lots. The Metis were of European paternity and Indian maternity. This created interesting relationships between Indian tribes and European fur traders. Because of these relationships, fur traders would come back to this area every year to trade. Fur trading was an important business for the Plains Indians. Accompanying the fur trade was the demand for pemmican. I would have liked to go more in depth learning about this people group. I wonder how the relationships worked. For instance, did the Indian women go back to Europe with their husbands and children or did some of the European men stay in the Plains and live among the tribes of their wives?

R.P. Lecture 4

2008-10-12T10:44:00.002-05:00

In Lecture 4 "Born Upon the Prairie" all we talked about was the Plains Indians. There was the 3 phases of white histories of the Plain Indians, 1. savages 2. victims 3. people. What I found interesting was that the tribes have memberships. The tribes decide on qualifications for tribal rolls. In Canada they call Indians "First Nations", I get the meaning of it but I just find it weird that Canada is so close to us and yet they still try to be so different from us.
The Metis are mixed blood between the European and the Natives. They settled on the Red River and hunted for Buffalo for trade. The Vanishing Natives were because of the fatal contract, Indian Wars, and starvation in Canada. Then we talked about the all the wars including Red Clouds War, the Colorado War, the Sioux War, and the River Wars. The Indian New Deal was in 1928 and what I kind of knew from movies was that they had some impacts in WWII when they served. They broke and set new codes that could not be broken which I think is a very big and useful thing in war, so I thought that was very cool. There was the AIM which stands for the Angry Indian Movement, included wounded Knee II in 1973. It was in the Nixon Administration and the Indians got Casinos and land. Which today their Casinos are a big deal and I am thinking raking in a lot of money. In this lecture we talked about a lot more and it was all pretty interesting and I probably could go on for another page but I wont.

Matthew Lee

LR- Lecture 4

2008-10-11T19:42:00.002-05:00

I have had alot of different history courses over the years and each teacher seems to approach Native American history in a different way. Some are rather vague, ignoring most of the facts and instead focusing on outlandish tall tales of Indians and their interactions with white settlers. Other teachers are very biased towards Natives, they keep with the old ways by degrading them and reenforcing the misconceptions that have been cemented into our minds. Dr. Isern however, has a different fresh approach towards the subject. He presents us with simple facts and heartfelt stories that allow us to view the people as real "humans" and develop a relationship with them to better understand how they feel towards the Great Plains and the people that tried to conquer them.
The part of the lecture with the fur trading was one of the most interesting parts of the lecture. The funny stories that Isern tells us helps me to understand the human spirit behind the actions. Life on the Great Plains was unbelieveably hard and was a daily struggle just to stay alive. The unique blend of animals, weather, and people are the only way that anything survived on the Plains. Only through hard work and adaptation of culture to the environment we the Native Americans able to survive.
When Isern describes reservation life it makes me very sad. It reminds me of the concentration camps in Germany and the Japanese Interment camps that the United States used during World War II. People have been constantly persecuted for being who you are and the Native American's are no different. We take their land from them then give it back in little pieces all with the stipulation that they are lucky for what they got and they had better not complain. It is disturbing that our government would be ok with a policy that is destructive and deadly towards an entire race. Amazingly the Natives managed to survive and even thrive in different parts of the country. No matter how much crap we throw at them they never give up. It really says something about the human spirit and the boundaries it will cross to succed and survive.

RP Lecture 4

2008-10-10T22:52:00.005-05:00

In lecture 4 we discussed the Indians of the plains. I like the way Dr. Isern presented the lecture without a European/White history slant and presented it as sort of a non bias or outside observer role. He didn't present the Indian's as savages like Webb would but he also didn't present them as being a complete victim of the white people on the plains. During the course of lecture 4 we studied more of the history of the Indian's since contact with white people, from their role during the first Spanish junkets out onto the plains up to the recent events that the Indian's have faced including tribal recognition, life on the reservation and the indian migration to the big cities then back home to the reservations again. I would have liked to study more about the different tribes and their history, such as why were the Commanches so good on horseback, why were the Apaches such good fighters and why were the Sioux/Lakota feared by everyone on the northern plains? Also when I was younger I remember hearing alot about Leonard Peltier but never knew the backstore related to him so I would have liked to learn more about him.

The story of the plains Indians is a story of ebb and tide, when the plains were first being explored by white people the plains Indians were a force to be reckoned with, they usually led good lives compared to European or early American white people. They lived in harmony with nature, thousands of years on the plains helped them evolve their life style to their environment and they not only survived by they prospered. But after white people made their way onto the plains and the government got involved the Indians life changed dramatically, they were starved out, killed off or forcibly relocated onto reservations. The land of the reservations were of poor quality and the Indians themselves had to try to adapt to the white people household roles where the males were farmers and the women were the "house keepers" which went against they history, on top of that the children were sent to boarding schools to try to ingratiate them into the white people world. Through all of this struggle they survived and recently they have come full circle and the tribes amount the plains are again in a seat of power. With income from casinos and an expanding population they are growing their communities ever larger, they are expanding by buying land surrounding the reservations and are also getting into the energy sector with recently proposed wind turbine farms in South Dakota and a refinery in North Dakota.

RP: Heritage Site

2008-10-10T14:28:00.004-05:00

This afternoon I visited the Bonanzaville heritage site which is located in West Fargo, ND. The site consists of two sections. The first is a museum that has several different exhibits. The second section has several buildings set up in a village format. These buildings are ones that were used by early settlers on the plains.

I started out in the museum which had three different exhibits on display. The first looked at the history of Bonanza farming in the Red River Valley. They had a couple pieces of machinery on display and many informational plaques on the walls. Inside this exhibit they also had a section that talked about the railroads affect on farming in this area. One of the displays that I found most interesting was a poster that was advertising an auction of equipment and animals from a Bonanza farm that was going out of business.

The next exhibit was a history of Cass County. This was the smallest of the three exhibits and consisted primarily of a very detailed timeline that ran around the walls of the exhibit. The timeline was interesting to walk through and read about this region from the first Natives that lived in the area to present day.

The last exhibit in the museum section was about Native Americans from this area. This section had the most items on display. They ranged from hand tools and clothing to a large stuffed bison. The display that I liked the most was one that showed how arrow heads and spear tips had changed from the beginning of Natives living in the region.

The weather did not cooperate with me today so I moved quickly through the outdoor section of the site. There were several buildings ranging from small cabins to a church and businesses. These were interesting to walk through and see. They had the buildings furnished with items that could have been found in them when they were being used. Bonanzaville is an interesting place to visit and there is a lot of things to see there. I would definitely recommend visiting this site.

Mitch Tommerdahl

RP: Lecture 4

2008-10-10T11:25:00.002-05:00

Our fourth lecture "Born Upon the Prairie" is based upon the life of Native Americans on the Great Plains. The Plains Indians were both nomadic and non-agricultural until the arrival of the horse which changed their way of life entirely. The archaeology of the Plains Indians goes from big game hunters, to hunters and gatherers, to village farmers. Once the Indians came into contact with whites everything drastically changed. Fatal contact was an assumption by whites of the inevitable disappearance of inferior peoples. The Indian Wars in the U.S. were a dark cloud in American history because of massacres such as at Sand Creek in 1863. Many women and children were killed during the Indian Wars. White history has three different phases of Plains Indians. Savages, as described by Webb among others, victims, as shown in the book "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee", and lastly as people. The Indians couldn't keep up with the American military thanks in part to the railroads which provided easy mobility. They were forced onto reservations by the government, the last stage of Plains Indian archeology, where they tried to maintain their heritage as much as they could.

I think it is interesting to think about the demise of the plains bison. Both the southern and northern herds were eradicated by 1883. If the "fatal contact" hadn't occurred would the Indians have been able to continue sustaining themselves with bison? How long before they would have eliminated all of the bison themselves? Also could they see the change gradually happening when they were introduced to mercantile economy and fur trade?

Lecture 4

2008-10-09T23:06:00.001-05:00

When European history discusses the Native Americans, their perceptions of the natives have changed throughout the last two centuries. Initially the natives were thought to be savages and wild men who were better off miles away. Later on in the late nineteenth century, events and genocides such as the massacre at Wounded Knee left the Army and many western settlers with a feeling of hatred to these people. This would remain until into the mid twentieth century when whites would finally come to realize that these people were really the victims. With time now many Anglo-Americans have began to see the native people as human beings and as equals.
I believe it to be extremely interesting that so many settlers of the west, unlike the settlers of the east, fought to drive the natives off the plains so they could farm, ranch and live it for themselves; where as decades ago, many eastern American colonists relied on favorable relationships with the natives in order to survive. Was it the hope and dream of 'manifest destiny' that drove settlers to the west coast and back to the plains in order to conquer the whole land? What made the European newcomers believe that everything around them and in front of them was up for the taking and failed to acknowledge that these lands of the plains and west were and had been lands of the Native Americans?
When discussing fur bears, I found it amazing how the natives would trap beaver in other territories and not there own, which then allowed the beavers in their territory to damn up the rivers to ensure a water source for them and their prey.
Lastly, Canada's history of fighting off the Native Americans from the plains region is far less bloody and harsh compared to the way the Europeans did it in America. As we found out, the battle of destroying Native American establishments and culture from the plains is a no-win battle even today. You can not destroy the tradition and ideas that shaped the plains environment and life, they can only be modified and can not be lost.

Lecture 4- Born Upon the Plains (I forgot to add a title).

2008-10-09T20:45:00.001-05:00

Discussions were held upon Webb's view of the natives being inferior and savages in the eyes of the whites. The big game hunters eventually became hunters and gatherers as conditions changed. They began to consume a more vegetative diet. When contact was made with the whites, the culture changed from two important factors- acquisition of horses, and induction into mercantile economy. This also led to "fatal contact" which led to a great decline in their population. Bison were overhunted and almost eradicated from the plains. Treaties were established and broken over and over again. Tension led to conflict and massacres of natives. The railroad gave soldiers an advantage to resupply ammunition and men. Natives turned to spiritual support in the hopes that help would come and wipe out the whites. Assimilation into the white culture became popular, and many methods like boarding schools were utilized to erase the "Indian Identity."The topic of Native Americans is my favorite topic because of the image I have developed of the Plains Native Americans. I have always viewed them as independent warriors that could survive anything. I first became interested in Native Americans when I found several artifacts in our fields. It fascinates me to think that these people once roamed the area that I live on. I also find it fascinating how greed can cause so much damage to a population. The white's greed for land almost led to genocide of a race. I'm glad that they became more humane in their approach, but it was a little too late. Carter brought up a very good point; they had already started war with people they had viewed inferior. If they left too many alive, they would be setting themselves up for a rebellion in the future. Their greed got the better of them before they realized the destruction they caused. I agree with a lot of what Cassie said as far as whites taking their land. Luckily, my ancestors had arrived long after the wars, but I can't help but to feel a little guilty that this land was taken in such a brutal way. I also see Emily's view as to move on because it's over and done with. However, why are the Native Americans still getting funded if this issue was "supposed" to be solved long ago? Was assimilation successful if reservations still exist, and money is still coming from taxpayers?-Chris Schmaltz

Lecture 4- Born Upon the Plains (I forgot to add a title).

2008-10-09T20:39:00.002-05:00

Discussions were held upon Webb’s view of the natives being inferior and savages in the eyes of the whites. The big game hunters eventually became hunters and gatherers as conditions changed. They began to consume a more vegetative diet. When contact was made with the whites, the culture changed from two important factors- acquisition of horses, and induction into mercantile economy. This also led to "fatal contact" which led to a great decline in their population. Bison were overhunted and almost eradicated from the plains. Treaties were established and broken over and over again. Tension led to conflict and massacres of natives. The railroad gave soldiers an advantage to resupply ammunition and men. Natives turned to spiritual support in the hopes that help would come and wipe out the whites. Assimilation into the white culture became popular, and many methods like boarding schools were utilized to erase the "Indian Identity."
The topic of Native Americans is my favorite topic because of the image I have developed of the Plains Native Americans. I have always viewed them as independent warriors that could survive anything. I first became interested in Native Americans when I found several artifacts in our fields. It fascinates me to think that these people once roamed the area that I live on. I also find it fascinating how greed can cause so much damage to a population. The white's greed for land almost led to genocide of a race. I'm glad that they became more humane in their approach, but it was a little too late. Carter brought up a very good point; they had already started war with people they had viewed inferior. If they left too many alive, they would have to worry about a rebellion in the future. Their greed got the better of them before they realized the destruction they caused.
I agree with a lot of what Cassie said as far as whites taking their land. Luckily, my ancestors had arrived long after the wars, but I can't help but to feel a little guilty that this land was taken in such a brutal way. I also see Emily’s view as to move on because it's over and done with. However, why are the Native Americans still getting funded if this issue was "supposed" to be solved long ago? Was assimilation successful if reservations still exist, and money is still coming from taxpayers?-Chris Schmaltz

2008-10-09T20:34:00.003-05:00

Discussions were held upon Webb's view of the natives being inferior and savages in the eyes of the whites. The big game hunters eventually became hunters and gatherers as conditions changed. They began to consume a more vegetative diet. When contact was made with the whites, the culture changed from two important factors- acquisition of horses, and induction into mercantile economy. This also led to "fatal contact" which led to a great decline in their population. Bison were overhunted and almost eradicated from the plains. Treaties were established and broken over and over again. Tension led to conflict and massacres of natives. The railroad gave soldiers an advantage to resupply ammunition and men. Natives turned to spiritual support in the hopes that help would come and wipe out the whites. Assimilation into the white culture became popular, and many methods like boarding schools were utilized to erase the "Indian Identity."
The topic of Native Americans is my favorite topic because of the image I have developed of the Plains Native Americans. I have always viewed them as independent warriors that could survive anything. I first became interested in Native Americans when I found several artifacts in our fields. It fascinates me to think that these people once roamed the area that I live on. I also find it fascinating how greed can cause so much damage to a population. The white’s greed for land almost led to genocide of a race. I'm glad that they became more humane in their approach, but it was a little too late. Carter brought up a very good point; they had already started war with people they had viewed inferior. If they left too many alive, they would be setting themselves up for a rebellion in the future. Their greed got the better of them before they realized the destruction they caused.
I agree with a lot of what Cassie said as far as whites taking their land. Luckily, my ancestors had arrived long after the wars, but I can’t help but to feel a little guilty that this land was taken in such a brutal way. I also see Emily's view as to move on because it's over and done with. However, why are the Native Americans still getting funded if this issue was "supposed" to be solved long ago? Was assimilation successful if reservations still exist, and money is still coming from taxpayers?

Heritage Site

2008-10-09T16:50:00.003-05:00

I visited the North Dakota Heritage Center Thursday morning, October 2, 2008. The North Dakota Heritage Center opened in 1981, on the state capitol ground in Bismarck. The Heritage Center contains the State Heritage Society and is the largest museum in the state, featuring both temporary and permanent exhibits which tell the story of life on the Northern Plains.
Outside of the heritage Center is a statue of a buffalo and a statue of Sacajawea carrying a child on her back. As you enter the building there is a large information desk and the museum gift shop, both armed with a handful of little old ladies. The museum begins with fossils of creatures and animals that inhabited what would on day be N.D. and continue to inhabit the land of North Dakota. From there the museum takes you through the people that lived in North Dakota, that traveled through North Dakota and those that settled in North Dakota. The museum continues with the different people and cultures that impacted the state. the museum has the different inventions that impacted and changed the way of life in North Dakota. The museum then shows how North Dakota became a state and what media surrounded it; newspaper clippings across the Nation. The museum contained everything that impacted North Dakota and the Northern plains; the people, cultures, animals, inventions and the weather.
A few things through out the Heritage Center stood out to me because of its part in our Plains History class. I found a display case that contained different types of barbed wire and an explanation as to why it was important. The barbed wire story was just as Webb discussed in his book. A large portion of the Heritage Center was dedicated to the native Americans. I found this to be very important because it not only discussed their culture but what has happened regarding reservations and boarding schools. There was, also, exhibits on how the Native Americans lived on the Plains. The culture and heritage of the settlers was discussed and presented in the Heritage Center. Just as we discussed in class, the different heritages and cultures are an important part of our history and who we are today.
Growing up in Bismarck I was taken to the Heritage Center quite often on field trips and it was my favorite! It taught me at a young age about the Northern Plains and the history of my state. I know that it is often visited by out-of-state visitors and that it is an important learning tool for everyone. Visiting the Heritage Center this past week I learned how neatly the Center was set up and how easy it is to follow and understand! The North Dakota Heritage Center is a valuable learning tool to everyone.

Lecture 4 Response

2008-10-09T15:41:00.002-05:00

Lecture 4 "Born Upon the Prairie" is about Native Americans on the plains. There are 3 phases to white histories of plains Indians: 1. Savages 2. victims 3. people. Webb described the Indians as noble savages. Eventually the natives began to vanish. Thanks in part to the fatal contact. There were the Indian wars in the U.S., and starvation in Canada. It was the railroad that sealed the deal for the natives. The railroad spurred settlement by whites and provided mobility to the military. With this disadvantage, the Indians couldn't continue with their fight, and they were forced upon reservations while the children were sent off to boarding schools.

Lecture 4 was indeed a very interesting lecture. I liked the part about the eradication of the bison on the plains. At one point there were many millions of bison that roamed freely upon the plains, but by the mid 1880s they were gone. Such things as disease and overhunting can be attributed to the demise of the bison. Now there is a guy who owns a herd of bison in Milnor where I am from. You can see some of his bison on the south side of the highway just outside of town. They really don't do much, but they are still quite remarkable to watch. It makes you wonder what it would have been like to see millions of these creatures wandering on the plains. I also found it interesting how many different names the natives have obtained. They are called Indians, Native Americans, Natives, Indigenes, Aboriginals, First Nations. It makes you wonder which of these terms if any is the correct one used to describe them.

Lecture 4

2008-10-09T10:27:00.002-05:00

In lecture 4, we discussed several attributes about Native American archeology, fur trade, and life on the reservation; also the impact white settlers had on Native American life and the Canadian Metis.
The Fatal Contact was an idea where inferior people would dissappear and the white settlers believed that Native Americans were the inferior minority. The indian wars and conflicts somewhat resulted from white settlers teaching Native Americans how to be "anti-savage" and teach them "proper civilized" behavior. The goal was to replace their "Indian identity" by asking them to work in the town at white jobs or by sending their children to white boarding schools. Native Americans refused to change their indian identity so they were promised reservation land which was viewed as expendable, useless land to the white man until they decided that railroads,towns, and trails should be built which eliminated some of their land.

Why would they designate Native American land and then take some away to accomodate the civilization? My opinion is that white settlers were pushing the Native Americans around by changing the rules/promises that were made which reflect the point that Native Americans were seen as inferior, colored people by white culture.

Overall, this lecture was interesting because it shows "the fear of change is a trait all people have." To explain, the white people wanted to live among civilized, working class people who contributed to the town but instead they found some Native Americans who were thought of as different. Instead of adapting to the new lifestyle of hunting & gathering, the white settlers wanted to eliminate the different behavior and influence the indian culture to conform to the white culture. Most people don't mind conforming with those similar to themself. For people of different culture or color, intermixing conformity has proven very difficult for past cultures and current cultures (U.S. and Iraq).

Adam Wolfe

RP: Lecture 4

2008-10-09T09:20:00.002-05:00

In Lecture 4: Born Upon the Prairie, we learned about the Native Americans and how the introduction of white settlers changed their life styles throughout the development of the United States. The Europeans preconceived the natives to be poor savages because they did not conform to their view of wealth and civility. So the Europeans took it upon themselves to instate their beliefs of "White man's Burden" to civilize the natives while at the same time they waited in vain for the "Fatal Contact" to swipe the native population out of existence.

When disease failed to wipe out the Indians, the white population moved on to genocide. At first men like General Custer did it in the normal way; rounding them up and shooting them. But later the US government decided to be humane and instead use cultural genocide. They rounded up the Indian children and sent them away to boarding schools where they could learn to be white. This would of course make them better people. When this only caused the Native Americans to band together to create an "Indian Identity" the government tried one last futile effort to bribe young adults to go to the city and take up white jobs and lives.

I enjoyed this lecture a lot. I'm always interested to learn more about the Native American people. I feel like I never learned much about them in elementary or high school. It seemed like the teachers wanted us to pretend they didn't exist. It was kind of like learning about slavery. The treatment of the Native Americans put us in a bad light as white people and we don't like to think of ourselves in that way.

As I listened to this lecture my mind kept wandering back to a book I had read somewhere along the way called "The Education of Little Tree". It was about an Indian boy who was taken away from his family to go to a boarding school and how horrible it was for that little boy.

I believe that something needs to be done as far as accomidating Native Americans into society. I acknowledge that we have come a long way from where we were before, but as long as we treat them differently, they will always be different. It's time to say 'We messed up. Sorry, move on.'

RP Lecture 4

2008-10-09T01:20:00.000-05:00

In lecture four we learned about the Indians of the plains. In this lecture we learned about how the white people came into the land and started a conflict, the reservations, and how the whites tried to change the native people.

When the railroad came into the plains towns began to appear. With these towns came conflict between the natives and the whites. I think that these conflicts could have been avoided. First off I think that the whites saw the natives as savages and a threat, therefore they thought they needed to be confined or eliminated. I think that they could have taken a different approach like the French did and establish good relationships with the natives.

Next the natives were forced onto reservations. It started as the plains area as a whole, then there were trails that ran through the area. Later the land was taken away except for small areas. These areas of land were undesirable to the white man and useless areas. Again I think that this situation could have been taken care of differently. I think that the natives could have roamed the land freely like they had in the past, yet with respect to the other people in the area. Instead of treaties saying “this is your land stay on it”. They could have said “roam the land, don’t fight.” The U.S. government should have consulted with the Indians on where towns could and should be established.

Third was the whites tried to make the natives more like them. Personally I think this was wrong. The whites tried to rob the natives of there history and heritage. Although this did work a little the natives did return to the reservations and seemingly became more interested in there past and history. It also created a almost single native nation, instead of there being many different tribes they united to form a single nation. They still had there individual tribes but they accepted the other tribes as there own.