Genocide (N.) The deliberate killing of a large group, especially those of a particular ethic group or nation.
Response This genocide began when European settlers came to this country and took over the land, obliterating any and all Natives in their path. Although this is now seen as a genocide, many American and European people at the time did not view it that way. Even today, some people deny that there was a Native American genocide and instead label it as a deplorable action. To Native Americans, that was not the case. When they were being oppressed, many of them took action and fought against it. They fought as hard as they could to guarantee that their land would not be taken away and that their people would be safe, but their force was not powerful enough against the ruthless Americans, so they were not able to stop the genocide themselves. There were some Americans that did not agree with the killing of these people and decided to fight against it, but, again, there were not enough to stop the power of the white settlers. The rest of the world was either indifferent, didn't realize it was going on, was a contributor, or just did not care. Many did not know the severity of what happened because the information was kept from them. In 1890, John G. Burnett, a soldier on the Trail of Tears who's main goal was to help the Natives as mush as possible, said that they were "too near the removal of the Cherokees for [their] young people to fully understand the enormity of the crime that was committed against a helpless race." He explained that the truth of what happened was being kept from the children in school and that "future generations will read and condemn the act," clearly having hope that the true story of these people would be told. While some believe that there should be consequences for those who, in any way, helped to hurt these people, there have been no major instances of those people being brought to justice. Most, if not all, of the main contributors to this genocide have already passed. Overall, although a few individuals attempted to save them, the Native American people were helpless in a time of need. The people that watched as they died and kept their mouths shut are just as responsible for these crimes as those who killed.
How We Can Help? Today, as Burnett predicted, we read about these atrocities and are appalled by not only the events that took place, but by the people who stood around and did nothing to help. However, genocide is sill occurring today around the world and we are just sitting here watching. There are countless people today who are fighting for the end of genocide. If you want to help, get involved. There are many groups and organizations that have been created to stop genocides and crimes against humanity that you can either join or donate to. You don't even need to leave your home to help out; every small step counts.
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