Native American Halloween

Halloween is pretty cool. It is deservedly a night when grown adults party more than any other night of the year (I heard that somewhere). I sported a nifty Native American.....or American Indian....or whatever, costume that my roommate made and wore last year. I had the feather in the headband, face paint, and just about the whole nine.

When I put on this costume I suddenly felt inspired to rant a little bit about the plight of the Native American. Why this came over me, I haven't a clue. Maybe I was getting dressed on an ancient burial ground and the Native American Gods were at least making me think about my somewhat derogatory costume. Regardless, I came to the conclusion that no other group of people has been more slighted than the American Indians. They were completely strong-armed off their land, forced to sign treaties in a foreign language after persuasive drinking, and left only to see the treaties completely broken by the ever-compassionate white man. They are now left in poverty and addiction on remote reservations given to them by a government claiming to be doing them a favor by allowing them to keep their culture in tact.

We'll let you run casinos! That's enough right? Once I saw a Seinfeld episode where George tried to pay Jerry back for wrecking his car by buying him a cup of coffee.

But what really gets my goat is the complete lack of respect history gives to this. Granted, it is tough to teach fourth graders that their forefathers were egocentric pigs, but the truth should probably be told. I'm by no means giving a fantastic solution to this problem, but maybe we can deliver the information differently. I was taught a bit about Indian culture, but the eradication of this culture by a group with a "manifest destiny" was conveniently brushed over.

I guess this ugly history did provide me with a life in a world super-power and not to mention a pretty nifty Halloween costume. Not worth it in my mind.