Video: “Lost History: Rediscovering the Taino People”
When watching this documentary, it left me dismayed by showcasing the real history of where Taino people came from. What disturbed me when watching this documentary is how poorly and overworked the Taino people were being treated. The amount of violence the Taino people had to endure was absolutely disturbing to hear. What I found fascinating about the documentary is how much pride Taíno people took on being Taino. To add on, what I also found to be disturbing is how a Spaniard accused a Taino of stealing leading to the Spaniard cutting off the Taino’s ear. What I found interesting about the film is the history of Taino heritage.
Reading: “Letter of Christopher Columbus on his first voyage to america,1492”
In the reading what I find interesting is that Hispaniola is the most accessible place for gold mines. To add on, another thing that I found interesting about the reading is Christopher Columbus perceive on people’s native heritage. One thing that disturbed me the most while reading this letter is the monsters that supposedly possesses canoes and eat human flesh.
When watching “Iroquois Confederacy “ what interested me was the hunting grounds of Iroquois being now NY state because it made me wonder how many times NY has significantly changed and how many people have called these grounds their home. I also found it interesting that Individual tribes had their own trading partnerships with the European settlers given their history with the colonizers. It is very upsetting to hear that the Iroquois lost land and trading opportunities due to them siding with the British during the American Revolution which caused them their homes and wealth. Questions I asked myself during this video were Did the Iroquois have a choice to not fight? Did the British also loose land and resources? Did the British help with the aftermath? If not why didn’t the British help them after they put their lives on the line?
When reading “Without Indigenous History, There Is No U.S. History“ I discovered that some indigenous people still live on the same land as their ancestors and that some families are still able to speak some of their native language. I found this interesting because I am use to hearing the negative only when it comes to indigenous people and I know it must have been very hard for them to keep the land and language in their families. What confused me but also upset me is that indigenous people weren’t granted citizenship to their own land until 1924. It’s Sad that not only did they loose their homes, mistreated, and slaughtered but their population was cut in half due to epidemics caused by Europeans. And as if that wasn’t enough trauma their children was taken from them and sent away to boarding schools. It’s upsetting that from primary to secondary school you mainly learn surface level facts about indigenous people like diseases they got from Europeans and how they were murdered but never how they impacted America and how their history is also American history.