I am Ehawee from the Native American Sioux tribe. I am here today to tell you of the nightmares my tribe and I have been through. While we’ve been kicked off our land and forced into condensed spaces due to the findings of gold. We suffer as we are forced to be ruled by the white men, and told we aren’t civilized. Ridiculed for traditions we have followed for centuries. We have been forced to change our ways to be seen as “true Americans” and to be accepted as civilized by the Europeans.
We, from the Sioux tribe, were minding our own business. Living off the land, using and cherishing every resource that we have been provided with by this sweet planet. We would use every possible part of the bison that we could in order to survive and not waste. Settlers started to come in and make themselves at home, to which we didn’t mind too much. However, what we do mind is them taking over our homes. We are forced to share land with the white man, which doesn’t have the same beliefs as us. They waste multiple resources, leaving behind scraps that could have been used for other objects such as bones for spoons and forks. The United State Government also made some promises to us that they unfortunately could not keep. They promised us our land, and here we are being forced out of it. They promised us that we could keep some of our customs, however we are being taunted and ridiculed for doing things our way. They see us as uncivilized, because we don’t follow their rule. Settlers even came in and took our land. We weren’t doing anything to create chaos, and yet, the chaos is here.
We’ve attempted fixing these issues, simply by being as passive as humanly possible. We didn’t fight, we just let it happen. However, we should have fought harder for our lands. But in this proposal, I’m here to inform you of ways we could possibly fix the issues my tribe has. We could give my people our lands back. Or, at least, a percentage of it back. We can be separate but equal; my people living the way they choose to live while your people live the way they choose to live. We keep separate from each other to keep our cultural differences, and that should be okay. While this may cause some other issues, we can address that in a later time. However, I feel my people deserve a good percentage of their land back. Thank you.
Credits:
Created with images by Boston Public Library - "Poor Dog, Sioux" • Boston Public Library - "The Bostonians in distress, plate II." • Boston Public Library - "The patriotick barber of New York, or the Captain in the suds, plate III."