In the article by Andrea Smith, Natives Americans were violated in many ways by colonial settlers in the U.S. Two main reasons, was because they were "dirty" and "immanently polluted with sexual sin" (smith 10). the way of life of natives were also judged in a degrading manor by how they dressed and their cultural practices. The link to Native american being sexual was from the settles associating native american with Canaanites from the bible.
with these excuses, Native Americans were seen "rapable" and violable because "they" are to entitled to bodily integrity. Some of the stories said how the bodies were dug up and put on show, their (human) skin was used in a way we would use animal hide, a females genitals were cut off to be used as commodities. native Americans were not seen as humans but things or animals. Their bones and skulls were used for science with out permission, and their bodies put on show or mutilated and killed off.
The suffering of Native Americans became internalized and they don't want to be native american anymore. Their people, culture, pride, and land was taken with out recognition. They are still suffering today and it still doesn't get noticed or corrected by society. It is still legally ok for for native american women to get raped and abused.
Here is 2 picture for thought:
I appreciate your article, and the last picture you used in particular. I think it is important to acknowledge that our inability to defeat injustice is not the reason certain injustices still exists. Rather, I think our decision to ignore injustices that are right in front of us, for whatever reason, is a huge reason that injustice exists worldwide. I wish that that this issue was addressed. I think there needs to be more effort to inform people about how all injustices are connected and affect them, and what they, as indivudals, can do to act against injustice. Personally, I think that sometimes people just need to be included or educated better so that they do not feel indifferent or overwhelmed.
I totally agree. It would be so awesome if the stuff we are learning now in this class was mandatory for high school students or something. even now in college, we dont learn about it unless we take it as an elective, keeping most of the other people in society ignorant.
I also think it really sad how corruption in the military that is know isnt always put on the news for the general public to know about? (some is but some isnt) Like, I wish I heard about the militarized boarder rape in the news and how its a waste of tax payer money to fund the extra militarization of the Mexican boarder.