Another Attempt at Annililating Native Americans

You are absolutely right. Under the skin, we are all the same. We all feel, we all hurt; No difference! Unfortunately, not all feel that way here. Once the American Indian owned all this land, but lost the battle and were more or less expected to disappear and leave the land open to the "Invaders."The land was taken away from them and a few small pieces given back, for them to try to exist on. What land was returned were deemed "Reservations" (containment areas), but was considered US Govt. land(suppose to be "Sovereign" for the Native Americans) and under no control of the local states. The land was usually so poor they could hardly make a living from it, but the people persisted and lived on. A few years ago, the Govt. gave the Tribes the right to open Gambling Casinos, to make money. The project worked so well, and the Indians(Native Americans) prospered. As could be expected, everyone wants a piece of the Pie. Now a lot of people are complaining because the Tribes have made such gains( both financial and Political), they are fighting to get some of their land back. The Tribe I descend from was never recognized by the government, so technically, they say we are not Indian. What does a (Paleface) White man know about an Indian? I am part white, but most of my family were full blood Native American...with or without permission from the Government. I'm sure you know it already, but the reason we were so long called "Indians", was because when Columbus discovered America(supposedly), he was completely lost and thought he had found another way to INDIA; So the term stuck.

Thanks. You have make it clear to me as this is the first time i'd heard it coming from a real person. Until now, whatever knowledge about the natives in your country came from either history books or movies (mostly Hollywood ones). Those movies normally do not paint a very good picture of the natives in your country. Only a few do and one of them, if i recall correctly-"Dances with Wolves?" (much prefer "The Last of the Mohicans" though but that's beside the point). Back to your topic, you said now everyone wants to claim their land back because there's money to be made. Well, i suppose greed is also human nature. There are similar stories on this side of the continents too-the Australian aborigines poor treatment and claims on land that their government took from them without or with minimal compensation. Yes, again from the history books, it was mentioned that Columbus "accidentally" discovered America; he thought he'd travelled round the world and landed in India. And if not mistaken, he was not the first to discover America either but the first to land there? Indians (the ones from India, that is) are one of the majority races in my country. May i clarify one thing with you? The term, Red Indians often being used (again, in the movies); is it the same natives they're referring to?