Anishinabee social movment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Anishinabee social movment - Essay Example Through military expedition, the British tried to conquer the natives, but they were unsuccessful as the former migrated to various states in Canada. The biggest blow for Ojibway came when America got her independence from England. The new US government put an end to the Indian free movements. They were thus, confined in reservation areas with less hunting and fishing grounds and unlike their predecessors, Americans military force was more brutal and led to a lot of massacres. Through trickery and false accusations of Indian chiefs, Americans tried to contain the natives who they deemed hostile. However, military warfare seemed a futile way of trying to control the Indians as they were natural warriors. They therefore turned on indirect ways of ‘civilizing’ the natives. By the late 1800s, Indian children were accepted in large numbers into American schools. The strategy was to indoctrinate and incorporate American values and culture into the children while at the same time teaching them to abscond their native customs. Therefore, children were forbidden to speak their native language, their long hairs were cut short and their tribal regalia and medicine were openly burned. The ultimate result was children turned against their elders and customs. Indians were therefore forced to relocate to towns after they lost their lands. Currently, the situation is worse. Apart from the fact that Indian culture and history is deliberately ignored in the school system, the portrayal of the natives is shocking and false. The social, economic and political injustices that American Indians faced have been swept under the rug and what is taught in schools is utter nonsense that tries to justify the unjust occupation of Indian land. However, a recent crop of young Indians have begun retracing their roots. They are busy searching for elders who are accustomed to their olden