Читать книгу The Best of "The Way I See It" and Other Political Writings (1989-2010) - Jamala Rogers - Страница 16

November, 1997

The indigenous peoples of North American have a unique relationship with those of us of African descent in this country. Africans have interacted with Native Americans from the time we were stolen from Mama Africa and brought to these shores as cargo. Most people don’t know that all the land in the western hemisphere was once populated by millions of so-called Indians, whether they were Eskimo, Cherokee, Inca or Mexican. Their numbers, of course, have been decimated by the invasion and subsequent genocide by Europeans.

In contrast with our mixed heritage with Europeans, most of which was forced, the liaisons with Native Americans were often of mutual consent. Runaway slaves regularly found refuge in the red people’s tribal societies. We fought with the red people against continued conquest of their lands by Europeans. The Seminole Indian War in Florida between 1835-42 is a good example. We were also found with our red brothers in the union army against the Confederacy. Africans intermarried with members of most tribes. Even when Africans fought against Native Americans, they were respected as true warriors and given the name Buffalo Soldiers.

Some notables who shared their lives with red people are Jean Baptiste DuSable, founder of Chicago. He joined the Potawatomi tribe and married Kittihawa. Matthew Henson, North Pole explorer, married an Eskimo woman and set up home there for a while. James Beckworth and others who went West also enjoyed special relations with Native Americans. So, whether as Afro-metizo or zambo, our roots are definitely woven with those of our red brothers and sisters.

This background gets me to the point of this article. With Thanksgiving coming up, we need to reflect on the struggle of Native Americans. We need to kick the good pilgrims’ story to the curb. As African Americans, we should be shoulder to shoulder with the Red tribes (that are left!) in the struggle for their land, dignity and human rights. We should be appalled that the fairy tale of Columbus “discovering” America is still being taught in our schools. We should be equally offended in regard to Indian stereotypes. They are similar to the racist ones we constantly have to confront in the media and in the general society.

Africans in this country need to join forces with Native Americans who are calling for the end to the use of the red people’s image as mascots and other caricatures. When Dr. Bernice Jackson was in town recently, she referred to these images as red sambos. We know all too well, the grinning, patronizing images of the black sambo-types in our own history.

I’m asking that we all think about the images of native peoples, particularly at Thanksgiving time. They, too, have a proud history although they are portrayed in U.S. history books as heathens and savages. As they fight to protect their culture and history, even to this day, our red brothers and sisters should expect - and receive - our support and solidarity. There is much we have in common. Remember this on November 27th.