The following paper thus strives to present some of the salient aspects on the calculated efforts to annihilate majority, if not all the tribes of Native Americans, a strategy, which we have come to know as "regulations". Yet it is clearly one of the worst forms of racism, comparable only to the insane practices of Hitler's regime against the Jews in the not so recent history. (Legters, 1988)

The First People of North America - Racism at Its worst

An overview of the native Americans reveals that they prefer to call themselves the ‘First People’. This is rightly so, as they were born, grew up, and were the owners of all the lands expanding from the southern most tip of the present day United States of America to the northern most part of the North American continent, which we today call Alaska. History is evidence to this fact that even before Christopher Columbus first stepped on the American soil in the 15th century, these native Americans had been enjoying life amidst their religious, cultural, social and economic realm.

Yet, today, these native Americans are but a dying breed, strangled on their own homeland and victim to some of the worst of racism, a term which we have beautifully changed to 'regulations'.

One may thus observe that these First People or Native Americans are faced with total assimilation as well as annihilation both spiritually as well as culturally. The so-called myth of the Western Culture has successfully imposed regulation after regulation on these Native Americans, and forced them to confine their entire communities within the man-made boundaries of 'reservations'. Thus, successfully accomplishing the objective of keeping them out of practically every sphere of normal life.

Such is the extent that the children of the present day generations are taught lessons about these First People as being cruel, and warring tribes, without ever mentioning how the successive generations of Europeans settlers and "New Americans" virtually massacred them both in the physical as well as spiritual perspective.

Except for a few who chose to stand up and fight for their rightful share in the American sphere of economic and social activity, majority of these Native Americans or First People today are dependent on grants and aids by 'beneficent governments'. Thus, further confirming the centuries old practice of ignoring and trying to forget the original inhabitants of the land which today remains forcefully occupied by those who call themselves as the one of the most civilized people of the world. (Jaimes, 1992; Kitano, 1997; McDonnell, 1991)

What could be a more pathetic form of spiritual and cultural genocide than to watch your own children leave their original lands and homes to work for a living amongst the 'civilized' people of the United States of America. Yet still face the realities of leaving behind their true heritage, language, culture and modest forms of living. As these children of the Native Americans leave their lands of their ancestors and homes, they are duly faced with a 'New American Culture', one that readily acknowledges and preaches stereotypical views on "civilization".

Thus, one may observe that the larger American population as well as the majority of the western world pursues such vital themes as "save the whales", "save the children", and "save the earth", (the Green-Peace Organization as only one example from a long list of organizations across the world). In similar context, the pursuit of ever-new forms of technology and growth of super-marts across the world with a variety of consumer goods, being the order of the day for a vast majority of nations including our mother nation, the United States of America.

Yet, when it comes to addressing the First People of North America, they are not only neglected, attempts have been made to bring these people to the brink of extinction by depriving them of even the basic necessities of life through systematic and forced confinement in allotted lands, and naming these lands as 'reservations'. This is aside from the millions massacred over the centuries in the name of civilization and progress. (Turner, 1998)

Systematic Racism and Discrimination Against the Native Americans of North America

As with other all conquered indigenous people across the globe, the Naive Americans too have face the fateful consequences of being occupied dominated and stripped of even the basic rights. Some of these rights include the inability to enter into business agreements with foreign governments/states, inability to establish embassies, diplomats, or business representatives. Neither do these Native Americans have any rights to collect any taxes, enter into political alliances, or get involved in immigration issues. Even if commercial organizations and business groups are allowed to set up their businesses in areas populated with Native Americans, most of the earnings never enter the same community.

Nor is the community benefited in any manner, hence merely exploiting their communities as well depriving the communities of any meaningful development. Furthermore, there is no provision for any economic development in the regions populated by Native Americans, unless they own the lands, which is rare. Majorities of the lands are either held in trust by various government agencies, or stuck amidst legal battles over ownership rights. In such cases, the banks and other financial institutions too stay away and refrain from any investment or provision of loan and other credit facilities to these Native Americans.

A brief on the legal aspect through which racism is practiced against these Native Americans can be observed in the signing of more than 400 treaties between the US government and the Indian tribes during 1785 and 1866 alone. Yet, history is evidence to the fact that practically every treaty thus signed was deliberately broken, so much so that the Supreme Court's decisions in favor of the Native Indians too have remained invalid and un-enforceable. A case example to this respect is the tribe of Onieda, who won a Supreme Court decision and the right to their aboriginal lands.

However, the decision remains to be enforced, as this would mean a re-location of thousands of white residents, in turn costing the state millions of dollars. The state too has remained silent, and has failed to take any step towards the original demands of the Native Americans. As a result the Native Americans have no choice but to sue the white residents, which is itself a long and tedious exercise, yet the struggles continue. (Jaimes, 1992; Kitano, 1997; McDonnell, 1991)

It would only be imperative to mention some of the rulings of our honorable courts, which convincingly proved the biased nature, and racist attitude of our judicial and legislative system against these Native Americans.

One such legislation was the famous "Indian Removal Act of 1830" which forced a mass relocation of the Cherokee nation tribe to the western regions of the Mississippi. Also named the "Trail of Tears", this Act alone resulted in the death of half the Cherokee nation tribe.

Another example is the famous case of Cherokee nation tribe v. State of Georgia (1831), wherein the Supreme Court ruled that tribes are not foreign nations, but dependencies, hence they need not be treated equally.
The Major Crimes Act (1885) was enacted to provide US law enforcement agencies the jurisdiction to enter Indian territories, thus willfully breaking all previous treaties, which guaranteed Native Americans responsibility for law enforcement.

Racial Discrimination - The Economic Perspective
One of the major forms of racial discrimination is practiced through the forced use of lands, originally owned by Native Americans, yet leased out to commercial organizations for such ventures as mining, waste dumping, ranching, farming, and gaming. This is carried out through the efforts of Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), an agency set up by the government to oversee the affairs of lease, sale, and surrender of land as well as welfare programs of health and education for the Native Americans.

It has been observed that approximately 60 percent of the Native Americans work for the government through these 'organizations' yet the nature of work is more or less seasonal as well as low paying. For example Native Americans only receive an average of 66 percent, as compared to an ordinary white American doing the same job. Other economic factors that serve to deprive these Native Americans include large-scale unemployment, 'entrenched poverty', extremely high rates of infant mortality, low levels of life span, not to mention increasing trends of alcoholism.

People of the First Nations Depicted Through Famous Writings

Though the above section of the paper briefly touches upon the various methods of racial discrimination. The real life events of the Native Americans, the manner in which various Red Indian tribes pursue their daily lives, enjoy, as well as grieve over the age-old practices of racial discrimination at the hands of their white neighbors is perhaps best evidenced in equally famous writings by Native American authors.

Racial Discrimination Expressed Through “Reservation Blues” by Sherman Alexis

One such example is writing is "Reservation Blues" by Sherman Alexis. In this literary works of Alexis, one may observe how the author has woven an entire story on the 'Spokane' Indian tribe. In this story, the character of Robert Johnson is noted to have sold his soul to the devil in return for a few legendary musical hits of the time. It is the name of these famous musical hits "Reservation Blues" which also finds its place as the title of Alexis writings. The character of Robert Johnson has only completed some twenty-nine songs, before he is murdered.

The remarkable aspect of the story is that there only exists a period of some 7 years when the first revelations of legendary hits comes to the market, and the year of the artist's death (1931-1938). However, some 84 years later in 1992, the same character of Johnson re-appears on the Spokane Indian Reservations, only to meet the storyteller of the same First Nation.

It is from this moment onwards that the actual tales of "Reservation Blues" really commences, which is in fact a collection of rock-and roll songs. The storyteller of the Spokane tribe, together with other members of the band, namely Victor Joseph as the guitarist, Junior Polatkin as the drummer, Chess and Checkers Warm Waters on vocals, and Coyote Springs all take their songs in the various reservation bars, small town taverns, and the main cities of Seattle and Manhattan. Thus, providing a combination of narratives by the said list of characters, some excerpts from the newspapers, radio interviews, and the dreams as told and understood by the Native Americans of the later 20th century era.

At the epitome of Alexis writing, one can also observe the cultural assimilation’s impact on the relationship between Indian women and the changing or forced lifestyles of their male counterparts.

In addition, one may also observe that the legendary character of Robert Johnson together with his band of musicians, as also mentioned in the preceding paragraph, travel through the various Indian Reservations, narrating tales of their ancestors and their dreams through their rock-and roll songs. In doing so, these group of musicians, in turn depicting both the celebrated lives of their elders, as well as the survival tactics and endurance moments in the lives of the Native Americans through the centuries of domination. (Alexis, 1996)

Racism in "Reservation Blues" by Sherman Alexie

Though the majority of the story in the "Reservation Blues" by Sherman Alexie evolves around the character and role of Johnson, lead singer of the rock-and-roll band of Coyote Springs, it is in fact a compilation of assimilation and racism found in the relationships between the Native American women and their male counterparts, between God and indifference, between faith and alcoholism, between family and hunger, and between sex and death.

Hence, the book is an imaginative mixture of narratives newspaper excerpts, songs, journal entries, visions, radio interviews, and dreams of the Native Americans as the face the onslaught of emerging faith of Christianity in the 20th century. Yet another point where racism may be observed are places where the author clearly depicts the various Native American character who are humiliated at the hands of their white Americans, and offered cheese through government rationing systemic exchange of promises and precious lands.

Thus, the work of Alexis clearly depicts various forms of racism, including those found in the poverty filled lives of the Native Americans, their involvement in ill habits of alcoholism, as well as the broken family structures over which these Native American have no control, nor any say as the white Americans deliberately chose to break up their families by snatching and sending their children to far off orphanages and foster homes.

The comments of the author perhaps best explain the extent of deep sentiments of racism, where he engages with a character, "Do you ever want kids?" I asked Norma. "Yeah, of course," she said. "I want a dozen. I want my own tribe." "You're kidding." "Kind of. Don't know if I want to raise kids in this world. It's getting uglier by the second. And not just on the reservation." (Page 207)

Racial Discrimination Expressed Through “Spider Woman's Granddaughters” by Paula Allen

Another equally remarkable collection remarkable tales and contemporary writings is found in the work of Paula Gunn Allen's titled "Spider Woman's Granddaughters".

The collection of stories in "Spider Woman's Granddaughters" is also a clear depiction of a Native Indian tribe. Belonging to the Laguna Pueblo-Sioux Indian nation tribe, the author of the famous title includes the intelligence and experiences of this Native American tribe through some of the famous traditional tales, biographical writings, and a collection of contemporary stories. All these have been presented in a fashion to depict both the past and present lives of these Native Americans, duly covering the various aspects of their lives.

Somewhat to the writings of Sherman Alexis work, "Reservations Blues", the writings of Paula Allen also takes along numerous characters to depict the varied sections of the Native American society, and their equally varied ways of life in both their moments of happiness and grief. Some of the characters used by Paula Allen to depict the various stories for her work, "Spiderwoman's Granddaughters" include Pretty Shield, Louise Erdrich, Leslie Marmon Silko, Linda Hogan, Anna Lee Walters, Elizabeth Cook-Lynn, Vickie Sears, and Mary TallMountain.

Thus, a deeper reading of "Spiderwoman's Granddaughters" reveals that all these characters have been excellently used to portray the Native American life-style, their attitudes, as well as their regional affiliations. More importantly, one may observe that these characters expertly depict their stories their lives encompassing love, death, poverty and pain, power politics as well as the power of the sacred.

Yet, one of the most striking aspects of "Spiderwoman's Granddaughters" is the depiction of essential qualities of the aesthetics of the Native Americans, through the presentation of the people of the Cherokee tribe. Hence, a deeper reading of the said collection of stories reveals that the Native Americans rarely write or even speak as individuals, and never from a context which may depict a secluded version of writings. On the contrary, entire set of tales of Native Americans authors, as well as their characters strongly depicts a communal society.

One where each member of the tribe entertains, enlightens, educates, as well as narrates the connection present in the wisdom and experience of the respective Native American tribe. It is perhaps this mode of life, which confirms the continuity of daily life with that of the tribal matrix, as well as the inclusion of the audience who is also dragged into the midst of the entire story. Thus, confirming the timeless relationship between the sacred nature and lives of their nation tribes and in a sense the universe as an entity.

The writings found in "Spiderwoman's Granddaughters" also openly depicts the experiences of Native American in their unique manner of living lives both as simple human beings, as well as amidst the bewildering and somewhat frightening, yet beautiful modern world.

Racism in Spiderwoman Grandmother's Granddaughters

One may note that the book, "Spiderwoman Grandmother's Daughters" has been segregated into three major sections, and each section profoundly presents some form of racism against the Native Americans by the white Americans. For example, in the first section, titled "The Warriors", the author, Paula Allen depicts the viewpoint of the Native Americans women of the 19th century including both the traditional women as well as those educated. Both these groups are thus presented trying to save not only their own Native American tribes, but as well as against racism at the hands of the white Americans. Of particular importance is the degradation of ancient values, which have been highlighted in this section.

In the second portion of the book, titled "The Casualties", events from everyday lives of Native Americans are chosen and presented to bring out the aspect of racism, the fears and the woes of lost love of Native American women taking the example of a Native American women in love with a white man. For example, the character of Mary Joe has been specifically chosen, as she suffers the dilemmas of loosing her children, a common practice of the then white Americans to forcefully separate and take away the children of the Native Americans, and lodge them in homes of other white families located far away from their original homes.

Yet another form of racism may be observed in the falling of love of a Native American, only to learn that her white lover is no more faithful, including the trauma of being shunted around homes of different orphanages and foster homes.

In the last portion of the Allen's book, "Spiderwoman Grandmother's Daughters, one may also yet another form of racism, as the author clearly depicts the numerous traumas experienced by the Native Americans including being physically abused, as well as personal and cultural deprivation of their heritage through a systematic form of torture. This is more than evident against the Native American male populations who are tricked into through various tactics deployed by the white Americans.

Perhaps the strongest case of racism in the said work is found through the character of a woman, who is exploited simply because of her "color", and that too in areas where white American women are trying to make a place for themselves through oppressive means, such as the backyard of the Indian reservations, where white American women are trying to settle down as ranchers and farmers.

No other comment could be better present the writings the Paula Allen than her own opening remarks in the subject where she comments that ""For Indians, relationships are based on commonalties of consciousness, reflected in thought and behavior."

Racial Discrimination Through the “Grass Dance” by Susan Power
Yet another excellent literary piece of Native American writing is the "Grass Dance" by Susan Power. Somewhat similar to the themes presented in the earlier mentioned works of Native American writers such as Sherman Alexie and Paula Allens, the "Grass Dance" too depicts an excellent portrait of the Native American culture at its best moments and more than resilient in character to the grass moving across the Great Plains of the Americas.

Covering a period from 1864 to 1981, when the "Grass Dancer" was authored, and the focus on the Sioux Nation tribe, the said work encompasses the events and lives of the people of the Sioux reservations. Hence Power has accomplished a set of remarkable fetes by covering various aspects of her nation tribe. These include for example the enduring poverty, the epidemic illness, and the injustices at the hands of their white neighbors.

Also included are topics such as jealousy, the greed, and the unrequited love at the hands of both those who ventured out to adopt the ways of the white settlers as well as the direct discrimination against the Native Americans including the Sioux nation tribe.

Thus, Power as the author of this literary writing succeeds in holding the reader and takes him to the past as well as the present events surrounding the lives of the various characters. Foremost are some of the recent historical events such as the famous Apollo Moon landings, and the 19th century Great Plains Draught, both of which have been woven into the fabric of dramatic cultural traditions and folklore of the Sioux community. Thus, creating a mixture of drama and real life to depict the lives and characters of Native Americans through the eyes of her Sioux nation tribe. (Viola, 2002)

Racism in "Grass Dance" by Susan Powers

Susan Power's work titled "Grass Dance" perhaps best describes genocide and assimilation of the Native Americans at the hands of the White Americans.

Following the common notion as adopted by the then white populations, "Kill the Indians, save the man" Susan Power's work "Grass Dance" depicts the history of the both the military of the United States of American as well as the various agencies which sought to systematically annihilate Native Americans through various torturous methods. These included for example starvation, disease and massacres in the thousands, the forced removal of the Navajos in the 1850s as just one example.

The Navajos were forced to retreat to a barren reservation of some 40 acres, and forced into hunger and disease, resulting in the wiping out of more than 25 percent of the population of this single First Nation alone. Yet, another cruel form of racist policies and genocide was committed throughout the forced sterilization procedures of Native Americans by the Indian Health Services.

Another form of racism and genocide can well be observed through the practices of the bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), a body set up by the then US governments to systematically assimilate children of the Native Americans and send them away to "boarding schools" and "foster homes", with the ulterior objective of breaking up Native American families.

References

Legters, L., "The American Genocide" written for the "Policy Studies Journal, Volume 16, No.4, 1988.

A. & J. Turner. (1998). American Ethnicity: The Dynamics and Consequences of Discrimination. Boston: McGraw-Hill.

Jaimes, A., The State of Native America: Genocide, Colonization, and Resistance. Boston: South End Press, 1992.

Kitano, H., Race Relations. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall., 1997.

McDonnell, J.,The Dispossession of the American Indian. Bloomington: Indiana University Press.,1991

Viola L., A Remarkable Feat!, written for the Pacifica, California United States December 2, 2002

Alexis, S., "Reservations Blues", 199

Allen, P., “Spiderwoman’s Granddaughters”

Power, S., “Grass Dance”