Every country has its own genocide: Hitler has the Jews, Mussolini butchered his people; Russia has its soldiers; Japan slaughtered the Chinese; and the United States, murdered Native Americans. The U.S. government has tortured and brutally slaughtered millions of Native Americans throughout the centuries following the establishment of the United States Government. They have forced many Native Americans from their homelands and have relocated them to dry, desolate areas unwanted by the government, lands viewed as useless and unproductive.
We, the Navajo have experienced this. Most of the reservation reserved for us is dry and empty, and there are hardly any rivers, no lakes and little grass. Were it not for wells and the monsoon seasons, we …show more content…
The elders suffered greatly and they died slow, painful deaths. With them, died the knowledge of traditions and customs that they possessed, knowledge that had not been passed on to younger generations. The Navajos were forced to walk long distances in extreme weather conditions. Some that were straggling behind, were left behind to die alone. The soldiers watching over the Navajos were cruel and heartless. Navajos who had been forced to march to Bosque Redondo have said that the soldiers executed anyone who posed a threat or even unknowingly displayed any indication of disagreement. They were taken behind a hill or in the distance to be shot or slaughtered. (Dinetah: An Early History of the Navajo People)
About a quarter of the marchers died from starvation, dysentery and illnesses. They died without burial, their bodies left above the surface of earth to be ravaged by vultures and coyotes. Upon arrival in Bosque Redondo, the surviving Navajo were forced to build the fort and they were given meager rations. The Navajos did not complain though, they endured through this imprisonment with strength and …show more content…
However, plans were changed because the Navajo people were just too many, and the soldiers feared an uprising should the Long Walk continue. The government ordered the people back to their homes and told them to live within the Navajo reservation that was reserved for them.
Things were not the same after the Long Walk. Stories of the cruelty of the U.S. soldiers haunted and spread among the Navajos. Soon, a strong and wide hatred and bitterness toward the government was embedded into the minds of the survivors of the Long Walk. Little did they know, their descendants were to save the very nation that their ancestors hated.
In 1942, Phillip Johnston, a Caucasian who was fluent in the Navajo Language, proposed a plan to the U.S. Marines who were in dire need of a language they could use to transmit codes during World War II. Phillip Johnston convinced the U.S. Marines that Navajo was very unique and could never be broken by the Japanese. The Japanese would find it impossible to decipher it because of its tonal qualities, intricate syntax and idioms. No more than 30 non-Navajos could speak and understand the
We, the Navajo have experienced this. Most of the reservation reserved for us is dry and empty, and there are hardly any rivers, no lakes and little grass. Were it not for wells and the monsoon seasons, we …show more content…
The elders suffered greatly and they died slow, painful deaths. With them, died the knowledge of traditions and customs that they possessed, knowledge that had not been passed on to younger generations. The Navajos were forced to walk long distances in extreme weather conditions. Some that were straggling behind, were left behind to die alone. The soldiers watching over the Navajos were cruel and heartless. Navajos who had been forced to march to Bosque Redondo have said that the soldiers executed anyone who posed a threat or even unknowingly displayed any indication of disagreement. They were taken behind a hill or in the distance to be shot or slaughtered. (Dinetah: An Early History of the Navajo People)
About a quarter of the marchers died from starvation, dysentery and illnesses. They died without burial, their bodies left above the surface of earth to be ravaged by vultures and coyotes. Upon arrival in Bosque Redondo, the surviving Navajo were forced to build the fort and they were given meager rations. The Navajos did not complain though, they endured through this imprisonment with strength and …show more content…
However, plans were changed because the Navajo people were just too many, and the soldiers feared an uprising should the Long Walk continue. The government ordered the people back to their homes and told them to live within the Navajo reservation that was reserved for them.
Things were not the same after the Long Walk. Stories of the cruelty of the U.S. soldiers haunted and spread among the Navajos. Soon, a strong and wide hatred and bitterness toward the government was embedded into the minds of the survivors of the Long Walk. Little did they know, their descendants were to save the very nation that their ancestors hated.
In 1942, Phillip Johnston, a Caucasian who was fluent in the Navajo Language, proposed a plan to the U.S. Marines who were in dire need of a language they could use to transmit codes during World War II. Phillip Johnston convinced the U.S. Marines that Navajo was very unique and could never be broken by the Japanese. The Japanese would find it impossible to decipher it because of its tonal qualities, intricate syntax and idioms. No more than 30 non-Navajos could speak and understand the