On October 12, 1492, Christopher Columbus landed in the western hemisphere that came to be the “New World” (Churchhill 97). Today it has been 523 years since Columbus journeyed across the Atlantic Ocean in search of personal fortune, spiritual destiny, honour and the fabulous riches of the East (Stevenson 67). This “New World” when discovered was inhabited by a population of well over 100 million however, by the 1890’s this population collapsed to slightly above 237,000 (Churchhill 97). This population was made up of Native Americans and it declined as they endured a horrendous magnitude and lengthy duration of genocide inflicted upon them by the Europeans (Churchhill 97). The Europeans justified these actions through language which functioned
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When Europeans moved onto the New World territory they encountered these new people and social worlds (Stevenson 68). During the process of discovery and exploration they began creating complex words which developed into language allowing them to form a sense of themselves as the Spanish, French, English, Portuguese and Europeans (Stevenson 68). The invention and application of this language provided advantages to these groups who coveted the lands, gold and bodies of the others, while helping maintain economic and political power. These phrases and concepts created a positive identity and became decisive elements in the methodology of total war (Stevenson 68). The use of language and the unavoidable hierarchy it conveyed supported brutal techniques in which whole cultures were eradicated or destroyed in the drive for production and exchange (Stevenson 68). Language functioned to provide the creators with reasoning for action and a heroic and noble sense of identity as they went into battle (Stevenson 68). They classified the Native Americans as “heathens”, which meant that they were savages that …show more content…
The Europeans justified their conquest from their understanding on the grounds of violations of natural law (Stevenson 69). War was justifiable against Native Americans because they practiced immoral and offensive crudeness and engaged in sins contrary to human nature (Stevenson 70). The Native Americans were only fit for conquest and enslavement according to the Europeans, because they lacked culture, could not write or keep records of their history, did not have written laws and were involved in every kind of intemperance and lust (Stevenson 70). They made war ferociously against each other and were addicted to satisfying their monstrous hunger with the flesh of their enemies (Stevenson 70). When Columbus encountered the Indigenous people this process of destruction was set in motion. The goal was not only the physical destruction but also the destruction of their culture in order to diminish their existence and obtain their riches. The process built up a structure of language, feeling and a way of thought that ensured its continuance from generation to generation. The war demanded the enemy be eradicated and not just simply defeated. A new innovation called “dogging” appeared in Central America, in which vicious dogs were raised on a diet of human flesh and trained to disembowel upon command (Churchhill 105). The dogs would pursue a
When Europeans moved onto the New World territory they encountered these new people and social worlds (Stevenson 68). During the process of discovery and exploration they began creating complex words which developed into language allowing them to form a sense of themselves as the Spanish, French, English, Portuguese and Europeans (Stevenson 68). The invention and application of this language provided advantages to these groups who coveted the lands, gold and bodies of the others, while helping maintain economic and political power. These phrases and concepts created a positive identity and became decisive elements in the methodology of total war (Stevenson 68). The use of language and the unavoidable hierarchy it conveyed supported brutal techniques in which whole cultures were eradicated or destroyed in the drive for production and exchange (Stevenson 68). Language functioned to provide the creators with reasoning for action and a heroic and noble sense of identity as they went into battle (Stevenson 68). They classified the Native Americans as “heathens”, which meant that they were savages that …show more content…
The Europeans justified their conquest from their understanding on the grounds of violations of natural law (Stevenson 69). War was justifiable against Native Americans because they practiced immoral and offensive crudeness and engaged in sins contrary to human nature (Stevenson 70). The Native Americans were only fit for conquest and enslavement according to the Europeans, because they lacked culture, could not write or keep records of their history, did not have written laws and were involved in every kind of intemperance and lust (Stevenson 70). They made war ferociously against each other and were addicted to satisfying their monstrous hunger with the flesh of their enemies (Stevenson 70). When Columbus encountered the Indigenous people this process of destruction was set in motion. The goal was not only the physical destruction but also the destruction of their culture in order to diminish their existence and obtain their riches. The process built up a structure of language, feeling and a way of thought that ensured its continuance from generation to generation. The war demanded the enemy be eradicated and not just simply defeated. A new innovation called “dogging” appeared in Central America, in which vicious dogs were raised on a diet of human flesh and trained to disembowel upon command (Churchhill 105). The dogs would pursue a