Geronimo

[CaptainHaplo]

The issue is that there has not been efforts to destroy American Indian culture. On the contrary, the government has put restrictions on all kinds of things that would "harm" AI cultural identity.

The RESULTS are a breakdown in the culture - I agree. But it cannot be genocide when the efforts have been aimed with good faith to preserve the culture.

Like most "liberal" thoughts - its the intentions that matter, not the true outcome, as some of my friends have argued. The reality is that government trying to be the nanny has caused the stagnation of some AI cultures, yet others flourish because they chose to NOT survive off the government nipple. The fact that they are able to make that choice, and thus prosper, along with their culture, is a testament to a lack of "systematic effort" to eradicate them or the AI culture itself.

If you doubt it, do some checking on the Carolina Cherokee tribes as they exist today. When a society can give 80k to every 18 year old (usually for college) - out of the prosperity of the TRIBE - without it coming from the US government - they can't be considered to be ruled, repressed and ultimately "culturally destroyed".

[Skybird]

Ah yes, I think we can meet on that. My reply to Lance was a principal one about the definition of genocide anyway. However, in the past, the time of the wild west, there have been policies and actions that would qualify for a description of genocide, and there have been massacres committed during punishing army actions as well.

I do know about Indian culture today only what occasionally is in the media over here, and that gives the impression that the situation is not uniform with all tribes and communities there are today, some have integrated themselves and chuckle about white tourists thinking of them a "Black Biber" and "Great Elk", others managed to revive their cultural heritage while still living in the white man'S world (increasingly becoming a less white man's world anyway) and they manage to bring both together, and finally there are those who are bad off for whatever a reason and saw their tribal culture falling apart. So I assume it depends very much on where you look and what tribal community you are dealing with. and finally, to some degree, it also depends on the individual person.