Encountering the American Holocaust

Ward Churchill. Encountering the American Holocaust: The Politics of Affirmation and Denial. Oppression, Privilege, & Resistance. McGraw-Hill, 2004. Pg. 93-107.

In our basic education system, we never learn about the American Holocaust. When kids are taught about Native Americans, they are taught about either peace between Native Americans and settlers or the “Indian Wars”. It was taught that pilgrims came over peacefully and lived with Indians. And if there was no peace, that savage natives were attacking them. What we didn’t learn is that the American settlers were the ones savagely hunting down or killing Native Americans. When Columbus discovered the New World, we were taught it was a good thing. What we didn’t learn was that Columbus brought genocide to the native population in the area. The American Holocaust is as severe as the Nazi Holocaust.

The main argument would be why is the American Holocaust denied? In the basic education system, we are taught that relations between Native Americans and settlers were not that bad. In reality, the Native Americans were killed, forced to assimilate, and other things. This information is denied and stated false though, as explained in Encountering the American Holocaust. The American Holocaust should not be denied, and would be as wrong as saying the same about the Holocaust of the Jews.

I think it is wrong to deny or hide something like this. When another country does something bad to another country, we learn it in our general education. But when it comes to genocide and killings in America, the information is denied, skewed or not taught in general classes. The fact that American settlers did what they did to Native Americans was really bad, but when people deny it or try to prove it differently, it can be just as bad. The American Holocaust was a bad event in American history, but it should not be hidden, denied or told differently. It should be recognized that Native Americans were victimized.