If the european settlers wished to exterminate the native americans, they certainly had the means and ability to do so.... While there is little doubt attrocities were committed over the centuries by settlers and native americans in their conflicts, the claim of GENOCIDE is just laughable.
There are about 2 Million Americans today who claim pure native american blood, given that most estimates put the population of the entire continent at the time of the first europeans arriving at between 7 and 12 million total individuals, to claim genocide is just not supported.
Being conquered and removed from land is not GENOCIDE, and as to extermination, the fact we are having this conversation pretty much disproves that.
I know the lies about intentional use of germ warfare, etc etc etc are all out there, but other than one mention of contemplation of doing it by one commander at Ft Pitt in the 1700s, thats all the evidence there is of it ever being considered, let alone used... unless of course you buy into the lies and debunked crap Ward Churchill has been peddling.
You can believe me a biggot or whatever other name you wish to call me, and I am not sitting here saying native americans suffered no attrocities at the hands of europeans. However the charge of Genocide is just not founded.
Did native americans suffer attrocities by europeans? You bet your a$$... did they also deliver attrocities onto them? You bet your a$$! In fact he first massacre between native americans and europeans was the Native Americans slaughtering about 1/3 of all europeans on the contininent, men women and children in 1 day in the 1600s called the Jamestown massacre.
You can go with the sensational and emotionally charged reactionary claim of Genocide, but the fact is that you are here to have this conversation debunks that claim. Clearly if the Europeans wished all traces of native american blood be whiped from the continent, they certainly could have accomplished this.
You can hate me if you wish, call me whatever name you wish, and presume I am ignorant if that makes you sleep at night.... doesn’t change the facts. What the native americans suffered, does not meet the definition of the word Genocide
instead i PITY you as you "know NOT & know NOT that you know NOT".
you've been LIED TO & made a FOOL of, like all too many Americans. perhaps one day you'll figure that out!!
the fact that i'm here & was BORN is NOT due to the "fiction of genocide" but rather that my ancestors were TOUGHER TO DRIVE OUT and/or KILL than the Europeans thought.
had the elites of the USA had access to "gas chambers","WMDs", etc. i believe that they would HAVE used them without mercy.
btw, according to a Pawnee friend of mine on the staff of the NMAI, there were about 15-20 million Indians in the "lower 48" in the 17th century & HALF that many a century later!!!
free dixie,sw