Why are there reservation lands for native people in America and Canada?

Interesting, I didn't have an idea about this Swedish and Finnish emigrants so early on. It was amazing how well adopted these axe wielding people to local wilderness. Perhaps it is not surprise when we are dealing with Europeans of most ANE and WHG proportions. If it would have been done by Sardinian emigrants I were shocked, lol.

I'm not so sure about that. They've been farmers for at least 3,000 years. I would think that's a long enough time to lose any specific predilection for the hunter-gatherer lifestyle.

I think the very early French Canadian settlers, and even more, the coureurs de bois, are an apt example. They also "went native" rather quickly. When you're a small, isolated group, in an alien environment, there's all the incentive in the world to do so. That's part of the reason, I think, that admixture so often occurred in these very early settlers, whether it was the Caribbean, South Africa, or French Canada.
 
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I think one needs to consider the level of social development of Europeans at the time of first contact with Natives. Most Europeans were illiterate or semi-literate farmers or landowners with very narrow horizons, and the more educated part of the social and political elite was a very narrow group. Many of the people who first came to North America were traders and adventurers, some of them failed members of the social elites but others very rough individuals. And the farmers who first settled in North America would generally have been poorly educated, probably with narrower horizons than most of the Native people they met. One advantage they had was iron tools and firearms, but the main advantage for settlers was the initial lack of immunity by Natives to European diseases - that really thinned the ranks of the Native people. But during the early period, it wouldn't have been difficult for the two cultures to merge if either side had wished it - remember that most Native people in eastern North America were subsistence farmers, just like most Europeans, but without the same tools or livestock. I doubt if either side was interested in integrating, for the most part, but in the southeastern U.S. there were some Native tribes, especially the Cherokee, who adopted European ways and tried to become part of American society. They were forcibly removed to the west, with great loss of life. It's one of the most shameful episodes in American history. And here in Canada, although British and later Canadian authorities did try to accommodate Native people to some extent, as long as they didn't prevent white expansion, many white individuals were quite hostile to Native people and in some parts of the country they still are.

Of course, Native people aren't blameless, and they're the ones who now cling to the reserve system, and they often have a very negative attitude toward white people. Racism unfortunately seems to be part of the human condition. We tend to favour our tribe, however it's defined, and to fear "the other", however it's defined. And that less than admirable human trait has certainly been a major factor in relationships between Natives and others here in North America.

I don't know any details, but indeed I heared the story of the Cherokee once. So I overgeneralized.
The situation happened before, around the year 1400 when Greenlandic Vikings tried to engage in trade relations with the Inuit and with some Native Indian tribes.
Those tribes were not interested. And when the climate turned colder, the Vikings left Greenland.
If these Vikings would have had firearms then, and if they'd known about more fertile lands further south, they'd probably also would have colonised the country.
It's just the way things went these days.
 
Just a word about "racism".

If some group invades my country, and tries to kill me and take my land, is it "racism" to hate them? Now, if I am a descendent of those people, and I hate the descendents of those invaders in general without any indication that they share those attitudes, is it "racism" to hate them? Most people would probably say yes. On the other hand, if I find that the modern day descendents as a general rule share those "attitudes", is it "racism" to hate them?

I know that this is perhaps annoyingly abstract, but once modern examples are used, logic tends to go out the window, to be replaced by emotion, and that's as true for me as it is for anyone else.

I try to reserve the term "racism" for a belief that other "ethno groups" are inherently inferior to one's own, and therefore it is acceptable, or perhaps even admirable to disrespect them, to violate their human rights if one has the power to do so, and even to, in extreme situations, attempt to exterminate them as a "people".

I agree, as I mentioned earlier in this thread, 'racism' is a word that is being used far to often nowadays.
If we want to fight racism, we should not abuse the word.
Racism is the tribal equivalent of religious fundamentalism.
 
They are a huge embarrassment for Canada. Alcoholism, drug abuse, teen prostitution, basically any kind of criminal activity you can imagine runs rampant on them. The government can't intervene without looking like they are taking over so we are forced to sit back and let it happen. Imagine little pockets of Brazilian Favaelas scattered around your country, or if you prefer something like the Kowloon walled city. Every week in the news you hear about some awful thing happening like someone getting murdered or raped on one. Canadians are fed up with it but not enough to do anything about it yet. I don't think we are helping them by enabling them to continue on this way, but we had an experiment at assimilation called residential schools that went very badly and it is too fresh in the memory for most to attempt anything similar again. You may think Euro-Canadians are racist against Native Canadians and are oppressing them, but this is absolutely not the case. The first nations people have a culture of hopelessness and depression that is deeply ingrained. They are an intelligent and sensitive people but the majority opinion among them seems to be f*** the white man and his world.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_Indian_residential_school_system
 
I don't have doubts that we can find few Sardinians who love wilderness and could pull it off, however to do such switch to hunter lifestyle en masse only could be done by people of North. I think we have to look with statistical eye on such phenomena.

If you raised a Sardinian as a Lithuanian, he would behave like a Lithuanian, and love wilderness as much as an average Lithuanian. "Farmer" vs "hunter" ancestry probably doesn't effect the mind. The "hunters" and "farmers" had alot of recent common west Eurasian ancestry, plus the "farmers" had ancestors in the near east who were "hunters" at least a few thousand years before they arrived in Europe. Who knows there could be mental differences and possibly the Mesolithic Euro's and Neolithic west Asian's ancestors adapted to feel more familiar with certain environments. It would be interesting to see a poll test whether someone's ancestry effects what environment they feel familiar with.
 
The ignore button system has a flaw from my point of view; if I start reading the activity thread before I sign in, I'm done for, because then the beginning of the post shows up. Often, I then don't have the self-discipline to "ignore" it on my own. For the sake of my blood pressure, I am now trying to remember to sign in before I look at it. :) Poor you, you have to wade through it all: the spams, the silly, the uninformed, the propaganda, and the outright malicious. I don't envy you.

Ok, I've had enough. I see you, Lebrok, Aberdeen, and every other know it all snob on this forum won't change and become respectful human beings. Y'all think you're so smart and informed, I'll be smarter, no matter what subject it may be. I WILL DESTROY YOU WITH MY MIND!!! Lebrok, you want war I'll give you war!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Ok, I've had enough. I see you, Lebrok, Aberdeen, and every other know it all snob on this forum won't change and become respectful human beings. Y'all think you're so smart and informed, I'll be smarter, no matter what subject it may be. I WILL DESTROY YOU WITH MY MIND!!! Lebrok, you want war I'll give you war!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Fire Haired, take a breath...I made the comment, not LeBrok, and it's a very general one about the downside of a moderator's job...everything is not about you. FWIW, I have been faithfully reading your posts...I usually don't agree, but as they've been on topic and respectful for quite a while, I've been reading them. Take it easy.
 
Ok, I've had enough. I see you, Lebrok, Aberdeen, and every other know it all snob on this forum won't change and become respectful human beings. Y'all think you're so smart and informed, I'll be smarter, no matter what subject it may be. I WILL DESTROY YOU WITH MY MIND!!!
Looks like self destruction. Your hair is on fire already.


Lebrok, you want war I'll give you war!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So far I have better weapons.

Angela is right. She made a general comment and you thought it was about you.
 
Looks like self destruction. Your hair is on fire already.

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So far I have better weapons.

Angela is right. She made a general comment and you thought it was about you.

I didn't care who she was referring to(I think it is mostly the Greek guy), it was the meaning of it.
 
Just a word about "racism".

If some group invades my country, and tries to kill me and take my land, is it "racism" to hate them? Now, if I am a descendent of those people, and I hate the descendents of those invaders in general without any indication that they share those attitudes, is it "racism" to hate them? Most people would probably say yes. On the other hand, if I find that the modern day descendents as a general rule share those "attitudes", is it "racism" to hate them?
Despising enemy, the invaders, is not exactly racism. To degrade them as lesser humans and treat them as garbage or slaves, based on ethnicity, culture or look, is racist.
 
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I didn't care who she was referring to(I think it is mostly the Greek guy), it was the meaning of it.

It was a general comment which could have been made about any forum. If you choose not to believe that, there's nothing I can do about it.

As for Echetlaus, I often think he is playing a role, just trying to be provocative, and doesn't totally believe what he is posting in various threads. That's why I generally don't respond, or respond ironically. If I really believed he wants to set up a theocracy in the Balkans, I might indeed try to avoid his posts for fear of losing my temper. I just don't think there's any harm in him.

So, I'm afraid you've got it all wrong.
 
Despising enemy, the invaders, is not exactly racism. To degrade them as lesser humans and treat them as garbage or slaves, based on ethnicity, culture or look, is racist.

Yes, exactly. You said it in a much more succinct way than I did.
 
As for Echetlaus, I often think he is playing a role, just trying to be provocative, and doesn't totally believe what he is posting in various threads. That's why I generally don't respond, or respond ironically. If I really believed he wants to set up a theocracy in the Balkans, I might indeed try to avoid his posts for fear of losing my temper. I just don't think there's any harm in him.

1. Say my name right.

2. Do not come to silly conclusions, e.g., theocratic state in Balkans. You don't get my point at all!

3. What role am I playing? This is a heavy accusation on your behalf. You should put your tongue in your brain prior to speaking. If I recall right, I have never accused you of anything. So either don't talk specifically about me, or talk only about my posts per se. If it becomes personal (like the case of the hideous person called 'LeBrok') it is not right.
 
clearly, the bigger the nation the more racist they are to their own people and strangers
Are castilians racist to Catalans
Are Italians racist to Sicilians
Are french racists to Bretons ...............all yes...............because the race that runs that nation wants to run it their way...........so to conclude ~90% of the world are racists

PS...maybe the swiss are not racist to each with their 14 cantons which make a confederated nation.................but they are racist to strangers
 
racism is something learned or something you have been infected with, because it can be quite contagious. Often the people that claim to be the victims are the ones with the worst version of the disease. Now, who spreads this disease and for what motives is still up for debate, but there is definitely groups that benefit from it and it sure keeps people busy with pointless stuff to fight over.
 
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I heard that they do not wish to mix with the rest of canadians or american's because they want to keep their culture rich and pure. So they choose to separate themselves with the support of the government in order to preserve their culture. You have to remember that American's essentially just came and took over/kicked them off their own land. They also did things like purposely giving them alcohol and opium in order to take advantage of them. They're a strong culture to still keep segregated from the rest of the country. To stay away from the temptation to just join in. So its essentially to just keep their culture rich.
 
I live in British Columbia Canada... I have contact with first nations everyday... they aren't corralled onto reserves to be kept away from society... you guys are funny... we are neighbours here.. there are many interracial relationships... yes, there are reserves, and yes they have problems. you guys are funny acting like u Canadians are xenophobic... we are practically the most successful example of multiculturalism. and claiming that spain treated the first nations better is pretty laughable... even the british considered them too harsh... THE BRITISH!
 
oh but please continue acting like "intellectual Europeans" acting like your better than everyone... you guys are probably a bunch of closet racists on this site anyway... lol
 
people just haven't accepted the fact yet that change needs to happen therefor
 
They probably want to have these reservations.
 

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