This is a more sobering post for the letter " I " than I have done in the past.
The letter " I " stands for the Maidu Indians. They are a proud people Indigenous to Placer County and surrounding counties of Northern California.
Many Maidu have survived the catastrophe of indiscriminate force used by the government of early times to decimate the Indian population, their language, traditions and practices.
The Native First People remember... "it was not that long ago that if you saw strangers coming, you hid your children. But the strangers kept coming back until they found the children. The Maidu's homes were more than land. Generations lived and died there, forever.
The land had become sacred to us. Being forced to leave your home was like a death, both for the child taken and for those left behind."
Sahtehpoo, a Native Maidu says, "Stealing a child is a crime now. My Dad was taken as a young boy, when there were no laws to protect Indian children. In fact, there was a law allowing them to be taken. My Dad did not like the way he was treated. Our traditions and language were taken away but not stamped out completely. These are hard to get back, but we are a very persistent People."
Lady Mary Polissa survived the Trail of Tears. This photo taken in 1892. The treatment given the Maidu Indians is Indecent.
Maiduan Indian families preserved their traditional culture In spite of European Impacts.
This Information was learned at the Maidu Indian Museum in Roseville, California and has made a deep Impression on me.
To see what others have posted for the letter " I " go to Mrs. Nesbitts link on my sidebar.
35 comments:
Marvelous and interesting post and photos! Indians were so grossly mistreated. People in our country seem to forget that they came, saw and conquered people who had been here for thousands of years. Oh, heavens! I'd better not get started, but thank you for posting this! It's sad, but needs to be told.
Sylvia
I very sad time in our nation's history. Thankfully there are people who want to preserve the past for the future. Thank you.
une belle visite et magnifique la première peinture.
Sobering indeed Sue. Our ancestors treated them like uncivilized people when our ancestors were the ones acting in an uncivil manner. Movies like "Dances with Wolves" helped me see the atrocities that were committed in the name of Westward Expansion. Sad indeed.
Interesting and informative are two other I that come to mind reading this. Great imagery too.
What a wonderful post, and so much information and history.
Thanks for a very special and unique "I".
I agree so much with Kansas Bob...the movie Dances with Wolves had a lot of insights, and also a new appreciation for the life and customs of the Indians.
Sad but true...profound post....
This is a very brilliant post! You know that the same happened in Australia, where children of mixed race where taken away from their Aboriginal mothers. They were adopted by white families and they were not allowed to speak their own languages any more. A few years ago Kevin Rudd, the Australian PM offered his apologies for the stolen generation.
Always good to know your local history.
I really like that first photo.
It is wonderfully instructive to be immersed in Indian culture. Great job!
Wow. I learned so much by coming here today. You are such a great teacher! Thank you! Please keep Kaishon in your prayers tomorrow. He has something rather difficult to go thru! I know you are a pray-er : ). Thanks! With lots of love, Becky
I am ashamed of what was done to the native people here. I am a decedent of both the native Americans and the English...
Thank you for this post. I really had not heard of the Maidu Indians. Was Mary a Cherokee? What I know of the Trail of Tears were Cherokee taken from the East to Oklahoma... But I'm very sketchy on the whole historical scene.
PS Were the children taken as slaves? We, as people everywhere, have so much for which to be ashamed... do we ever learn lessons?
Thank you for sharing the sobering information with us. I appreciate it immensely.
That last photo looks like it was taken by Edward Curtis. If it weren't for his images, much more information (culturally) would have been lost.
I love History.
Just want to wish you HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!
Have you a great one!
hugs
shakira
Oscar Wilde-The IRISH Gentleman
ART OF GENEROSITY
great info and photos
Thanks for a informative post. It's impotant not to forget the failiours of history - otherwise it might just happen again...
A very special and very thought provoking post. It tells a lot about human behaviour towards each others.. One can but hope that humanity has learned from past experiences by now, but I'm not an optimist.
This is a wonderful way to bring attention to who really settled our country and who we have to thank for it. The sad thing is how we took all their land.
"I"nteresting post... "I" had never heard of them...
Excellent post! It is all too easy (and common) for invaders and settlers to trample on indigenous peoples. So many native Americans were uprooted from their traditional lands and moved onto reservations far from their origins.
A shameful period in your history, for sure, but most countries have them. The important thing is that we learn, and do not continue to commit atrocities. Instead, we make amends, or reparation, and go further, to eliminate discrimination - most especially against indigenous peoples.
Thank heavens the culture of the Maidu was not completely stamped out.
thanks for sharing their story, very interesting and informative. civilazation moves on and on mowing down people as it goes and still does today.
I read some time ago that the practise of removing children from their families also happened to the indigenous people of Australia and it really wasn't that long ago that this ceased. It's shocking the way we have and still do behave to one another.
Very interesting post.
every nations history is filled with some thing the nation will be ashamed of
interesting post there
This was an interesting post and so many great I`s!:-)
The first image is rather beautiful and a thought provoking post, how sad that an attempt was made to destroy this culture. It happened all over the world, and is still happening, which makes me sad but I know it never succeeds because at the very least the music always survives.
Incredible indignities suffered at the hands of the invaders. I think this atrocity can be found in most countries. Excellent post.
You have brought a people and its destiny closer to me, thank you for that!
What an amazingly IRRESPONSIBLE position our govts took towards the people who were already there. IRRITATING, to say the least, but an IMPORTANT post.
Sue, thanks for this information. it was sad that the Indians were treated so badly. Outside of America we hear nothing about present-day Indian people. In NZ the Maori (natives) and the British signed a treaty (of Waitangi)right back when NZ was first settled by the European which gave the Maoris rights as equal citizens. The arrangement never went smoothly but I think our two races existed better perhaps than there? - Dave
I've never heard of Maidu Indians and I'm a native Californian! This is such and informative and sad post. Perhaps history books could be a bit more thorough and inclusive of all cultures.
Your tribute is sobering and needful, Sue. Thank you so very much. How did we white folks ever think we were civilized?
Native culture is so fascinating. Thanks for this.
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