When I was a little girl, I used to pretend I was an Indian.
Sometimes I would pretend that I was a brave. I would make a bow out of a fallen branch and string it with a piece of binder twine. Then I would find the straightest sticaks lying around the yard to use for arrows. Then I would go whooping and hollering around the yard, attacking invisible enemies.
Other times I would pretend I was a squaw. I would look for a relatively flat rock and another one that was kinda round. Then I would usually see an ear of field corn lying around somewhere. (We did not have the neatest yard in the neighborhood.) I would shell it; put the kernels on the flat stone; and grind. There was usually as much dirt in that cornmeal as there was corn. I always just threw it away. It was just pretend anyway.
As I was brushing my teeth this morning, I began to wonder.
I wonder what our nation would be like if we had decided to live in peace and harmony with the Native Americans--as uninvited guests, rather than conquerors.
Could we have taught them how to make metals for tools and guns for hunting--not war? Could we have shown them new ways of using the natural resources residing in the ground?
Could the Native Americans have shown us how they adapted to the environment and learned to live in harmony with it, while leaving minimal impact on it? Could we have learned to see the Great Spirit in every animal, leaf and flower as the Native Americans did?
Instead of establishing a government, suppose we could have blended our cultures and come up with a system that worked for all of us. Could we have actually become friends and neighbors for the benefit of all? It is interesting to speculate.
We probably wouldn't have automobiles, super highways and high-rise apartment buildings. We probably wouldn't have a government with hundreds of agencies, representatives and staff. We probably wouldn't need to pay taxes.
However, the struggle for survival might result in more togetherness and less crime.We might have less sickness and fewer diseases. We might have less to worry about. It sounds like it would be the best of both worlds.
On the other hand, a government or military from another country might come in and mess everything up.
Some people just can't leave well enough alone.
Dorothy is the author of two books—“Miles and Miracles” and “Getting It All Together “. You can purchase a book or make a comment by emailing her at dorothybutzknight@gmail.com
