Comments on: Lost & Found

By: Kamachanda

Kamachanda — Sat, 10 Dec 2005 15:37:58 +0000

We are all out of Africa, yet we also call the land where we were raised our native land.

By: pickleweedpete

pickleweedpete — Thu, 01 Dec 2005 02:57:47 +0000

“More” native is an oxymoron, Dave. Words are meaningless if we employ them any way we want to.

By: Dave

Dave — Wed, 30 Nov 2005 22:27:52 +0000

by the accounts written at the time, the indigenous people of the Bahamas were rather peaceful. Of course, there were violent groups of Native Americans who enslaved other people, etc. But, these particular ones were not.

As far as not being “native” as in “didn’t evolve there” is a pretty bullshit stance. Having been there for 12,000 years or so – AND NOT having homo sapiens there when you show up DOES in fact make you more native than those who showed up later.

By: pickleweedpete

pickleweedpete — Wed, 30 Nov 2005 20:28:38 +0000

Think about it, m-c-t. The Cherokees, the Crees, (and Navahos, Pimas, etc., etc.) are no more “native” to the americas than those who arrived after them, are they? Didn’t we all originally come from someplace else?
And I think archeologists have proven time and time again that violence, warfare, and cruelty against our fellow human beings was commonplace in the “new world” long before the arrival of the europeans.

By: my-crackpot-theories

my-crackpot-theories — Tue, 29 Nov 2005 16:35:01 +0000

It’s always instructive to take the view of the other fella. “Walk a mile in his shoes” and all that. We need to remember that history is written by the victors. The losers may have no voice, but that doesn’t mean that their viewpoint is somehow invalid.

The native americans (“so-called”, pete?) who met Columbus on the beach had no idea of the violence these newcomers were capable of, and didn’t know that they and their tribes would soon be either enslaved or murdered, or both.

By: pickleweedpete

pickleweedpete — Tue, 29 Nov 2005 01:31:06 +0000

Point taken, Ross, and those so-called native americans were quite as ignorant as the Spanish they found wandering around on the beach. Greg, I venture to guess that you liked the book/movie “Dances With Wolves”.

By: Ross A Lincoln

Ross A Lincoln — Mon, 28 Nov 2005 16:06:30 +0000

Far be it from me to take the side of the Spanish invaders during a discussion of the colonization of the Americas. However, I think it’s a bit petty to make fun of their believing they were on the other side of the world at this point in time. After all, they were doing something arguably completely new, and mistakes as to location can be forgiven.

That said, Columbus apparently went to his grave insisting that he was in the east indies. That was pretty dumb.

By: anonymous

anonymous — Mon, 28 Nov 2005 11:21:57 +0000

“who could not speak well enough to be understood”

And who quite literally believed that they were on the opposite side of the planet.