de·col·o·ni·za·tion: noun
The act of freeing a country from colonial status.
Many would rightly wonder why I would write a blog post on such a subject, and what I could possibly mean in choosing it.
The United States of America was originally established as a federation of thirteen colonies, which were built up as robust settlements by the time of the Revolutionary War. All this began, not with the English (at least not at first), but with Leif Eriksson and Christopher Columbus. Since then, and for a variety of reasons, European explorers have come in waves to the land we now call America. Anyway, I am not trying to give a history lecture. Much of what I am saying is common knowledge; many different ethnic groups from Europe migrated to North and South America to colonize the land and discover valuable resources to bring back to their monarchs (or, just claim for themselves).
Being that Native Americans were here prior to colonization, one would wonder why they don't seem to have a lot of media exposure in our modern times. There are so very few Native actors, performers, writers, scientists, or doctors in America, at least that anyone ever talks about. It seems like outside of a history book, or a movie which specifically deals with Native characters, little is known about actual tribal groups and their accomplishments, and the mark they are making today in their own country. As already mentioned, this is particularly a concern in the case of there being hardly any observable Native people in the public eye.
We have especially lost a lot of information on our Eastern tribes; frankly, because they were all killed off or intermarried with Europeans. This is well documented in the annals of American history, if you're willing to do the research. In the state of Maryland, tribes included the Susquehannocks, Lene Lenape, Iroquois, and Lumbee. There are now no tribal councils in existence for them, primarily because those who identify as being a member of any of these tribes is a mixed-race individual relying on information handed down from past generations, of which the source is dubious.
So, most of our Eastern tribes have zero representation at all; their only opportunities for expressing their Native heritage checking off a box under the racial category for a job application. They could casually bring it up in conversation with friends or on a date, but doing so would not signify any sort of substantial racial identity, considering there is no outlet for that identity. It's hard to identify as something that no one sees, hears, or talks about. Sad, but true.
The vast majority of people I have known and met in the state of Maryland who have told me that they are of partial Native ancestry appear to me, at least physically, to be Caucasian. If they hadn't told me, I would never have seen them as anything but. All the people who come to mind as having told me this live out their lives like any other Caucasian person. Anyone out on the street would be none the wiser, unless directly informed of it from that person. Think about Sen. Elizabeth Warren, or anyone else in the national spotlight who claims to have Native ancestry spanning back decades into their family history. I am not trying to criticize these individuals, because I don't know their family history. All I am saying is that their reality is much, much different from the reality of a "full-blooded" Native American person living in the U.S. today. They will probably never face discrimination on basis of race, know about life on a reservation, or miss out on many opportunities in the arena of work, school or their personal life.
The fact is that Native Americans are trying to pick up the shards of their culture and heritage, to create some semblance of ethnic pride and a sense of identity in their respective tribes. I personally don't see a lot being done on the part of mainstream society to empower them. I think that after 400 or so years of residing in this land, European Americans have developed a possessive mentality concerning this country. Personally, I was born and raised in the U.S. and see it as the only home I know; however, I am not one to be lulled into a false sense of ownership. Many, though, think that just because they were born and raised here, this is somehow "their" land, even if their ancestors didn't originate from America at all. I don't share that delusion.
My immediate ancestry is German, Anglo-Saxon and French. I am a second-generation American citizen, and lifelong resident of the state of Maryland. Again, this is the only home I have known my whole life, even though I have traveled extensively outside the states and feel at ease in other countries. What I would propose to all American citizens with non-Native ancestry: a 500-year plan of decolonization. This is not something that I feel should be governmentally-regulated, but done on the part of individuals, and of their own free will. As quickly and violently as we all arrived here, we should depart gradually and peacefully. We need to be following the British model of Indian decolonization, and to take the lead from tribal councils. I have been reading, listening, and watching for awhile now, and from everything I have witnessed, Native peoples want the opportunity to reclaim their land in the future.
The best thing we can do right now is meet them halfway, and listen to what their needs are, as we have an open dialogue on the course of action which should best be taken. Think of what is being done as we speak in the UK, as talks proceed in regards to Scottish and N.I. independence. As multiculturalism takes hold, more and more Americans are moving to other countries (mostly in Europe) for education, careers, or marriage. I can think of many family members and acquaintances who were American citizens and have since married non-Americans, and then moved to their spouses' countries.
I think this would be a feasible goal. I also think it would have its challenges. It would require these ex-patriates embarking back to their ancestral countries to then pick up a new language, if they didn't already speak that language. There would also be the question of whether certain countries would necessarily be allowing of an influx, though gradual, of these American immigrants. There may be somewhat of a culture clash. Now, I can think of many places in Europe that are under-populated, which certain countries are trying to populate in these respective areas, and will even give tax breaks to a person for having children. For anyone who doubts it, examples of this being done in Germany alone are plentiful. In spite of the global population problem, Western countries remain relatively uncrowded and amenable to new immigration, over time.
As far-fetched and crazy as all this might sound, I really don't intend it as such. This is just something I personally think could be a long-term solution to the strife we see going on in the Native community today, and if we peacefully exit their lands, I think everyone will be the better for it.
