Susan Brownmiller
At the present day civilised nations are everywhere supplanting barbarous nations, excepting where the climate opposes a deadly barrier; and they succeed mainly, though not exclusively, through their arts, which are the products of the intellect. It is, therefore, highly probable that with mankind the intellectual faculties have been mainly and gradually perfected through natural selection; and this conclusion is sufficient for our purpose. Undoubtedly it would be interesting to trace the development of each separate faculty.
At some future period, not very distant as measured by centuries, the civilised races of man will almost certainly exterminate, and replace, the savage races throughout the world. At the same time the anthropomorphous apes, as Professor Schaaffhausen has remarked, will no doubt be exterminated. The break between man and his nearest allies will then be wider, for it will intervene between man in a more civilised state, as we may hope, even than the Caucasian, and some ape as low as a baboon, instead of as now between the negro or Australian and the gorilla.
White Indians James Axtell�s studies of the early Americans who were captured by various Indian peoples give us a picture of these �white Indians� � many of whom chose to remain with their tribal captors. Axtell writes that many captives soon discovered that the English had no monopoly on virtue and that in many ways the Indians were morally superior to the English, more Christian than the Christians. As early as 1643 Roger Williams had written a book to suggest such a thing, but he could be dismissed as a misguided visionary who let the Narragansetts go to his head. It was more difficult to dismiss someone like John Brickell, who had lived with the Indians for four and one-half years and had no ax to grind with established religion. �The Delawares are the best people to train up children I ever was with,� he wrote. �Their leisure hours are, in a great measure, spent training up their children to observe what they believe to be right. . . . As a nation they may be considered fit examples for many Christians to follow. They certainly follow what they are taught to believe more closely, and I might say more honestly, in general, than we Christians do the divine precepts of our Redeemer. . . . I know I am influenced to good, even at this day,� he concluded, �more from what I learned among them, than what I learned among people of my own color.� After many decades with them, Mary Jemison insisted that �the moral character of the Indians was . . . uncontaminated. Their fidelity was perfect, and became proverbial; they were strictly honest; they despised deception and falsehood, chastity was held in high veneration.� Even the Tory historian Peter Oliver, who was no friend to the Indians, admitted that �they have a Religion of their own, which, to the eternal Disgrace of many Nations who boast of Politeness, is more influential on their Conduct than that of those who hold them in so great Contempt.� To the acute discomfort of the colonists, more than one captive maintained that the Indians were a �far more moral race than the whites.� |
The soreness of the land - the prophecy of Kate Luckie, Wintu Spirit Woman
The bridge is love ~ native spirituality is the wordless song of the heart
Indians and Ancient Israel - amazing discovery of many similarities
Wisdom of the Great Chiefs - native words still speak from long ago
Chief Seattle's oration, 1854 - ringing in modern ears like prophecy
Our dear Lady Lynn something of gentleness on the web.
John Marrant, black apostle to the Cherokee - with credibility among Native folk, he won many
John Stewart "Man of Color" - adopted by the Wyandotte; he let his light shineThe American Indian Heritage Foundation Providing relief services to native peoples in North America.
NARF : Native American Rights Fund - 38 years of standing firm for justice.
Hanksville Index of Native American resources on the internet.
Never Give Up. The native American saga of hope and triumph.
White man's legacy of the rape ethic. A Brownmiller site.