Native Peoples in Early United States

Reference to Indigenous peoples in significant historical texts.
- Declaration of Independence (1776): Native peoples referred to as "merciless Indian savages."
  - Context: Natives allied with the British.
- Articles of Confederation (1777): Natives referred to as "nations."
  - Important term that recognizes some degree of autonomous governance.
  - Natives are also characterized as enemies and potential invaders.
Transition to Constitution (1787):
- Natives demoted from "nations" to "tribes."
  - Semantic difference suggests a less civilized and more chaotic image.
  - Denotes diminished sovereignty and rights.

U.S. Indian policy was overseen by the Department of War (later Department of Defense).
- Suggests that Native peoples were considered potential enemies.
Two primary options presented to Native peoples:
1. Assimilation:
- Becoming American, shedding Native identity.
- Learning to read and write; adopting the lifestyle of typical U.S. citizens.
- Concept of "vanishing"; Indian and American identities seen as mutually exclusive.
1. Removal:
- Natives forcibly relocated to reservations, which would shrink over time as resources were discovered.
- Ongoing erosion of Native land and sovereignty.
The narrative of civilizing Indians vs. the push to remove them.

Continuum described with two extremes: Nativist vs. Assimilationist.
- Nativist: Advocates for Indigenous peoples to maintain their traditions and governance.
- Assimilationist: Advocates for Indigenous peoples to adopt non-Indigenous ways.
Analysis of various writers on this continuum:
- Amigamal to the French: Strongly nativist; resists conversion to French lifestyle.
- Mittarc: A Christian convert, yet advocates for native rights and continues traditional practices; closer to nativism but with assimilationist aspects.
- Anci Lohaito: Critical of ecological destruction by colonists; identifies strongly with nativism.
- Samson Occom: Closer to the middle of the continuum, promoting literacy while maintaining some nativist aspects.
- Captain Pipe: Advocates non-involvement in colonial conflicts, displays nativist diplomacy.
- Mary Jemison: While a white person adopted by Native culture, she praises Indigenous ways of living and chooses to stay within the culture despite her options.

Apis critiques the hypocrisy of Christians who act immorally towards Native peoples.
- Calls attention to the inconsistency of claiming to be Christians while being racist and prejudiced against Indigenous peoples.
Major claims:
- Critiques the legacy of racism against Native people by those who profess Christianity.
- Argues that genuine Christianity and racism cannot coexist.
Individual arguments supporting his claims:
- Explores historical injustices committed by white people, highlighting the Christian faith's principles contrasted with their actions.
- Points to the biblical notions of equality, unfairly dispensed judgments, and the shared mortality of all human beings.

Survivance:
- Coined term by Gerald Vizenor combining survival and resistance.
- Concept involves surviving indigenous genocide and resisting narratives that marginalize Native peoples.
- Represents refusal to accept victimhood, embracing resilience instead.
Sovereignty: Defined by Scott Richard Lyons:
1. Political Sovereignty: Self-determination in governance.
2. Cultural Sovereignty: Control over traditions and knowledge.
3. Rhetorical Sovereignty: The right to communicate and represent themselves.

Upcoming discussions include Red Jacket and Chief Seattle.
Aim to develop a deeper understanding of the complexities surrounding Native identity, resistance, and sovereignty.