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Featured in the background of this project is a photograph of a waterfall taken in Minnesota. This background image is relevant and important, especially as this week's focus has been on the Westward Expansion and the history of Mankato, MN.

I found this photograph on Max Foster's Fine Art Photography website. He is an internationally award-wining landscape photographer from Minneapolis.

Not only is this image visually appealing, it fits the theme of America shrouding the violent actions of its history with beautiful distractions, like this waterfall.

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"American Progress" painting by John Gast, 1872

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"From the perspective of Africans who were brought to North America and forced to work on the cotton fields and in the plantation households, America is obviously not the Land of Freedom but figures as the site of cruel enslavement and bondage, forced labor, cultural destruction, and death."

Source: "Pilgrims and Puritans and the Myth of the Promised Land"

Manifest Destiny is closely tied to racist ideas, excluding many non-European groups in America. The quote above references African Americans who were mistreated through slavery and other violent means much like the Native Americans. The narrative of Manifest Destiny largely ignores the presence of Indigenous people who had lived in America for centuries. Their displacement and mistreatment were justified under the idea of a "divine plan." Settlers were portrayed as divinely chosen to take land that was not originally theirs. The stories of the Pilgrims and Puritans, often depicted as righteous missionaries on a divine mission, were used to legitimize the dispossession of native lands throughout the "New World."

Overall, the myth of Manifest Destiny disregards the wellbeing of Indigenous populations and cultures, as well as the minority groups brought to the so-called "Promised Land."

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"The United States did not have a Policy of Genocide"

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"The United States did not have a Policy of Genocide"

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"For many Native Americans, Columbus’s arrival in the Americas marks the beginning of colonialism, genocide, rape, slavery, expropriation and displacement, as well as cultural death. Columbus stands at the beginning of a new and for many inhabitants of the Americas deadly era."

Source: "Christopher Columbus and the Myth of 'Discovery'"

Columbus’s arrival in the Americas marked the beginning of a brutal era for Native Americans, starting a long history of colonialism, genocide, displacement, and cultural destruction. While Columbus himself does not represent the modern U.S. culture or government, his arrival laid the groundwork for the violence and removal of Indigenous peoples. The myth of “discovery” obscures the reality of European settlers’ actions, which included forced relocation, cultural eradication, and the violent extermination of native populations.

From the forced relocation of tribes during the Trail of Tears to the slaughter of bison to starve Indigenous populations, U.S. policies were deliberately designed to dispossess and eliminate Native Americans. The establishment of Indian boarding schools in the late 19th and early 20th centuries aimed to erase Indigenous cultures, subjecting children to abuse and stripping them of their heritage. These actions were part of a systematic campaign of genocide, with lasting effects on Native communities. These traditions were only put in place due to the violent origin of the nation. If the European settlers were to not eradicate the Native Americans, the history of the United States would not continue to remove their presence and effect on the lands we stole.

The myth that the U.S. has never engaged in genocide perpetuates a denial of this painful history. Recognizing the reality of these atrocities is crucial for understanding the ongoing struggles of Indigenous peoples for sovereignty, reparations, and justice. Addressing this historical truth is necessary for healing and for creating a more just future for Native communities.

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"The Dark Mark of Manifest Destiny," Klee Benally, painting parody of "American Progress"

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"Europeans Brought Civilization to the Backward Indians"

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"Europeans Brought Civilization to the Backward Indians"

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"Those geographies of the imagination however were not empirically corroborated; European explorers and travelers did not come across any marvelous utopias in the Americas. The indigenous communities they actually encountered in their eyes did not constitute extraordinary alternative ways of life worthy of emulation; constructed by their Eurocentric gaze as radical alterity rather than viable alternatives, the indigenous cultures of North America seemed worthless and inferior in comparison to those of Europe. Native Americans were considered to be barely human – as ‘heathens’ not readily open to Christianization, they could be forcefully removed in order to make room for the newcomers. Europeans thus increasingly replaced their hopes of discovering a utopia in the Americas with reflections on how to build one there themselves: Even before the Pilgrims and Puritans settled in the ‘new world,’ prospective English settlers no longer “thought in terms of finding an existing utopia but of founding one in the relatively ‘empty’ and inviting spaces of North America” (Greene, Intellectual Construction 51)."

Source: "Pilgrims and Puritans and the Myth of the Promised Land" Heike Paul

This quote from Paul's chapter directly supports the European's beliefs as saviors, bringing their enlightened way of living to the Native Americans, who were seen as "inferior" and "worthless" when viewed in the Eurocentric light. Instead of recognizing the vastly complex and viable indigenous societies and way of life, Europeans dehumanized the Native Americans by seeing them as "heathens," justifying colonial actions.

Heike highlights the European settlers abandoning the idea of "discovery," finding an existing utopia in America. They switch their focus to founding their own, seeking to create a New World on top of the flourishing Native American civilizations and systems that already were established. Europeans did not "bring" civilization to the Native Americans, but instead disregarded the history of the foreign peoples and imposed their own ideals while completely devaluing rich indigenous culture.

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"A portrait of a man," Christopher Columbus, by Sebastiano Del Piombo, 1519

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"The Natives figure as inhabitants of the islands he takes to be located east of India. These ‘Indians,’ however, are not portrayed as owners of the place they inhabit. In the very beginning of his letter Columbus describes how he takes possession of the ‘new world’ by bringing the Native population under Spanish colonial rule: 'I discovered a great many islands, inhabited by numberless people; and of all I have taken possession for their Highnesses by proclamation and display of the Royal Standard without opposition' (ibid.)."

Source: "Christopher Columbus and the Myth of 'Discovery'" Heike Paul

Christopher Columbus being the one to "discover" America is a myth that is commonly challenged in the modern world. While he was the first to capitalize on the continent, he clearly knew of and understood the indigenous population on the island that he believed was east of the Philippines. These people, Native Americans, existed long before his arrival.

Columbus refers to the Native Americans as "numberless people," or classless people, emphasizing that the land he encountered has already been inhabited but by people that he did not know existed prior to his arrival. Columbus decides to take possession of the lands that were already home to many people, and his act of claiming the land is framed within the context of Spanish colonialism.

Columbus notes that he has "taken possession for their Highnesses by proclamation..." illustrating directly that he is colonizing the country. He is not discovering the land, and he was well aware of that. He most likely viewed his role as asserting a sort of colonial authority, reinforcing that his "discovery" was truly an act of imperial control.

The quote from Heike's chapter clearly demonstrates that Christopher Columbus did not "discover" the country he believed to be inhabited by "Indians."

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"Throughout the 19th and 20 centuries, the notion of America as utopia has remained highly attractive for a variety of groups and newcomers, and has been modified and appropriated according to their respective agendas; these more recent visions of America as the Promised Land are still shaped and propelled by the religious rhetoric of the Pilgrims and the Puritans."

Source: "Pilgrims and Puritans and the Myth of the Promised Land," Heike Paul

This myth surrounds the idea that America was a "chosen land" for settlers to take over. Also seen as "promised by God," the Pilgrims and Puritans viewed their arrival as a divinely ordered mission to create a new, seemingly better, society. The image of the "perfect, idealized place" has been continuously morphed and reinterpreted over time. The quote above suggests that the image of America as a "utopia," alluring many groups including immigrants, settlers, and differently sourced communities seeking a better life. This narrative shrouds the history of violence, oppression, and war involved in the true creation of this "flawless" land. The "myth of America" was often used to justify the expansion and domination over, as well as displacement of, Indigenous peoples due to religious beliefs. The rhetoric of a religious "promise" hides the exploitation and violence that became central to the formation of the country. This distorted view, started by the Puritans, illustrates how the myth of America as a utopia is deeply tied to the origin of the nation. But, it manipulated over time to serve the different interests of various groups while masking large portions of history regarding colonization and violence against Indigenous peoples.

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"Thanksgiving Proves the Indians Welcomed the Pilgrims"

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"Thanksgiving Proves the Indians Welcomed the Pilgrims"

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"Abraham Lincoln to make Thanksgiving a national holiday in 1863 in order to commemorate that very first ‘Thanksgiving’ which took place in Plymouth in 1621. However, Bradford himself does not dwell on this event in his text, which has only been fleshed out and embellished by subsequent writers. Lincoln in his efforts to promote an ideology of peace and domestic harmony at a time when the ‘United’ States were at war with each other (cf. Seelye, Memory’s Nation 17) chose Thanksgiving as a day of commemoration, yet the ambiguity of Thanksgiving in the ideology of the Pilgrims is apparent: they gave thanks to God for their survival but hardly to their Native fellow men and women, who, they believed, acted not of their own accord but merely as instruments of God’s will."

Source: "Pilgrims and Puritans and the Myth of the Promised Land"

President Abraham Lincoln poses as a controversial character regarding human rights during his Presidency. He is famous for ordering the Emancipation Proclamation and supporting the 13th Amendment, but his support of the Native American population was weaker. In the above quote, Heike explains Lincoln's "efforts" to carry out the popular ideology of peace and harmony. Lincoln seems to be hesitant to honor the legacy of the Native American, caring only about the morality of his citizens. He chooses Thanksgiving to celebrate the beginning of the country but disregards the agency of the Indigenous peoples who were equally as important as the Pilgrims.

This action, while attempting to be one of commemoration, ultimately fakes the history between the Native Americans and Pilgrims, accrediting their legacy to that of caricature. In an attempt to pay respects, a tradition was born that is truly mockery.

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"Yet, apart from his condescending attitude toward the indigenous population and despite descriptions of early English-Native conflicts and skirmishes, Bradford overall portrays the interaction with the Natives as relatively peaceful, which is mainly due to two Native figures: Squanto and Massasoit. Squanto is introduced as a Native American who upon their arrival “came boldly among them, and spoke to them in broken English, which they could well understand, but were astonished at it” (Bradford, Of Plymouth 51)."

Source: "Pilgrims and Puritans and the Myth of the Promised Land"

The stereotypical depiction of "Indian savages" that Native Americans are usually portrayed as is rooted in racism and ignorance from the white settlers of the time. As Heike points out, many descriptions of interactions with Indigenous peoples tell stories of pacifism, peace, and innocence. Heike describes in this chapter both the common description of "brutish" peoples whose lands are said to be "devoid of all civilized inhabitants... given over to savages," while also reminding the reader that multiple interactions were said to be peaceful. Bradford even describes the ability of multiple Native people to be "eccentric," or "strangely familiar... different precisely in that unprocessed familiarity." The notions of "The Promised Land" and the "warlike Indians" were still used to justify and allow for the destruction and displacement of those who were so "familiar."

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"The United States gave Indians their Reservations"

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"The United States gave Indians their Reservations"

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"Who among the addressees of Columbus’s speech act present at the scene could have understood what was going on, let alone voiced opposition to Columbus’s proclamation? How could the Native population have opposed his claim when for them it was not clear what his pompous gesturing implied or what his ritualized language meant? Columbus ostensibly plays a trick on them – with a simple formality he claims the land, and their reserve is read as forever forfeiting the right to the territory (cf. ibid. 60)."

Source: "Christopher Columbus and the Myth of 'Discovery'

This quote from Heike's chapter directly focuses on the lies and deception that the United States, as early as colonial times, has used to take advantage of Native Americans. It is uneducated to claim that the United States has returned some of the land to Native peoples, when the concept of a reservation was built on a foundation of lies and deceit in the first place.

It is ironic that the reason the Native Americans couldn't understand the claims that Columbus was making was due to his mannerisms. It has been a common point of discontent towards the Native Americans that their actions are "strange" and "ritual" when compared to the White man. Here the White man takes advantage of this criticism by playing into the exact trait that has been so often condemned. The addressal was a clear effort to trick and deceive the Native peoples who were attending, and this trickery extends into modern American culture as Native American reserves have been, throughout history, and currently are, not the safe havens that many people are lead to believe they are.

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"Landing of the Pilgrims," relief carving by Enrico Causici, 1825

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"Enrico Causici’s 1825 relief Landing of the Pilgrims, 1620 in the Capitol depicts a family in a boat welcomed by a Native offering an ear of corn; the fresco Landing of Pilgrims at Plymouth, Mass., 1620, which is part of the Frieze of American History, is a similarly sedate rendering of the landing."

Source: "Pilgrims and Puritans and the Myth of the Promised Land"

Through Paul's writing it is clear that sports mascots are terrible representations of Native American culture. The use of indigenous imagery in the context of caricature mascots is rooted in a dark history of dehumanization and appropriation. The imagery perpetuates stereotypes rather than serving as a form of respect or recognition of Native American culture or indigenous identities.

An example of a respectful, accurate representation that "honors" Native Americans is explored in Heike's chapter. The Pilgrims are being welcomed by a generous Native American man, extending gifts of corn to the new arrivals. This representation, while including similar imagery to sports mascots and other caricature, paints the Native Americans in a positive, more realistic light when compared to modern stereotype.

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"Native American Culture Belongs to All Americans"

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"Native American Culture Belongs to All Americans"

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"The turkey, for one thing, was certainly not part of the Thanksgiving celebration in 1621. Archaeologist James Deetz, who worked at the site of the first settlement of the Pilgrims, points to a long-standing misconception: We finally found some turkey bone after ten years of digging. The circumstantial evidence is that it wouldn’t be likely [that the Pilgrims ate turkey]. Turkeys are very hard to kill and the matchlocks of the period weren’t very good for hunting. (qtd. in Dennis, Red 100-101)"

Source: "Pilgrims and Puritans and the Myth of the Promised Land"

While the above example is meant to be humorous, the capitalist takeover of the tradition that is meant to mirror the "true" historical meal between very impactful groups of people shows that tradition, when not taken care of properly, is easily manipulated.

The stereotypical image of a Midwest elementary school celebrating the Pilgrims and Native Americans is crafting paper hand-turkeys and dressing in black buckles. This may be an innocent way for children to learn about the past, but it has clearly become a white-washed version of what these figures were meant to originally represent. It is unfair to appropriate culture from a group of people that were oppressed so recently in the history of this country. Creating humorous traditions around key cultures that were stripped from an entire society completely diminishes the value of Native Americans and their history.