Instead of turning on the "tube" for a relaxing break, we pick up a book. We have a little library of perhaps 500 books. (I know, it is too small, but I am working at building it up.) About 350 books are related to knowing God and Christian living. The others are about architecture, art, gardening, history, hunting, archery, and First Nations studies.
I recently picked up a book on Ebay, about the life of a hero of mine from my childhood. It was about Daniel Boone. The books I read about him in the school libraries painted the romantic adventurer in the lush forests of Kentucky. This new book, 430 pages, was written by John M. Faragher. His historical work stripped away the romantic and revealed the rheumatism, lice, starvation, and gore which was common at the edge of the frontier.
I chose this book as a pleasant read, but it has turned out to vex my soul. I read about naked aggression from my hero, who pursued taking lands which were occupied by Shawnee People. It wasn't that the land was vacant and so Daniel and thousands of other white people simply occupied it. He was met and clearly informed by the Shawnee where their land was and to stay off of it. Heedless of the warning, the land grab was on, and blood flowed on both sides.
When I look at it from the Shawnee view point, I think their response with war against the invaders is reasonable. The Shawnee were a private "keep to themselves" people. They didn't meddle with the neighboring tribes, which in the end contributed to their defeat. If they had joined the Iroquois Confederacy and the British, they would have had enough power to not only save their homes and lands, but the history of the USA would have developed quite differently; but they didn't.
I try to understand the mindset of the white pioneers at the frontier. It was a very different time. A time when "them that had the weapons, made the rules." It was like, "might made right." I don't agree with the utter contempt that the pioneers had for the Indians. Maybe it was the idea of Manifest Destiny which excused the treaty breaking, murder, and conquering of the Shawnee lands.
I sit and read about a tragedy. A tragedy for the Shawnee People. It was a tragedy in Daniel Boone's life, too. His brother and two of his son's perished in the land grab wars. I thought it would be a pleasant read, but it isn't. What makes it worse is that it is a true story.
1 comment:
We just finished reading a great book called The Sign of the Beaver. Primarily written for 8-14 year old children, this book did an EXCELLENT job of showing a bit of the reality of what was going on as the white settlers set up homes and claims on native land. It poses some hard questions...and lets the reader struggle with the answers. While avoiding much of the blood and gore (making it a great book for kids) it still left a strong impression. Emily commented, "It is really sad how the white man didn't let the Indians have some of the best land and tricked them into giving their land away too." An easy yet riveting read, I'd highly recommend it to other families too. Maybe a bit of an easier read than your current book. :)(I think I should also mention that since I was reading it aloud, it was taking longer to get through the book...so one night Joe looks over at me, after the kids are put in bed, and asks what I'm reading. I tell him I have to finish this book to see what happens! A couple hours later I was done - it had me riveted too.) :)
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