Once Upon a Time…

Every Thanksgiving, thousands of elementary school children across the nation dress up as Native Americans and pilgrims to celebrate the feast and the friendship between these two groups. But looking back, how successful was this friendship? Yes, the Native Americans saved the Pilgrims from starvation, and yes, they had a feast together, but what about after?

As more settlers came to the “New World,” this alliance and friendship disappeared. Instead of inviting the Native Americans over for a feast, the settlers took over their lands and pushed them away. They referred to the native people as “savages,”a nickname that would stick for generations to come, even though these “savages” were the ones to save the Plymouth colony.

Over time, relations between the two groups continued to deteriorate. As the colonies expanded, native people were used as slaves and seen as inferior to the white Europeans.When the colonies won independence from Britain, there were numerous conflicts with the Native Americans. FOR EXAMPLE, In the Treaty of Paris, which ended the American Revolution, America ceded vast amounts of Indian territory to the British. Wars, including the Northwest Indian War, followed but to no avail – the Natives lost their land and America entered the period of expansion.

Increased immigration and the dream of “Manifest Destiny” – having America stretch across the entire continent- led to continuous conflict between settlers and Native Americans. In 1830, President Andrew Jackson, in an attempt to force natives off their land, passed the Indian Removal Act. This infamous act was extremely controversial, and a majority of tribes were forced to move to the designated reservations.

However the Cherokee, one of the most “civilized” tribes, refused to move and in 1835, the Cherokee were forced to leave their land on the Trail of Tears. Thousands died and although the removal was a success, in the eyes of the oppressors, the morality of Jackson’s actions remain questionable today.

As time passed, Relations improved in the twentieth century between the Native Americans and America. In 1924, President Coolidge signed the Indian Citizenship Act which made all Native Americans citizens and when World War II began, a vast number of Native American men volunteered to serve.

According to the U.S. Indian Commissioner in 1945, “The war caused the greatest disruption of Native life since the beginning of the reservation era.”It changed the natives’ views, habitats and economic situations. It gave them the ability to see beyond the boundaries of their territories. Many native people left their reservations and took advantage of opportunities in urban cities thanks to their service in the war.

Even today, minor conflicts occur between America and the native people who were here when the Earth was believed to be flat. However, in the past century, relations have drastically improved. In 2009, President Obama signed into law the Defense Appropriations Bill which included an apology to the Native Americans from the American government for all “ill-conceived policies”.

Yet, things are still not perfect. Native Americans are still struggling to freely practice their tribal customs and traditions under American law. A majority of native people still live on their tribe’s reservations, isolated from economic centers and struggling to support their people. Many natives have turned to gambling for a source of income, but other tribes oppose this trade, believing it destroys their culture. Tribes on reservations also lack quality education systems and fewer Native Americans graduate from college compared to their Caucasian counterparts. Hopefully over time, improvements to the reservation system will be made and the relations between America and the native people will return to what it was that November evening so many years ago. This Thanksgiving, when family and friends gather, think about the true history of the famous holiday, and remember all those who were changed by the injustices of our own government.

Oops, We Did It Again – Is History Repeating Itself?

It is said that history repeats itself, a cyclical pattern of fashion faux pas, bitter relationships, technological advancements and, oddly enough, the same mistakes. As we bid farewell to the years spanning 2000-2009, we are presented with the opportunity to analyze social, political and economic trends which shaped the decade. But it turns out that the past decade wasn’t all that unique. In recent years, we faced issues regarding global relations, budget balancing, financial stability and domestic policy, which leads us to ask: haven’t we been here before?

Currently, we are a society focused on “what’s hot and what’s not.” According to The Economist, the average child between the ages of 8 and 18 watches 270 minutes of TV each day. That is enough time to spoon feed the youth of our generation with a large dose of consumerism. Apparently the similar consumerism of the 1920’s and its aftermath weren’t enough to deter Americans from obsessing over the gratification of purchasing material goods. According to a San Francisco University statistical portrait, a total of $7 billion worth of product was purchased on credit during the year 1929. And guess what? CreditCards.com reported that 26.5 billion credit card transactions occurred in 2008, totaling $2.1 trillion. In the 1930s, such spending led to the Great Depression and has now led to our current economic crisis. According to Forbes Magazine, the United States faced, and still faces the most severe financial crisis since the Great Depression, leaving millions homeless and without access to sufficient food sources. Struggling, many Americans are apprehensive regarding the current state of affairs, surviving without access to health care or medical benefits.

Another worthy contribution to our crisis resulted from the globalization of our markets throughout the 90s, an expansive principle emphasized under the Clinton administration. Globalization led to diminishment of American made goods, products, and services. Large companies built factories overseas and outsourced jobs to developing or underdeveloped countries in order to benefit from cheap labor. This is a profitable option for your average penny pinching business tycoon. Who would have thought that men with such a large wallets would risk the dignity of an entire country for spare change? This has not only decreased the number of US exports, but aroused significant ethical and economic concerns. And you wonder why everything from toothpaste to pet food is tainted with toxic substances. That is, until you read the tag, “Made in China.”

Moreover, American greed reached an all time high when we engaged in a war with Iraq in order to secure oil reservoirs in the Middle East. In his memoir, former Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan said, “I am saddened that it is politically inconvenient to acknowledge what everyone knows: the Iraq war is largely about oil.” Sadly, we deemed Iraq dependent on our political ingenuity. This draws a distinctive parallel to the Vietnam War of the 70s where rich oil reserves were discovered. The Vietnam War, fought on the pretext of communist concerns in the region, entangled the United States in a messy, highly controversial debacle.

During the Bush Administration, it was disclosed that legislation had been written, aimed at allowing oil companies such as Exxon and Chevron to drill in natural wildlife regions in the Arctic. These desperate measures were similar in nature to those existing throughout the 1970’s as gas prices sky rocketed and stagflation plagued the nation. The price of oil nearly quadrupled from a mere 25 cents to over a dollar. It was a direct result of an oil embargo placed on the US by OPEC, following the country’s support of Israel. In perspective, times have really not changed, considering that the US is still pressured for oil resources and funding for alternative energy sources.

On a more positive note, Barack Obama’s presidency marked the climax and culmination of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. Stuart Taylor Jr. of the National Journal wrote, “Obama embodies and preaches the true and vital message that in today’s America, the opportunities available to black people are unlimited if they work hard, play by the rules, and get a good education.” This historic moment marked the end to a nation segregated by racism and prejudice, and the birth of a nation embodied by diversity.

Our nation thrives on the cyclical nature of life. Each problem, accomplishment, or solution, teaches us about ourselves and the nature of our decisions. Who knows, maybe even poodle skirts will come back into style. After all, what’s in and what’s out is a question only time will tell.

Have a Good Read This Christmas Eve

This novel is a bit on the lengthy side, but it takes no time at all to plow through. It’s easy to get into, and will have you hooked by the first couple of pages. The gripping storyline includes love, betrayal, death, and, best of all, drama!

Not much for the Middle-Aged melodramas? Not to worry. Perhaps a more adventurous love story would strike your fancy. Give Annette Curtis Klause’s Blood and Chocolate a try. This is basically the exact opposite of Twilight, only strikingly similar at the same time. Instead of a male vampire falling in love with a useless mortal, Blood and Chocolate tells the story of a mysterious young werewolf who falls in love with a human boy intended to be her lunch. The two fall madly in love and face many challenges as their two worlds collide in an epic adventure. But take caution in opening up this work in the midst of finals week: you simply will not be able to put it down!

If you’d rather depart from the romance genre altogether, then Adriana Trigiani’s newest coming of age novel Viola will deliver the perfect dose of teenage angst, while at the same providing encouraging insights into the world of friendship and growing up. Shipped away from her beloved hometown of Brooklyn to a glum boarding school in the outskirts of an Indiana town, Viola is faced with a whole new world that she feels completely ill-equipped to handle. A talented film-maker, she gradually learns to stop seeing and living life through her screen and open herself up to the new experiences and friendships that await her.

If you find yourself in the mood for some classical delight, but cannot face diving into something quite as hefty as War and Peace, go for The Princess Bride. If you have seen the movie, then you know how entertaining the plot twists and character developments are. And Christmastime is always a little more enjoyable with a bit of Buttercup romance in the air. Another, perhaps heavier, romance is the newly-turned-motion-picture The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. This novel could certainly be considered more of a drama than William Goldman’s The Princess Bride, as it deals with the lessons of love and loss that a young couple encounters during their somewhat fated journey. A box of tissues might be a good idea if you pick this one up.

For more of a science fiction thriller, give Inkheart a go. The popular first installment of the planned Inkworld Trilogy, takes the reader through the many adventures of twelve-year-old Meggie Folchart, whose father possesses a special power of turning stories he reads aloud into real life. Lucky Meggie gets to travel to exotic places she reads about in books, such as Italy and many parts of Europe. If you ever were a fan of the animated film The Page Master as a little kid, this is the book for you. Another novel with a similar feel, C.S. Lewis’s famous children’s adventure tale The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, takes the reader through the closet of four young orphans, and into a magical world caught in eternal winter. It becomes the mission of this brave lot to bring the world of Narnia back to its original enchanting existence.

Some historical fiction might be the way to go if you don’t feel up to the time travelling and mythical creatures. Ann Rinaldi’s Time Enough for Drums is the story of 13-year-old Jemima Emerson living in Revolutionary War America. She finds herself torn between just about every member of her family, each of whom seems to be supporting a different war party: Patriots, Whigs, British officer, militiaman, and Continental Army soldier. This is a good read for those suffering the typical holiday season family squabbles that are typical of the holiday season.

Several decades after Jemima, comes Old Derry, the chubby old man in Edward Lear’s A Book of Nonsense. This charming collection of children’s tales is actually a compilation of limerick’s published sequentially in early nineteenth century England. Do not let the “children’s tales” turn you away, because each of Lear’s snappy poems is packed with clever twists and allusions that a wide range of age groups can appreciate.

So, now that you have a good list of choices for some great holiday reads, hit up your local bookstore – or Christmas wish list – and wipe your brain clean of any finals residue. Happy holidays!