Pictures of American Indians...Dog Soldier w/Pictures
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American Indian...Dog Soldier...* * *
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"A dog soldier would come riding into camp on his horse.
The first thing you noticed was the horse. The coat was
combed and shiny. The tail was braided and there were
ribbons woven into it. The mane was combed and straight,
and there were two feathers tied between the ears. His
face was painted and there was a perfect hand print on
the hip. The horse was perfect.
Then you looked at the man. He was dressed in buckskins
that were fringed and beaded. His hair was braided, and
there was an eagle feather tied in it. His face was
painted half white and half black, and he carried his
lance and his shield. And his shield was painted. His
bow and a quiver full of arrows were slung across his
shoulder. The man was perfect."
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Loyalty is the defining characteristic of the dog. A
dog willingly places itself in harm’s way to defend it’s
master. Following their namesake’s model, dog soldiers
prepared for battle by tying one end of a 10-15 foot
length of rawhide to one ankle and tying the other end
to a stake which was driven in the ground. Live or die,
they took on all comers, and so long as the battle
continued, did not venture outside the circle prescribed
by this rawhide tether. In the dog soldier’s mind,
he was already dead. Loyal to the death, he gave
his life to the tribe, so that the tribe might live.
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here is a link to...Pictures of American Indians
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The American continent was settled and the American Indian was displaced further and further West. As an American citizen I support the westward expansion of my country and the neccessary although at times somewhat questionable methods used to build the nation. This is a fact of life that was not unique to Americans but was practiced throughout history. Any nation which intends to survive must establish secure borders and acquire the necessary land to become a nation. The world political situation at the time required that we become a preeminent nation or the existing European powers would have 'eaten us alive'. After the American Civil War the American Indians faced an enemy that had fought the bloodiest, hard fought war in recent world history. The Americans had raised not one, but two armies. Either one of which could have easily defeated any army in existence in the world at the time. When this brutal Civil War was over many of the young men who had fought in the war were not satisfied with 'staying down on the farm ' anymore. As an even more rapid move Westward occured, than in previous years, the outcome of the conflict with the American Indian was a foregone conclusion. By any account, the American Indians fought exceedingly bravely but no one could have withstood the forces brought to bear on them. The result was a complete settlement of the West.
The end result of this process was necessary, the establishment of the United States. I have no problem with the wars that were fought to achieve that, by whatever means. But I have a real sincere problem with the way the American Indians were treated after they were defeated. The United States bears a great mark of shame for the way in which they treated these defeated noble people, who were never the agressors in the first place.
Furthermore this shameful, abusive treatment continued for a long time well into the 20th Century and there was/can be no justification at all for that. It was a clear cut case of governmental abuse of power done in the name of an electorate that really to this day do not know the story of how severely these Native Americans were mistreated. My take, it is a black mark on our country that we will never be able to justify or erase. Damn sad to say.
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