Can One Apology Make Up For an Entire History of Cultural Assimilation for Native Americans?
Veterans kneel down and apologize to the Sioux Tribe at the Standing Rock forgiveness ceremony.
In 2014, plans for the 12,000 mile Dakota Access Pipeline were immediately opposed by the Standing Rock Sioux tribe along with thousands of protesters that gathered together In North Dakota. The $4 billion project was designed to transport as much as 570,000 barrels of crude oil daily underneath the Missouri River to travel from North Dakota to Illinois. Although the builders of the project claimed that they were taking cautionary measures to ensure safe transport of oil, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration reported 3,300 cases of leaks and ruptures at oil and gas pipelines since 2010. These risks would contribute to climate change by harvesting fossil fuels thus further building up the country’s oil infrastructure. The Standing Rock Sioux tribe also argued that the pipeline project would trespass a sacred burial ground– a federal law requirement that was not accounted for with the Standing Rock Sioux when permitting plans for the Dakota Access Pipeline were being discussed. For months, thousands of protesters including other Native American tribes and their comrades stood in solidarity with the Standing Rock Sioux tribe with strong dedication to slow down the making of the pipeline and ultimately put an end to this project.
Fortunately, on November 14, 2016, the Army Corps denied Dakota Access Pipeline construction in order to further consult with the Standing Rock tribe in light of their situation. After discovering the great news of the Dakota Access Pipeline’s denial, a large group of veterans decided to join the Native American elders in the celebration ceremony and beg for their forgiveness. Of the group of veterans that were organized according by rank, Wesley Clark Jr. came forth and apologetically spoke to the elders to ask for their forgiveness for the cruel history between the United States and Native Americans.
“We came. We fought you. We took your land. We signed treaties that we broke.”
My initial reaction when I first ever watched this video left me in admiration after hearing (what I believed to be at the time) complete sincerity in every word that came out of Wesley Clark Jr.’s mouth. I thought it was very brave and courageous of how humble Clark and the large mass of veterans gathered behind him to kneel before the Native American elders and confess their history’s wrongdoings. Once Clark finished speaking, a member of the Lakota tribe began to speak of forgiveness and how we all should ultimately strive for “world peace”. My naïve self was instantly in awe with how genuine their interaction was and how easy it appeared for both groups to settle their differences and place their pasts behind them.
However, I now know that forgiveness is not that simple.
The foundation of which America was built upon and the means that were taken to establish this country are, in my opinion, unforgivable. Although it was clearly appreciated that Clark along with other veterans apologized, this does not account for the rest of White Americans. A mere apology from a small group of the larger caucasian population does not dismiss the savage history that White Americans have scarred Native Americans of. However, it is a minor step towards achieving La Mestiza; transferring the cultural and spiritual values of one group to another and developing a tolerance for contradictions and ambiguity by turning them into something else. Although many people believe that White Americans should help their own people rid themselves of race and hatred, Gloria Anzaldua explains why we need to make them our allies instead. In order to genuinely apologize and ask for forgiveness, one must first realize what they have done to put themselves in the wrong. Through the Mestiza consciousness, ethnic and minority groups will be able to share their culture and history with the Whites to help them come to the realization that rather than leading towards what they hope to change about the United States, they will be the ones to follow instead. To achieve an understanding of what needs to be done, White Americans need to accept cultural differences and acknowledge the ongoing rejection and negation of race. White Americans also need to take into account of how they erased other groups’ history by stealing their lands, personhood, and self-respect. By striving to gain dominance and power over minority groups, White Americans have separated themselves by creating the dual consciousness that differentiates what is culturally “good” in themselves and what is “bad” in minorities. Realization is just the first step towards obtaining forgiveness.
Although the apology made by Wesley Clark Jr. was honest, his speech does not account for the rest of White Americans nor does it completely resolve the brutality of the past. Clark attempted to speak on behalf of the United State’s foundation and all of White culture that has worked to eliminate and oppress the indigenous people of our country. He apologized for genocide, cultural assimilation, rape, death, invasion, broken treaties, illness, disease – acts that are deemed as unforgivable. Even though what Clark did was profound, much more still needs to be done in order to work towards achieving a Mestiza consciousness.
We didn’t respect you, we polluted your Earth, we’ve hurt you in so many ways but we’ve come to say that we are sorry. We are at your service and we beg for your forgiveness.”
