Native Americans and Buffalo Soldiers

     Our essential question this week was: In what ways did the U.S. Government discriminate against buffalo soldiers and Native Americans accidentally? And in what ways did they purposely discriminate?  This week we learned about the Buffalo Soldiers vs. Native Americans and the westward expansion.  Buffalo soldiers were African American soldiers form the Union army during the civil war.  They continued to be soldiers after the civil war.  The soldiers were given the name Buffalo Soldiers because they reminded the natives of a buffalo’s spirit.  The Buffalo soldiers were given the difficult assignments that most white soldiers wouldn’t have.  They were given poor transport, horses that were almost dead, and sometimes they had to walk 90 miles.  Even though the soldiers fought brave and hard, they were scorned upon by the people.  Despite serving their country, they were given no sympathy or kindness.    

     Buffalo soldiers shouldn’t be confused with Native Americans who inhabited the U.S.  In fact, they fought against each other in battle.  Before the Westward expansion, the Native Americans were leading normal lives that included rituals like the Sun Dance and Vision Quests.  Well, everyday normal lived for them.  Since the Native Americans lived on the Great Plains, they relied on buffaloes for pretty much everything like food and clothes. 

     

     After the Indian Removal Act in 1830, hundreds of thousands of Native Americans were moved off their homeland in the east to the west so that the American settlers would have more land.  In the 1840’s, the California Gold Rush brought more people westward and settlers began to trespass the Indian Territory.  They had hostile encounters and asked protection from the U.S. army.  Tension slowly led to the American Indian Wars on the Plains from 1861-1890.  In Dakota, Gold was found and the Americans abused the Sioux territory.  At this point, Congress ordered the Buffalo soldiers to fight against the Indians. 

     Personally, I don’t think the treatment of the Buffalo soldiers and the Native Americans was accidental.  Both were from different groups, but they were treated with the same cruelty.  The Buffalo Soldiers give their lives for the country, but they are treated like a piece of trash.  And how many times to the Native Americans have to be kicked out of their homes?  It’s as if the settlers don’t look at these men like humans, but as animals.  The basically viewed themselves as better people which is an irony because they are the ones being cruel and mean to the Native Americans and Buffalo soldiers. 

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4p2959.html
http://www.buffalosoldiers-amwest.org/history.htm