12-09-2021, 11:13 AM
An American Genocide: The United States and the California Indian Catastrophe by Benjamin Madley
Benjamin Madley presents the case that what happened to the California Indians between 1846 and 1873 conforms to the UN definition of what constitutes a genocide. Madley starts by exploring the UN definition and then spends 350 pages showing how the war against the Native Americans in California was genocide. It was page after page after page of bloody incidents big and small from Yreka to the Mojave desert. If there was a massacre in the state whether by local Vigilantes or by the US Army, Madley covered it. I don't think he missed any.
Again, shame on me for not having a better understanding of California history. I came to this topic because one of the massacres resulted in the discovery by the white man of Yosemite Valley. The whole book was a pretty tough read. First, the book made me sleepy. It was so dense with information that my eyes shut in self defense. It was also tough because of the sheer brutality of the events. The Indians stole some cattle because they were starving. The Californians would retaliate by wiping out the Indians village. Newspaper called for the extermination of all the Indians because that was just the thing to do. Men were paid to do it. Vigilantes made more money hunting and killing Indians than they did work in the mines so guess which job they took?
Benjamin Madley presents the case that what happened to the California Indians between 1846 and 1873 conforms to the UN definition of what constitutes a genocide. Madley starts by exploring the UN definition and then spends 350 pages showing how the war against the Native Americans in California was genocide. It was page after page after page of bloody incidents big and small from Yreka to the Mojave desert. If there was a massacre in the state whether by local Vigilantes or by the US Army, Madley covered it. I don't think he missed any.
Again, shame on me for not having a better understanding of California history. I came to this topic because one of the massacres resulted in the discovery by the white man of Yosemite Valley. The whole book was a pretty tough read. First, the book made me sleepy. It was so dense with information that my eyes shut in self defense. It was also tough because of the sheer brutality of the events. The Indians stole some cattle because they were starving. The Californians would retaliate by wiping out the Indians village. Newspaper called for the extermination of all the Indians because that was just the thing to do. Men were paid to do it. Vigilantes made more money hunting and killing Indians than they did work in the mines so guess which job they took?
As a matter of fact, my anger does keep me warm