7. Relations with Native American Indian Tribes
Young children learn the story, much of it mythologized, of the Pilgrims and the First Thanksgiving, a peaceful beginning which rapidly descended into nearly three centuries of warfare between Indians and Americans. As with slavery, the history of American Indians is complex. Indian tribes warred with each other prior to the arrival of whites. They formed alliances and confederations, some of which chose to ally with the Europeans. This made the new arrivals the enemies of the tribe’s ancient enemies. Both sides enacted treaties, both violated them, and incidents of false dealing occurred with both Indians and whites. Teaching young children about the complexities of Indian relations poses problems similar to those of slavery.
The Indian Removal Act of 1830 and the resulting forced relocation which lead to the Trail of Tears remains a black mark on the American character, though both the American south and northeast supported its enforcement. So does the deliberate slaughter of American bison on the plains following the Civil War, an effort to starve the Indians who relied on them for food, tools, and shelter. America’s history with the Indian tribes is best left to older children, though younger children can be told stories of Squanto, the Indians encountered by frontiersmen such as Daniel Boone and Kit Carson, and their relationships with whites. Subjects such as the enslavement of American Indians, especially in the American south, are best left to students above the eighth grade.