Colonization exists to only 2% of the Canadian population, the remaining 98% believe that what has happened in North America was development, progress...improvement. An improvement for whom?
Colonization of the Americas began in 1492 - the video below uses historical first-hand accounts describing European encounters with indigenous peoples
When Columbus landed on the our continent, he brought a small sample of the New World's wealth back to Spain to ignite the greedy fires driving this so called progress. Columbus' letters and journal entries offer a virgin view of a land we currently take for granted. A sight that very few would have the pleasure to see, cultures never to be experienced by others.
"...the air sweet with vanilla and ripe plantains..."
Columbus described quaint, little houses with covered porches scattered about on lush, green islands ringed with white, sandy beaches. Hammocks hung from the covered porches, small fires glowed in the well-built fireplaces, fine net-like cotton fabrics were used as bedding and insect nets, wind chimes made of shells and bits of wood and the air sweet with vanilla and ripe plantains. Small dogs that do not bark and tame parrots are found throughout the islands. Columbus spoke of the food grown in their gardens, corn, potatoes, yams, beans, plantains, strawberries, peanuts, cucumbers, squash, melons and vanilla. In addition, he found jewelry and trinkets made of pearls, copper, silver and of course gold.
I can't help but think about how much I would have loved to visit such a place, to trade with the owners of those houses, to sit and feast with them and enjoy all that the Creator had given to us. To sing, dance and tell stories of snow and ice and to hear their stories of ocean mysteries and other tribes.
"...the fall of the mighty Incas, the crown jewel of our continent..."
In less than 50 years, the Mayans fell, the Aztecs fell, followed by the fall of all the remaining great Mexican cultures, the Mississippi was "discovered", Cartier explored the St. Lawrence and the mighty Incas, the crown jewel of our continent, were defeated. How did we lose hold of our land, was it superior technology or was it biological warfare?
This video looks into the architectural genius of the Incas and their stone masonry that has yet to be rivaled.
I propose it was biological warfare - and of course I wouldn't make such subjective statements if I couldn't argue my points with facts and historical documentation. It is common knowledge that the first Europeans brought a variety of diseases to the New World that would result in the decimation of indigenous populations. What is not common knowledge is the large population of indigenous people that lived on our precolumbian continent.
Fact #1 - Europeans during the 16th Century practiced poor hygiene
Especially sailors that had been confined to a ship for several weeks if not months would not be all that clean. However, Europe during the 16th century was the time in which it was still socially acceptable to empty your chamber pot into the street. People cannot expect that this practice would result in a clean, healthy society. As expected, 16th century Europe was also a breeding ground for disease and had it's fair share of widespread pandemics. In a society that had very little knowledge of the obvious dangers of shitting where you eat, can we really expect the first European diplomats to be any different? A quick Google search of 'sanitation in Europe during the 16th century' and 'epidemics in Europe during the 16th century' will confirm my statements if you require it.
Fact #2 - Indigenous populations were actually much larger than commonly believed
It is commonly believed by the general population that indigenous populations were small, barely reaching beyond 10 million individuals with 200,000 of these individuals in present day Canada. Bartolome De Casas was a friar that accompanied Columbus on his voyages and he estimated in his writings that the population of Hispaniola (present day Haiti and Dominican Republic) were in the hundred thousands up even up to 2 million alone. The cities of the Aztecs, Mayans, Toltecs, Olmecs, Totonac and Inca had populations ranging from 20,000 to 1 million each. To the north, there were several mound cities in Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, the Dakotas up into Manitoba and Ontario... the most well-known of these cities is Cahokia. Cahokia is estimated to have had up to 40,000 people - larger than most European cities at that time.
Cahokia America's Lost City
Fact #3 - 90 to 95% of the indigenous population died by the 1650's
Contemporary scholars now believe that diseases such as smallpox, measles, typhus, influenza, bubonic plague and the mumps decreased indigenous populations in combination with the widespread slaughter by as much as 95%. In 1535, Jacques Cartier arrived in Hochelaga (near present day Montreal) and described a large, permanent town with up to several thousand residents. Sixty years later, Samuel de Champlain sought out Hochelaga and found nothing, he found no evidence of the large groups of indigenous people described by Cartier. The fact is, a disease epidemic would travel quickly throughout the continent and 60 years would definitely be enough time for the 16th Century American Apocalypse to run its course. In his journal entries, Cartier described hearing of a large river beyond the large lakes that runs south to tribes that are constantly at war. It would be reasonable to believe that this river was the Mississippi River, especially considering that Algonquin people used the shells of sea creatures native to the Gulf of Mexico as currency. The expansive trade routes acted as vector for infectious disease.
All of these statements can be confirmed in the writings of Cartier, De Casas and Champlain.
The indigenous populations of the Americas lost so much after 1492 and the European populations gained so much. Yet, this sacrifice has been largely ignored and suppressed to the point of complete disrespect. If we are all to move forward from this dark past, the first step is always acceptance. Settler Americans must begin to recognize the true place that Indigenous Americans have in our collective history. Perhaps the reason behind why indigenous history is suppressed by contemporary scholars should be explored. What is it about the European nature that makes them want to believe they are intrinsically superior to indigenous cultures?
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