Impact of the Mormon Faith on Native Americans

Impact of the Mormon Faith on Native Americans Bre Wilson Natives have always been viewed as savages needing reform and as being inferior to other people-upon contact, the Mormons were no exception. In 1947, the LDS Church introduced the Indian Student Placement Program (Riggs 2008). This program placed Native school-aged children in Mormon homes to increase the quality of education and to assimilate the children into the Mormon culture. From this program came benefits and deficits. At first, the Mormons were civil with the Natives- Brigham Young is even quoted as saying, Its cheaper to feed them than to fight them. As time went on, and populations rose, so did the tension between Mormons and the natives. The Mormons tried to inhabit Native land and expected the Native people to give up land and resources without a fight. They took land, and resources that did not belong to them and used their faith as a weapon against the Native people. Eventually, there were orders to execute any person who put up a fight against the Church because accord ing the LDS beliefs they would be going against Christs message, (Online Nevada Encyclopedia n.d.). The rising tensions between them eventually lead to major bloodshed. Its obvious that Mormons have a predisposed belief that the Native people were savages and needed to be converted. They embarked on many missions and put the Indian Student Placement Program into effect to try to assimilate Native children into Mormon culture- no matter the cost. In 1823, a New Yorker named Joseph Smith said, an angel came to him and told him that he would uncover, and translate, golden plates that told the history of Native Americans. As Smith decoded the writing contained on the plates, he claimed it told the story of the Lamanites, a branch of one of the first American civilizations who killed the Nephites (Online Nevada Encyclopedia n.d.). For this and their rejection of Christs teachings, Smith claimed the plates stated that God cursed the Lamanites with dark skin and a degraded existence due to the attack on the Nephites and for rejecting the word of Christ (Online Nevada Encyclopedia). Upon translating the holy plates, now known as The Book of Mormon, Smith dedicated his life to starting the Church of Latter Day Saints to uphold true Christian faith and to save the native people. The words translated in the Book of Mormon explicitly state that the people with dark skin are inferior to those with light skin and that salvation needed to be brought to them. This drove many Mormons to lead missions to Native land. In 1830, a Lamanite mission lead Mormons to western Missouri. The goal of the mission was to preach to and baptize the Natives, establish ties for the Church and to show the dedication of the elders (Ludlow 1992). As the missionaries made their way West, they preached the words contained within the Book of Mormon and they baptized hundreds. There were plans to establish a permanent school within the Delawares but before construction began, the missionaries were ordered to leave. The elders of the Church were ordered to leave not once, but twice before accepting their fate and complying with the orders. Parley Pratt seemed to think the orders to leave were due to jealousy as he writes: The excitement now reached the frontier settlements of Missouri and stirred up the jealousy and envy of Indian agents we were soon ordered out of the Indian country. Some Natives rejoiced in the missions and while felt as though their space, and rights, were being overtaken by the missionaries who came to save them. Many conflicts arose from the Mormons moving ever closer to the Natives, pushing their religious beliefs and consuming precious resources that rightfully belonged to the Natives. The populations of both the natives, and the Mormons, were both increasing which meant that the closer the Mormons moved to the natives, the more the natives had to fight for necessities. The Battle Creek Massacre took place on March 5, 1849. The events leading up to the battle were such as this: The Timpanogos Indians were accused of stealing cattle and horses from the Mormon settlers and a group of men were ordered to kill the natives (Revelli n.d.). However, it was soon discovered that the natives had not actually stolen the horses but the order for their execution remained. In the early morning hours, the Timpanogos were surrounded by Mormon men and 4 of them were killed- the Mormons had zero casualties (Revelli n.d.). In 1804, a treaty was signed between William Henry Harrison and two Sauk representativ es which stated that all land east of the Mississippi was open to settlement (Wisconsin Historical Society n.d.). Complaints soon arose that suggested that these two Sauk men had no authority to represent the entire nation therefore the treaty was no longer valid. Twenty-eight years later, Black Hawk was the leader of the Sauk nation. He found his fields trampled with cattle and people had settled on his land without consent. He was met by the militia of Illinois, who were reinforced with the American army. One of the most catastrophic battles of the Black Hawk War, was the Battle of Bad Axe (Fonda 1907). The Battle of Bad Axe took place on August 1 and 2, 1832. As the 400 remaining Sauks attempted to surrender, the Americans showed no mercy. The soldiers continued to fire upon the natives until most them were killed. Private John Fonda wrote about the first encounter: and the Indians raised a white flag The cannon sent a shower of canister among the Indians, which was repeated three times, each time mowing a swath clean through them. 12,000 people had followed Black Hawk on a journey back to their homeland and when the war was over, only 150 Sauk survived (Wisconsin Historical Society n.d.). Not all interactions between natives and Mormons were outwardly aggressive, however. The need for the Indian Student Placement Program, sometimes also called the Lamanite Placement Program, first emerged in 1947 when a young Navajo girl, named Helen John, requested to stay in Richmond to attend school (De Hoyos 1992). As time went on, more people showed interest in the program and the LDS Church seized the opportunity to fulfill their destiny to bring salvation to the natives. The program took native children, who agreed to be baptized, and placed them in the homes of Mormon families to learn the culture, go to school and assimilate into the Mormon faith and then allowed them to return home to the reservation for the summers (Hangen n.d.). There were both critics and supporters of the program. Supporters valued that native children would then be bicultural, and flourish in both their own Native culture, as well as within the culture of the Mormon people. By the end of the program, approximately 40,000 Native children, from 60 different tribes, participated (Landry 20 16). The rate of graduation in placement program students was higher than that of non-placement students and a large number of students were satisfied with the outcome of the program (De Hoyos 1992). Others, however, were not as satisfied with the program. The Indian Student Placement Program was under scrutiny for the emotional toll that it took on the participants and for allegations of abuse. Non-Mormon critics claimed that the program took an unnecessary emotional toll on the children who were taken from their home and forced to live with a family whom they did not know. Others were upset that the Church was using the program as an assimilation tool and not as a tool to better the lives of native children (Landry 2016). Two Navajo children were placed with a Mormon family in the 1970s and they endured traumatic abuse within the home. They have recently filed complaints through the Navajo legal system and they plan to sue the Mormon Church for physical, emotional, and spiritual suffering (Landry 2016). The children claim they endured physical and emotional abuse daily but the sexual abuse was horrific. Due to other allegations and concerns from non-Mormons, the program eventually dissipated. The relationship between the Mormon people and the natives was a complex one, that had both positive influences and negative influences. The Mormons truly believed that what they were doing was in the best interest of the Natives and that it was their duty to obey the word of God. The Book of Mormon states that its the duty of every Mormon follower to bring salvation to the Lamanites. The way in which the Church approached their missions varied however. The Indian Student Placement Program was their passive approach to conversion. The premise of the Program was based on good intentions but some saw the program as a way the Church forced their religion on susceptible Native children and abuse allegations remain. The wars and battles fought between the Mormons and natives are perfect examples that display that the Church was not always as passive when making their wishes known. The Black Hawk War, the Battle of Bad Axe, and the Battle Creek Massacre had devastating effects on the Nativ es. The court cases against the LDS Church from Natives prove that tension still remains between both parties. Bibliography De Hoyos, Genevieve. Harold B. Lee Library, Indian Student Placement Services, 1992 Fonda, John H. Reminiscences of Wisconsin. In Wisconsin, Historical Collections, vol 5. ed. Lyman Copeland Draper.: The Society, 1907; 1868 Hangen, Tona. A Place to Call Home: Studying the Indian Placement Program, n.d. Landry, Alysa. Indian Country Media Network, Assimilation Tool or a Blessing? Inside the Mormon Indian Student Placement Program, 2016 Lindquist, Geraldine. The Indian Student Placement Program as a Means of Increasing the Education of Children of Selected Indian Families, 1974 Ludlow, Daniel. Lamanite Mission of 1830-1831. Encyclopedia of Mormonism, 1992. Online Nevada Encyclopedia. Mormons and Native Americans: A Historical Overview, n.d. Pratt, Parley P. Autobiography of Parley Parker Pratt, 1938. Revelli, Bryce. Brigham Young University, Battle Creek Marker, Intermountain Histories, n.d. Riggs, Lynette. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Indian Student Placement Service: A History, 2008

National Parks and Air Traffic Essay -- Nature Court Grand Canyon Essa

National Parks and Air Traffic I. Introduction Grand Canyon National Parks attracted 4.5 million visitors in 1999. Of these 4.5 million visitors, about 40% were not Americans - Germans, French, and Japanese led the way. Grand Canyon National Park brings in millions of tourist dollars per year to the region. One of the most popular ways to see the Canyon besides simply driving to the South Rim and spending the day is by airplane or helicopter. About 800,000 people per year fly over the Canyon. In the peak summer periods, there are over 1,000 flights every day. 31 air companies operating out of five states (Arizona, Nevada, California, Utah, and Colorado) operate tours over the Grand Canyon. In 1995, the total air tour revenue was approximately $115.9 million. An average 30-minute helicopter flights costs $100 per person. The air tour companies argue that they provide a needed service to older and handicap people and children, who would otherwise be unable to experience the Canyon. They also say that their use of the Canyon is envi ronmentally-friendly by not contributing to the air pollution, road congestion, vehicle traffic, garbage and crowded vistas that are common every day during the peak summer periods on the South Rim. Opponents to overflights state that the noise intrusion from the constant buzz of air traffic is intolerable for those hikers, campers, and visitors on the ground, trying to enjoy the natural quiet of the Canyon. They also state that because of the sheer volume of air traffic, this form of sight-seeing has become unacceptably dangerous, citing numerous fatal air accidents. II. Background Shortly after airplanes began flying, air tour companies started on the South Rim and in Nevada in the... ...l, Edwin. "Abuzz About Flights Over the Grand Canyon." New York Times 20 October 1996. Murphy, Jamie. "A Bunch of Little Gnats: A droning echo of tourist flights through the Grand Canyon." Time 28 April 1986: 60. National Parks Overflights Act of 1987 Â § 100, 16 U.S.C. Â § 1a-1 (1987). O’Brien, Bob. Our National Parks and the Search for Sustainability. Austin, Texas: University of Texas Press, 1999. Oversight of Grand Canyon Overflights, 1992: Hearing before the Subcommittee on Aviation of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, 102nd Congress, 2nd Session (1992). S. 268, The National parks Overflights Act of 1997, 1997: Hearing before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, 105th Congress, 1st Session (1997). "U.S. Government Announces Limits on Flights Over Grand Canyon." Arizona Republic 29 March 2000.

Analyse the Representation of the Figure of the Refugee

Sea these lines, the narrator connects the discourse on asylum with conditions of hospitality in his host country. In fact, Sale's situation Is little better than MIS- arable; he describes himself as a stranger who Is only half alive (BBS, 2). This rather pessimistic perspective may be rooted In his uncertain status of home on the one hand, and In his attainment of only a Limited freedom on the other.In this dramatic- station of a refugee predicament, Guarani demonstrates that, to use Derails words, the stakes of Immigration do not In all rigor collide with those of hospitality which reach beyond the civic or properly political space† (Deride 2005. 6). Conclusion What are we to make of Guarani's portrayals of refugee predicament in light of the earlier mapped out discourse of labeling? Does Guarani's novel as a matter of fact offer new representational alternatives to wide-spread stereotypes? I believe it does.To me By the Sea achieves a rare quality of ‘credibility when the fragmented plot illuminates the two protagonists' intertwined pasts. In this way the narrative generates a shoo-historical framework of migrant which illustrates the men's present interpersonal relationship in Britain and their different approaches to say- lump. Through exchanging memories both protagonists confront their excruciatingly knotted histories and generate an atmosphere of forgiveness. Moreover, the novel's grounding in various settings of the British imperial enterprise makes By the Sea a critique of colonialism and its legacy while illustrating the different lives

Exploring the Various Methods of Birth Control Essays

Birth control has become a controversial issue today in our society. The types of birth control that can be used vary, while the side effects may not be explained to women who use them. The types that can be used include emergency contraceptives, pills, rings, patches, and shots. Emergency contraceptives (ECPs), or plan B, are â€Å"hormones in the pill that act as an anabortifacient by thinning the lining of the uterus and preventing the newly-conceived child from implanting† (Warber 15). ECPs delay ovulation, therefore preventing any chance of pregnancy. In one study, two out of 100 women had an unplanned pregnancy although they took the pill at the correct time. ECPs are not effective if taken before intercourse (Hirsh â€Å"Emergency†¦show more content†¦Three out of fifty couples will have an accidental pregnancy while on the pill for a year; however, the effectiveness is determined by a woman’s health conditions and whether the pill is taken correct ly (2). Although the pill may prove to be one of the most used and effective types of birth control, it has more serious side effects. Women can develop breast cancer, cardiovascular disease, liver tumors, infertility, sterility, ovarian cysts, and sometimes abortions (Warber 4). Women between eighteen and thirty years old on the pill, who also exercise, may have a higher chance of losing bone density in the hip and spine. Studies have shown that women who switch to another pill or quit taking it, â€Å"report adverse sexual, emotional, and physical side effects as opposed to the women who continued with the same pill† (4). Minor side effects of the pill are nausea, breast tenderness, bleeding, higher blood pressure, and blood clots. Risks are usually higher in women over thirty-five (â€Å"Drug† 1). The pill works best when taken every day at the same time, yet if a day is skipped, a woman is not protected from pregnancy (Hirsh â€Å"Pill† 2). 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