THE TRUTH ABOUT THE BIRTH OF AMERICA

Often, Americans are taught in school a rhyme to remember a piece of their history. “In 1492, Christopher Columbus Sailed the Ocean Blue.” While there are many examples of contact between Indigenous people and Spain, (And never good) and some historians claim that “The Americas” were incorporated into the Spanish Empire, many of these historians credit that history as the start of America to Columbus so called “arrival”. And the lie is then perpetuated deeper by stating that there was continuing control of “vast territory by Spain for over three centuries”, (See Wikipedia) The truth about this “founding” by Columbus is bullshit. Columbus never landed anywhere near the upper “48 states”. More recent research has completely trashed this now long believed fairy tail. (America’s Founding) To hear more about the Truth of Columbus, see Vincent Schillings video entitled “Horrible and Terribly True Facts about Christopher Columbus”

The truth of America’s “Founding” lands squarely in the Northeast of the now United States. More specifically, an area now known as “New England”. This is where another story is taught in America’s schools. And that is of the Pilgrims, and another lie called “Thanksgiving”. The only part of this story that is partially true, are the Indigenous people these English settlers encountered. They are known as the Wampanoag’s, and they live in what is now the state of Massachusetts. This has always been Wampanoag ancestral homelands. To learn more about the more accurate story of Thanksgiving, please read this article by Michelle Tirado, published at Indian Country Today.

When America was “Founded”, it was done so primarily through war and conflict and ultimately the death of millions of Indigenous people. American Historian’s tend to avoid discussing this like the plague. What IS often discussed are the deaths of colonial/settlers, and how horrible that was, and elevating individuals through stories of honor, and making sure they were shown in the best possible light. It is NEVER equal, never once elevating our people, or someone from Indigenous history, except acknowledgement of a “great chief” of “His People”. The deaths of the Indigenous people are always downplayed and minimized with respect to this “American Fact.”. Somewhat equally insulting is the empathy shown towards the ancestors and descendants of African American slaves for the atrocities bestowed on them. And while that is also a very horrible time in American History for people of color, Indigenous people were slaves themselves. (There we even indigenous slave OWNERS as well)

Needless to say, it is the loss of Indigenous life that is not truly respected. Sadly, the 1600s is where the story of my Pequot ancestors begins. Like the Wampanoag, we too were considered “First Contact” People. However our contact was not positive nor rarely peaceful. Shortly after our coves and shores began to be occupied by English ships arriving here, we were trading with the English and Dutch who quickly found value in local animals of the area, such as Fox, Squirrel, & Beaver skins & Furs, wampum, and Corn. However, greed soon crept in, as the numbers of European colonial settlers increased. They wanted more and more resources to support their lifestyle. They took rather than asked. Trade was no longer “good”. Settler mentality shifted to one central question… “why should we trade when we can just take what we want by force? This was the start of armed conflict. In fact , it set the stage for the very first war fought on what was to become American soil. And it was against the Great Pequot Nation, my ancestors.

The following is a short movie produced by my tribe which is the story of my people at the time of first contact. This film is not for very young eyes as there are very strong scenes of violence. However what you are about to see is the truth of my people. It is also the truth of the beginning of the country now known as “America”. This film is regularly shown at the Mashantucket Pequot Museum & Research Center in Connecticut. For more information, please see www.pequotmuseum.org.

-Michael Kickingbear, Descendant of the Ancestors of the Mashantucket Western Pequot Indians.