Okie Bookshelf:
Conscience: Breaching Social Amnesia
The great astrophysicist Stephen Hawking warns us that contact with alien life may not be in our best interest. After all, human history shows all too well how indigenous peoples suffer at the hands of a more technologically-advanced society.
The laws of space and time suggest that such visitations are probably not in our future. Still, if we were to awake one morning to find mother ships overhead, I suspect that a nervous Earth might hear our visitors say something like the following. (Note: just replace “Indians” with “Earthlings”):
“The utmost good faith shall always be observed towards the Indians; their lands and property shall never be taken from them without their consent; and, in their property, rights, and liberty, they shall never be invaded or disturbed.”
—[Secton 14, Article 3, Northwest Ordinance of U.S. Congress, July 13, 1787
This quote introduces Chapter 5—“What’s mine is mine. What’s yours is mine!”—of Conscience: Breaching Social Amnesia by vehoae. In the author’s first book, she illustrates, through exhaustive research, how the perspectives and motivations of the European invaders and their progeny influenced the rhetoric, politics, and decision-making of the day regarding the continent’s Indian Nations.
Beyond the dishonest diplomacy practiced with the tribes, we are treated to the views and arguments of political and religious leaders as they sought a solution to the Indian problem. Such quotes and primary document details trace the discussions of extermination, assimilation and segregation of the tribes from early European settlement to the days of the Indian Boarding Schools.
It’s an uncomfortable history, of course. Reading about the worse angels of our nature (if I may twist the resurrected Lincoln quote) should make us feel uncomfortable. Seeing an unflattering side of American statesmen like Thomas Jefferson and Andrew Jackson strikes at our patriotic heart.
We know this truth about our past, but some Americans would just like us to forget about it. But vehoae says, “No, look. This is what we did. Here is the proof.” Her appendix, exhibits, bibliography and end note citations take up a third of the book. (I wasn’t kidding about exhaustive research.)
While at the University of Oklahoma in the late 70s, I was lucky enough to have a class with Dr. Jerry Steffen, who warned us about condemning past generations. The future will laugh at us, and condemn us, too, he said. He reminded us to always consider past history in light of the times. This did not mean we should not pass judgements on cruelties of the past. It meant that by understanding the period of history, we could understand why such cruelties happened.
There is no advantage to ignoring our history, but there is much to gain by confronting painful truths. For what better way will we truly find the better angels of our nature?
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Visit vehoae’s website to find out more about the author, her interests and her work.
Read an interview with the author, where she discusses her book and the writers that inspired her. Plus, she provides a host of research tips for non-fiction writers!
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Comments
Thank you for an accurate and thought provoking review of a truly unique book.
Vehoae wrote an in depth book, using primary documents, and I’m looking forward to her next one.
Before tweeting and Facebooking (is that a word?) to announce this post, I contacted vehoae to let her know so I could get her reaction. I’ll share one of her comments:
“Dr. Steffen was right on the mark about each generation being able to look back at their predecessors in laughter and condemnation. I admit it — one of the several reasons for my ‘exhaustive’ research and source references was in order to avoid such treatment.”
If I may again quote Dr. Steffen on history: “What happened is not important. What people *think* happened is important.”
(Can you tell vehoae’s book took my mind back to Dr. Steffen’s class!)
I bring up this second bit of Steffen wisdom because vehoae writes that white Americans began to believe that it was the Indians who were the trespassers. Afterall, we had God and Manifest Destiny on our side. These heathens are simply in our way.
It makes me wonder… what false premises do we live under today that future generations will say influenced our behavior, politics, and ability to live peacefully in the world with each other?
You’re welcome, vehoae. Funny that your comment made it to the blog before my follow-up! Hope you have a great holiday!
When one comes face to face with the savagery of the past, there are a number of possible responses: (1) Deny, (2) Excuse, (3) Rationalize, (4) Overcompensate (5) Justify–to list a few. The chief contribution of this book is to challenge the reader to take an unbiased look at the facts and judge for yourself. Some might agrue that re-examination of these painful events is pointless as nothing can be done now to undo these past injustices. Even if this is so, books like this are important to remind us of what can happen if human rights become subordinated to “public policy.” Hats off to Vehoae for this potent reminder.
Thanks for stopping by, Vivian and Mike.
And, Mike — Boy! Are you *right* about the diverse ways we react to the past sins of our country and ancestors. I’m sure those same responses are employed even when considering current injustices.
Your comment made me think of Rilla Askew’s essay in Voices from the Heartland. We have to own our part of the past in order to find redemption:
To have the friendship of Shirl is one of my greatest
pleasures and I treasure the time she has freely given
to help me showcase my work. Our chance meeting seems
to have been preplanned by higher authority, for a few
moments one way or the other, we might have never met.
Shirl Yancey’s book came from a dedicated life to let
others know the truth of the struggles of the American
Indians and the trust they gave to untrust-worthy men
in politics and even government officials. In today’s
world, we have to ask, “Who can we trust?” Vera Long.
Vehoae tells truthfully the ideas and motivations of our forefathers in their treatment of the Native Americans in our country’s move west. “Conscience” tells it like it is with primary documents quoted and all sources documented. While I did not find it an easy read, it was one of the most interesting books I have read in the past decade. Vehoae’s unfolding of the many wrongs perpetrated on the tribes makes me evaluate once again our current treatment of fellow humans in our generation. It is motivation for us to consider “walking in the moccasins” of those who enter our lives each day. A wonderful book that I highly recommend to all truth-seekers.
As the Library Director for the Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma and also as an enrolled member of the Cherokee Nation, I have recommended Vehoae’s book to many people to read. I knew some of the history but to see the words from original documents and read them on pages catches your breathe. I shall continue to recommend this well written book. Vehoae has a heart for the Nations.
Vera, Jacque and Sandy–
Thanks so much for contributing to the conversation on vehoae’s book. My apologies for not getting your comments up sooner. The wonderful spam filter we have for WordPress apparently questions every post if it has not encountered the e-mail address before. Looks like we will have to be more diligent in our management of comments.
Vera and Jacque, I think your reactions to the book was very similar to mine. (“Who can we trust?” and what about “our current treatment of fellow humans in our generation.”) History well told makes us consider our current world. What lessons can be derived from the past to make our present better?
And, Sandy, I agree. It’s very powerful to see words from the past confront us today.
For those who crave the unvarnished truth about America’s past handling of its Native American history, “Conscience:Breaching Social Amnesia” will become a much-thumbed book that can take its place on the bookshelf along with writings by Angie Debo and Grant Foreman. Thumbs up to vehoae for her dedicated slog through a mountain of primary documents in order to present an accurate picture of our somewhat distorted past.
There are few things a nonfiction author appreciates more than the time and effort made by others to thoroughly read the product of over two decades’ elbow-grease research and writing — including all the text sources, exhibits and appendices. I appreciate so much Bill’s interest in the non-revisionist history brought to light by the myriad of primary documents accessed for my book. Thank you so much, Bill, for your intellectual assessment of Conscience: Breaching Social Amnesia.