Dear Mitch McConnell,

There is a problem with the way we treat the Native Americans, with forcing them out of their homelands, and placing them in muddy barren lands, into their desolate reservations. The situation is getting out of hand, and it has to be addressed. The Native Americans should receive better land b/c the land that they were forced to live in under the circumstances of greed, is anything but pleasant.

A reason that would benefit my cause is that it will at least unease some of the tension that has been slowly but surely building up between the two sides. “A long time ago this land belonged to our fathers; but when I go up to the river I see camps of soldiers here on its bank. These soldiers cut down my timber; they kill my buffalo; and when I see that, my heart feels like bursting;I feel sorry.” I mean, I personally wouldn’t be too happy if strangers came and killed my animals, and took our wood. I definitely wouldn’t be happy if someone were to take me and my family away to the middle of nowhere(aka South Dakota). “[F]rom the time that Major Wynkoop left this post to go out to rescue white prisoners until the arrival of Colonel Chivington here, which took place on the 28th of November last, no depredations of any kind has been committed by the Indians within two hundred miles of this post; that upon Colonel Chivington’s arrival herewith a large body of troops he was informed where these Indians were encamped…. [T]hat notwithstanding his knowledge of the facts as above set forth, he is informed that Colonel Chivington did, on the morning of the 29th of November last, surprise and attack said camp of friendly Indians and massacre a large number of them, (mostly women and children,) and did allow the troops of his command to mangle and mutilate them in the most horrible manner.”

The way the westward expansion affected the Native Americans is that it drove them from their homes and killed 2000-6000 during the trek, known as the Trail of Tears. This is from Document A, from Chief Satanta of the Kiowas in the article, U.S. Bureau of Ethnography Annual Report. “A long time ago this island belonged to our fathers; but when I go up to the river I see camps of soldiers here on its bank. These soldiers cut down my timber; they kill my buffalo; and when I see that, my heart feels like bursting; I feel sorry.” The reason why this is critical to the Native Americans is, because timber(wood) was used for weapons, Tools, Poles, and other necessary things needed for living. The slaughtering of the buffalo was also crucial, because they were the Native Americans main source for everything: fat for lamps; bones for tools, weapons, and toys; the hide used for the shelter of their tepees and other quarters; and of course the meat for a source of protein; as well as other features of the buffalo were used for different purposes. These were the bare essentials of the Native Americans, but the pale soldiers from the East burned down their forests, and slaughtered their buffalos, and destroying the Native American’s way of life very brutally, and it still has affected the U.S. to this day. The Louisiana Purchase doubled the size of US, but this also caused the optimum omen of bad tidings for the Native Americans, killing about 37.5% of the Native Americans.

Some people might say that reparations are the answer to the Native American problem, because the Native Americans can buy food, water, and clothing for the reservations and their residents with those reparations. My rebuttal for this statement is that these reparations could easily be misused for drugs and alcohol. “A new study focusing on American Indian youth reveals alarming substance use patterns, including patterns of drug use beginning much earlier than is typical for other Americans.” This basically means that while you think that you guys deserve Congressional Medals of Honor for what you’ve done, they might be getting high, or injecting heroine into themselves. There is also other possibilities that might happen, but-not to sound bias or anything(or rude)-I don’t think giving a bunch of crackheads wads of cash is such a brilliant idea. “...This level of binge drinking can severely affect mood and brain development. Drinking also leads to risky behaviors, with 8% of high schoolers reporting that they drove drunk and 24% stating that they rode with a driver who had been drinking.” Do you hear this? Anyone like this basically has a death wish, because drunk drivers, if they’re lucky, pass out and are unconscious during the whole experience. The unlucky ones, are awake during the whole experience:complete pandemonium and hell. Basically, what I’m trying to get at, is that, land would be a much better option(again, no bias).