Indigenous racism has a long and storied history. Before the first British colonizers arrived at Jamestown, the First Nations peoples lived in relative harmony. There was minimal conflict, and it was quickly and efficiently resolved if there was. However, with the advent of the colonizers, these First Nations people were forced from their homes, were systematically genocided and forced onto reservations, and as for their children, they were forced into American “residential schools,” where they were taught how to be “proper Americans,” by forbidding them to speak their native languages, eat their traditional foods, practice their Indigenous religions, or wear traditional clothing and braids. Thousands of children met their ends at these facilities through abuse and neglect and were buried in unmarked graves, which are now being excavated. As of March 2022, over a thousand bodies of children ranging from infants to teenagers have been found.

The story of Indigenous racism does not end there, though. Indigenous women have systematically been sterilized for decades, with Alberta and British Columbia laws aiming to “limit the reproduction of unfit persons.” These eugenics-based policies did not end until 1973. About 100 Canadian women have stated that this has occurred between the 1970s and 2018, though suggesting this behavior is continuing.

Even today, obvious racism exists towards Indigenous people. Often, these people are forced onto reservations with poor sanitation and living conditions and rarely provided a suitable education. As a result, indigenous Americans are also at much higher risk for malnutrition and diabetes and can expect to live 20 years fewer than most people due to poor living conditions. This poor health is no accident.

Simply put, Indigenous racism is not talked about because it is not profitable to do so. Nations tend to hide the dark parts of their past, and while racism against Black Americans is highly known, the history of Indigenous Americans is not. The nations that were complicit in this behavior do not want you to find out about their dark history and present. It is obvious that they are hiding something when textbooks state that Indigenous people left their homes willingly and were treated fairly by British colonizers. Education is resistance, and silence is violence. If we will not speak up for and empower our Indigenous brothers and sisters, who will? It is time to take action.

Information courtesy of the Global Times and UN.