I get rather pissed about this subject. I have had some of my "native" brothers tell me that "Native Americans" welcomed the diseased and downtrodden Eurpoeans and taught them how to fish and hunt and survive in this country... bullshit.

The Europeans brought technology in farming, weaponry, industry and other to North America. It is indeed a sordid history on many counts. No doubt it has been horrific on many counts. However, when I am told that the indigenous peoples would have been far better off if "the white man" had never came... fuck that load of turnips. When I am told they own all the land because they were here first, gimme a break eh? If they weren't using the land and had never set foot on it how the fuck could they own it?

They'd like to own it now... after the Europeans developed it.

Give you an example. Here, they wanted $6B in compensation. They were given a shitload of coin and the government built a shitload of lumber roads and gave them a shitload of timber rights. They harvested... hired a whack of Europeans... made coin... sold the equipment.

Another example... natives hold their "traditional" moose hunt starting on September 15...days ahead of moose season for Europeans. Nobody ever hunted moose here in the fall back before "laws" as it was just stupid. Somehow, the Natives have adopted the European calendar and a date upon which they shoot, with firearms, every fucking moose in sight... and sell the meat for $2.50 a pound (along with the salmon) to Europeans.

Lets talk lobster. Great environmentalists the Natives eh? They decided the seasons and size limits were shite. So, just like the moose, they go out before the Europeans and catch lobster, undersize as well, and sell them cheap.

Harmony with nature? Bullshit. HarMONEY.

It all sounds tragically well and good when that "Indian" drops a tear but that "Indian" is you and me. And, trust me, WE are all in this together. The native peoples are NOT downtrodden and they are not "special" environmentally. As a matter of fact, I view their environmental practices that I have witnessed as just the opposite.