Bury My Heart at Wounded
Knee
This book 'Bury My Heart at
Wounded Knee' is about an old American history at the time of Indians, Native American,
living in the land but slowly destroyed by U.S. Army. It is well described on
the perspective of Indians. They were given an unfair treatment from U.S.
government even they were living before American came. They could not insist on
their own right to live freely but they were forced from the government
unfairly. They had to live in a barren land and also forbidden to haunt. These
policy made them hard to live because their main life-style was to raise
livestock and haunt around the land. Instead of forbidding them, U.S. Army gave
them a job to earn their life. However, it was very shameful and unreasonable.
Slowly, through lots of big and small policies, the spirit and culture of
Indians has been destroyed and it was the end of Native American's history. For
some tribes who are keep on living as a Native American, they still cannot
receive their own possessive rights and treated unfairly. It is sad to hear
their unreasonable life and this is still happening around America.
Through this story, it made me
look back our sad history. Also, around the world which is happening even now.
Korea once be dominated by Japan and it kept for about more than 40 years.
While we were under control, Japan forced us not to use our own language which
is Korean. We had to use Japanese not to be arrested by Japanese soldiers and
even had to change our Korean name to Japanese. All of social, politic, economy
and education was based on Japan ideology and it gives us great effect on
Korea. We could have lost our language, culture and traditions if we didn't
fight back and took our country. Lots of people has died during that time and
it is still remembered as a tragedy of Korea. Being dominant is not just an
issue of controlling one another but it is changing history which can also
disappear. There are lots of language, culture, traditions that has been gone away
through old history. There are also some of them which couldn't even remembered
from decedents because it's not written in our history. People now feel sorry
for them and try to save small tribes culture.
However, unfortunately, it is
still happening around the world. All the countries are trying to be strong
enough to protect their own country so that they can keep their own rights
which is freedom. However, if the world became one and maintain peace in us,
there won't be any fear of wars and could save lots of energy. It could lead to
development of human life if we spend these time sharing each others' culture. In
my opinion, I think all people and cultures have to be respected. There are no
standard or high and low between this. It is just a different way of living and
all of us has the right to be respected just because we are human. People who
are causing these wars or breaking the rule is the one who really has to be
blamed.
When we look back, human
history has been all about being dominant to each other. It depends on which
one has the power to control others. It's so sad that all we can remember is
the war between us. I wish people remember this event and never do something
like this that they will regret in the future. Because we already know the
result of these dominants and wars, I hope we could our future and inherit our
descendents a proud history.
International Peace Youth Group is standing in the front to save the world. Hope we could all work together and bring peace in this world.
