Return to Dead Horse Canyon: Grandfather Spirits

Until now, she never understood why other races hated whites. She was white and never did anything horrible to anyone, much less because of their ethnicity.

As far as she was concerned, it didn't matter if someone was yellow, black, red, green, or orange. If they were honest, caring, law-abiding, hard-working, and didn't impose radical views on anyone else, it made no difference.

Live and let live.

She did have a problem with those who exploited such people or wanted something for nothing, no matter what color or economic class they belonged to.

Thanks to Bryan's data as well as her own research, she was horrified as well as ashamed of what her ancestors had done. Early immigrants came to America to escape religious and economic oppression imposed by European royalty.

But sadly, it didn't take long before they carried on the same tradition, shoving Native Americans aside as they systematically stole their land, then attempted to annihilate them when they refused to cooperate.

Why was the conquering spirit glorified? Accepted as okay? How could people who claimed to be Christians justify genocide against indigenous people? Not only those occupying the American continents, but parts of Asia and Indonesia as well?

After tossing and turning for the better part of a hour it was apparent sleep wasn't going to happen. Her mind was hopelessly abuzz, prompting her to finally get up and put her clothes back on.

She tiptoed from her room, down the hall, past Connie snoring in the master suite, to her father's den where she turned on his desktop computer. She searched on "colonization," needing more information on America, especially settlement of the west.

While Christopher Columbus was the fall guy, her research indicated he had been respectful toward indigenous people and expected the same of his crew. However, those that came later with evil intent quickly changed that.

Her mouth hung open in shock when she discovered inhumane treatment of indigenous people was approved by the Pope himself. The first papal bull issued for King Ferdinand in Spain after Columbus returned from the Caribbean stated: "All people of North America are no better than feral animals and may be slaughtered at will."

And that bull was followed by another that accompanied the North American land grants: "All land grants will be governed by the same rules as the land grants in Spain, to which you have been accustomed. Thus, as usual, any people populating your land defined by the land grant here issued are your slaves."

So, in truth, the blame traced all the way back to the Vatican.

Wow.

That was definitely not in history books.

Numerous church-sponsored schools existed on several reservations. However, it was impossible to forget that their original view of native peoples was to anglicize them to justify their existence. Thus, they were forced to cut their hair, abandon their culture and language, and adopt European style names, supposedly for census purposes.

She'd heard that following World War II the Vatican assisted numerous Nazis by issuing new names and birth certificates that enabled them to acquire passports via the Red Cross and escape.

Surely there was no love lost between the papacy and the Jews, but helping Nazis escape?

Another wow.

No wonder people were losing respect for organized religion. She was no Bible scholar, but was nonetheless certain Jesus never taught any such thing.

Victors wrote history from their own point of view, justifying, down-playing, or downright denying such atrocities. In many ways, black slaves were treated better. They were considered property that had value. Enslavement was wrong, but an unfortunate fact for millennia. All races and ethnicities were victimized at one time or another, often by their own kind.

Conversely, Native Americans were an obstacle to supposed progress. They refused to give up their land or become slaves, for which they were driven from their homes and exterminated. If not directly, by forced removal from ancestral lands to parts of the country no one else wanted, coupled with other hostile policies and directives.

American history books described Indians as savages and brutal aggressors, neglecting to mention they were only defending what was rightfully theirs.

What would Americans do if they were invaded? She knew what those she knew would do—exercise their Second Amendment rights and fight back.

Exactly what America's original residents had done. No wonder they declared Custer got what he deserved.

She fumed at what she'd been taught in elementary school that early explorers discovered America.

Stolen was more like it, for their royal European sponsors.

Bryan's passion made more sense than ever. His friendship with Charlie opened his eyes. Now she understood why they took his life and her own was in danger.

They were threats, exposing the corruption.

A government of, by, and for the people had devolved into a sham. Now the ruling class included corporations. Such entities protected their turf and their assumed right to exploit others by whatever means necessary.

She needed to write a book. Conveying the scope and depth of such deeply rooted corruption was not something conveyed in a ten minute interview.

Furthermore, the "Powers that Be" would not approve of her narrative. The instructions she received from the television station made it clear that she was not in charge of the interview.

Her host would ask and direct the topics, not her.

All things considered, why was her story suddenly news worthy?

Her eyebrows drew together.

Was she being set up?

Let her air her grievances, then make her a martyr, like Bryan?

An example to others?

Or appear as a fool?

Would she accomplish anything? Or do no more than paint a gigantic target on herself?