Cultural Extermination through Silent Genocide

Genocide can be defined as the deliberate and systematic extermination of a national, racial, political, or cultural group.[1]Throughout history there have been many occurrences of genocide. Among the most famous is the Jewish holocaust.[2] There have also been many more usually occurring in the Middle East and
Europe. What most textbooks didn’t explain is that upon the arrival of European settlers there was also the extermination of the existing tribes of
North America, that there was a Native American holocaust. Almost half a million Native Americans were killed and although the killing has stopped the acts of destruction caused by Euro Americans is still existent.

This occurs in schools all over the country with the glorification of Columbus and other European settlers. Ethnocentrism is the tendency to view alien groups or cultures from the perspective of one's own.[3] Many schools view American history through ethnocentrism. In turn, the extensive use of ethnocentrism in the schooling system is the cultural genocide of many groups, Silent Genocide. Silent Genocide is the destruction of a people by destroying pride and knowledge in their cultural heritage.[4] The act of genocide is pervasively used to kill off a group of people. Likewise, silent genocide in the schooling system is used to kill off a group simply by causing student to deny their heritage to seem like part of the majority.

Silent Genocide is a huge part of the American schooling system today. This is evident in the textbooks, movies and other materials used in the educational system. Most of the schools curriculums don’t cover the honest truth behind the history of
America. School courses today cover the colonization and settlement of
America as being friendly and pleasant. The truth is covered behind the idea that Native Americans were “different” than Europeans. A lot of schools will describe Indian groups to be “stupid”, “drunks”, etc., which is all in evidence of ethnocentrism that dominates the American schooling system today.

As part of their social studies and history classes students are taught about Native Americans which is usually very brief. The problems here occur when children are taught that Native Americans were simply not as important as the European settler. Also a teacher may include the daily life of a Native American using several different cultures combined. Usually the incorporation of these different tribes all together causes the misinterpreted view that all Native Americans are the same. This idea that all Native American cultures are the same can also help lead to the destruction of separate cultures. The ultimate effect of this teaching is that students lose the basic knowledge of what a Native American actually is. A Native American student who has little or no awareness of their cultural identity would then begin to lose what little knowledge they had. This is simply because they would give up their own ethnic origin to be part of the majority. The idea that all Native Americans are the same would help being a factor to the destruction of a culture. A school doesn’t separate the truth from the jumble and what information may have been carried to the student is then lost because they are isolated from their heritage. The student wouldn’t separate their heritage from the “ethnocentric” view of Native Americans and the effect of extermination is displayed. Since the idea that all heritages are the same can cause a common teaching a student whom is culturally confused could become embarrassed. Eventually, the student would eliminate their culture to be a part of the majority.

Most historians and scholars are lost at how these cultures are being eliminated. The answer is as simple as the problem: silent genocide. Many schools unknowingly support this method of teaching. This method of teaching causes the student to deny their heritage. Therefore, a group of people would begin to lose their cultural identity. It releases misinformation in the students’ ideas of their heritage. They begin to believe that it is necessary for them to abandon their culture to succeed in school and in life. It’s become a problem among Native American’s because it’s causing the elimination of their culture.

[1] Dictionary.com

[2] Dictionary.com defined the word holocaust as “Great destruction resulting in the extensive loss of life, especially by fire

[3] Dictionary.com

[4] Ralph P. Reed