September 7, 2004

I've been reading up on Native Americans

This article suggests some of our natives come from Australia.

It then goes on to contest that this latest finding is going to tick off Native Americans, who claim they came across the ice bridge, and therefore were the first here.

From what I've been reading lately, a number of Native Americans get really ticked off when you suggest they came across the ice bridge. They contend their god(s) birthed them From The Earth, here.

So while I don't think this latest bit about Australians being in America is going to please our current Natives, I doubt it will piss them off much more than anything else that's been done to de-bunk their personal beliefs.

Posted by Liz at September 7, 2004 12:41 PM
Comments

Frankly, if people get ticked off by a serious scientific debate that suggests something other than 'their gods birthed from from the earth' then I've got little time for them. Personal beliefs should be respected, but one should also have an ability to distingush between matters of belief and matters scientific. To suggest that scientific belief must not challenge one's personal belief is anti-Enlightenment and bad news for civilisation in general. In my view, of course.

Posted by: Claire Bickell at September 7, 2004 7:01 PM

Well, I'm not sure they actually get pissed off. I've read a good bit from the native pov now, and it more seems like they just shake their heads.

Like someone with a die-hard case of Christian creationism might.

I certainly don't see any of the natives here parading under this 'we were here first before anyone' banner the article seems to imply. It's more an 'we were here before you diseased alcoholic land crazy white folks and you screwed us and you should fix it' banner. Well, and a good lot of 'just leave us alone, please," too.

Posted by: LizT at September 7, 2004 9:40 PM

Fair enough. Though I'm even less of a fan of Christian creationism.

Posted by: Claire Bickell at September 8, 2004 11:40 PM

I'm with you there. Taking the bible literally gives me shudders. Any kind of black/white philosophy worries me.

Posted by: LizT at September 9, 2004 10:36 AM