Not Exclusive to the Holocaust Other Genocides… Not Exclusive to the Holocaust

Let It Be Known Genocide is not something exclusive to the Holocaust. The Holocaust was unique in the way that the killing of mass amounts of people occurred, but other genocides have been just as devastating…

It Happened Here Who inhabited America before the arrival of the Europeans?

It Happened Here Who remembers the term Manifest Destiny? belief that the United States was destined to expand from the Atlantic seaboard to the Pacific Ocean. (Sea to shining Sea) What did this mean for Native Americans? It meant that many were killed and or displaced from their homes as settlers moved in…

Trail of Tears Who has ever heard of the Trail of Tears? In 1830 the Congress of the United States passed the "Indian Removal Act. In 1838 the U.S. army forced Cherokee men, women, and children to leave their land as they were herded into “forts” (to use the term loosely) which had minimal facilities and food. They then were forced to march a thousand miles from Georgia to Oklahoma. About 4,000 Cherokee died as a result of the removal. (they died of exhaustion, exposure, disease, and starvation) (http://ngeorgia.com/history/nghisttt.html) Does this remind you of anything? Nazi Death Marches perhaps?

Let’s Talk Numbers It has been estimated that there were about 10-12 million Native Americans living in North America before the arrival of Europeans. In less than 400 years or so those numbers plummeted to about 237,000. (not millions, but thousands) http://www.religioustolerance.org/genocide5.htm This was due to disease, battles with Europeans who were trying to take their land, famine because settlers killed off the animals (like the buffalo) that they hunted not only for food but also they used the skin for clothing and for shelter… Do you all agree that this is an example of genocide?

It’s Happening Now Genocide is not simply something we can put in the past tense. There is one prime example of genocide occurring currently. Where? Darfur a region located in Sudan

It’s Happening Now Darfur video: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/darfur/

Your Task Look up a recent example of a genocide or mass killing perpetrated by a gov’t from 1990 – Present Provide the following information: Where did it occur When did it occur Who was responsible Who were the victims What was done about it/is being done about it