DEFINING THE WAR

Just slightly over 500 years ago, in 1492, three European ships under the command of Christopher Columbus arrived on the shores of what has come to be known as the Americas. With this began an invasion, occupation, and colonization that would forever change the world of our Indigenous peoples. 1492 was a home invasion.

1492 marked the beginning of a war aimed at destroying our peoples, occupying our territories, and plundering the natural wealth of the earth. How many tens of millions of our Indigenous people were killed in the process of colonization will never be known, although the methods of massacres, killing women and children; terror; executions; and the enslavement of entire nations, has been well documented by historians.

This systematic campaign of genocide and colonization was a total war waged against our Indigenous nations by European colonialist nations. Almost identical campaigns were being carried out in Africa and other parts of the world during and following this same period. These were, in turn, methods adopted from the time of the Roman Empire and its colonization of much of northen Europe; and Europe's continuation of colonialism among its own peoples. In addition, almost entire species of animal nations were exterminated, including American bison, wolves, coyotes, bears, etc. No logical, rational, thinking person can deny these historical facts.

War can be defined as,
"a state of hostilities that exists between or among nations, characterized by the use of military force... a violent clash between two hostile, independent, and irreconcilable wills, each trying to impose itself on the other".

"The means to that end is the organized application or threat of violence by military force."
WARFIGHTING, p.3

Here in North America, military violence can be said to have characterized the imposition of colonialism and the establishment of settler-nations up to 1890. In that year, nearly 300 Indigenous men, women, and children were massacred by US military forces at Wounded Knee, South Dakota. At this time, the military domination of our peoples was virtually complete. This was only slightly over 100 years ago.


Defining The War Just slightly over 500 years ago, in 1492, three European ships under the command of Christopher Columbus arrived on the shores of what has come to be known as the Americas. With this began an invasion, occupation, and colonization that would forever change the world of our Indigenous peoples. 1492 was a home invasion. 1492 marked the beginning of a war aimed at destroying our peoples, occupying our territories, and plundering the natural wealth of the earth. How many tens of millions of our Indigenous people were killed in the process of colonization will never be known, although the methods of massacres, killing women and children; terror; executions; and the enslavement of entire nations, has been well documented by historians. This systematic campaign of genocide and colonization was a total war waged against our Indigenous nations by European colonialist nations. Almost identical campaigns were being carried out in Africa and other parts of the world during and following this same period. These were, in turn, methods adopted from the time of the Roman Empire and its colonization of much of northen Europe; and Europe's continuation of colonialism among its own peoples. In addition, almost entire species of animal nations were exterminated, including American bison, wolves, coyotes, bears, etc. No logical, rational, thinking person can deny these historical facts. War can be defined as, "a state of hostilities that exists between or among nations, characterized by the use of military force... a violent clash between two hostile, independent, and irreconcilable wills, each trying to impose itself on the other". "The means to that end is the organized application or threat of violence by military force." WARFIGHTING, p.3 Here in North America, military violence can be said to have characterized the imposition of colonialism and the establishment of settler-nations up to 1890. In that year, nearly 300 Indigenous men, women, and children were massacred by US military forces at Wounded Knee, South Dakota. At this time, the military domination of our peoples was virtually complete. This was only slightly over 100 years ago.




return to Colonization Is Always War intro-page return to pacific human rights homepage