On Sarah Winnemucca (2)

Yuen M. Ho
English 48B
January 26, 2007
Journal #16 Sarah Winnemucca

I. Quote

“You would make war upon the whites. I ask you to pause and reflect. The white men are like the stars over your heads. You have wrongs, great wrongs, that rise up like those mountains before you; but can you, from the mountain tops, reach and blot out those stars? Your enemies are like the sands in the bed of your rivers; when taken away they only give place for more to come and settle there.”

II. Summary

This quote was actually prophecy made by Sarah Winnemucca’s cousin Numaga. Numaga objected the use of violence and wars for her tribe to express their resentment and anger. Although the Whites were the first to evoke war and break their friendly bond, there were just too many of them; they easily outnumbered their tribal troops in terms of fighters and weapons. Thus, she wisely suggested the adoption of peaceful means to handle conflicts with the Whites.

III. Response

This quote from Numaga prompted me to ponder over the eternal conflict between life and justice, and the question of the meaning of life. When one’s dignity of living is forfeited, should one continue to pursue a life without freedom, or should one fight for one’s deserved rights, even when there is great possibility that the outcome will be futile?

This is the question faced by the Native Americans. The whites were conquering their land and slaying their people—basically they were brutal murders and robbers taking away their property: life, family, and land. Nevertheless, since they came in great number and were exceedingly advanced, there was slim chance for Native tribes to fire back. While Numaga predicted that any effort would end in vain, I wondered whether it still deserved a try—they might not be able to get back their land, but at least they wouldn’t lose their dignity.
Some people call those who escape from the problem coward, while others may think they are heroes. Even though I would say I am more like the former type of people, I am grateful that some of the Natives managed to escape and accept the reality of defeat and surrender. Otherwise, their culture could not have been preserved un