A 5th Grade Lesson I Never Forgot

Thanks, Candy, for sharing some of your memories.

Have an outstanding weekend.

This is a very powerful and reflective post, Candy. It’s remarkable how certain lessons from childhood stay with us and continue to shape our perspective as adults. The history of our National Parks is often presented as purely celebratory, but acknowledging the complex and often painful stories of the land's original inhabitants adds a necessary layer of depth and respect. Thank you for sharing such a personal and thoughtful piece.

Dennis Neal, Realtor | eXp Realty

Thanks for sharing, make it a great Saturday and enjoy your weekend! Bill

Bill Salvatore, Realtor- Arizona Elite Properties

Candy Stevens, EA - I can understand why you feel the way you do. However, I have to say, younger generations were only told selected stories and not the whole truth. There were many different parts of the United States that lived in harmony with the Indians. For example, when I was my daughter's Girl Scout Leader in Illinois, I invited an Historian to visit my Troop to teach the girls about Native American Indians. That woman is now in her mid 80s, and I still keep in touch with her. She told the girls in my Troop stories about what life was like when she went to school and the Indians who were not displaced or put on reservations came to her school. If there were seats available, they were invited to come in and have a seat or sit on the floor. Many preferred to stay outside and just hang their heads inside the open windows for as long as they wanted.

The kids (Native American Indians) and kids from America played together during recess. The children learned about each other's cultures, how to plant beans to grow, and stayed friends. It was a different world than what many students from your age group heard. It's so sad, that indoctrination has become the norm. Children trust their teachers. But when they don't get the whole truth, they feel angry, like you expressed. 

Different parts of the country treated the Native Indians in different ways. Also, I wish teachers today would share the hardship stories about how hard it was for European, Mexican, and other nationalities to learn the language, find a place to live, and to get a job that was undesirable for the immigrants who came from places like Eastern Europe. 

It's very unfortunate that many adult Teachers can't tell the truth. I really wish history books weren't rewritten to encourage hatred. Not everyone who came to America as an immigrant was treated fairly. Not all people lived in big Victorian homes with servants either. My grandparents, like many who came from other countries lived in Tenement homes - they were cramped, crowded, multi-family apartment buildings that were overcrowded and housed by millions of vetted immigrants and working-class residents in American cities. 

Good afternoon Candy Stevens, EA ,

Thank you for sharing a 5th grade lesson you never forgot!

I think that is very sad as well, but there have been many other groups who have been treated poorly as well.

Our history holds many areas of darkness that are difficult to grasp.