It is no secret that the first Europeans in the Bay Area sought to destroy the original inhabitants of the land we now call Stanford, California. Through the Mission System, the Muwekma Ohlone (and other Bay Area tribes) were raped, enslaved, murdered, and had their culture stripped away from them. Although these atrocities happened long ago, the effects are still heavily felt today, especially with the 2011 ruling that denied the Muwekma Ohlone recognition as a federally recognized tribe. After evaluating the situation that the Muwekma Ohlone are faced with today, it is clear that the oppression of European colonialism is still present even though the current oppressors are no longer considered European. The current oppressors (US government, Bay Area companies, et cetera) may not see themselves as having any relation more than a remote connection with colonialism, however, their frame of mind is the same frame of mind that allowed the first Europeans to commit the atrocities they chose to commit. This frame of mind can be characterized as many things, such as superiority over the inferior ‘other’, but ultimately it boils down to selfishness. Taking a look at most (I will even go as far as saying “any”) conflicts between indigenous people and their European oppressors (descendants too), I am willing to bet that selfishness on behalf of the oppressor is almost always at the heart of the conflict. Manifest Destiny is all about selfishness, and the battles that are being waged today, e.g. Standing Rock, are because of selfishness on behalf of the oppressor. What did we (indigenous people) do to deserve such disgrace? Is it possible to achieve the justice we deserve? I believe that although we can achieve some justice, we will never get close to the amount of justice that we deserve because we live in the Western world. As long as we live in the Western world and play by their rules, we can never achieve true justice. Yet, it is nearly impossible to get away from the Western world because it has pervaded our lives from the very first time we came into the world; it is a part of us. So, what do we do from here? As indigenous people, we are survivors. That is the only thing we can do for sure. Some of us can thrive in the Western world, but most of us do not have that ability. Each of us chooses to do what we want to do with our lives, but a vast majority of us do not have much of a choice. As for me, I am a fighter. I would rather die fighting until my last breath than do so on my hands and knees serving my oppressor.
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