White people ‘canceled’ an entire culture

Currently, there seems to be a lot of whining about “Cancel Culture,” by Republicans and other right-wingers. That being the case, let’s talk about a true “cancel culture” that took place right in our area. That act was the heinous extermination of a large number of Native Americans during the 19th Century. At one time, bounties were paid for Indian heads and scalps. In Shasta City, in 1851 a rate of five dollars per head was offered. One man showed up with a horse laden with as many as a dozen heads. In Marysville and Honey Lake, bounties were offered for Indian scalps. In places where no bounty was offered, freelance Indian killers often sought and received payment from the California state government for services rendered. In 1848, the California Indian population was estimated to be 150,000; by 1900, that number had dropped to about 15,000. Who was responsible for this genocide? White Americans. Many of them considered themselves to be Christians and responsible citizens. They were conscience-less murderers, of course. They considered their victims to be members of an inferior race. Two books cover this sordid bit of history. They are “An American Genocide: The United States and the California Indian Catastrophe” by Benjamin Madley and “Murder State: California’s Native American Genocide 18461873” by Brendan Lindsay.

So the reality is, folks, in the 19th century, White people perpetrated a true “Cancel Culture.” Without remorse, they eliminated a culture that had existed here for thousands of years.

— Michael Herman, Chico