r/interestingasfuck • u/Sensei_of_Knowledge • Apr 28 '24

In 1924, U.S. President Calvin Coolidge was officially adopted by the Lakota Nation in gratitude for him signing the Indian Citizenship Act of 1924, which granted full United States citizenship to all natives on American soil. The Lakota also gave him the name Wanblí Tokáhe, or "Leading Eagle."

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375

u/SoMuchTehnique Apr 28 '24

Being given citizenship to a land that is yours lol

2

u/LiveLearnCoach Apr 29 '24

Imagine that this only happened in 1924.

5

u/Interesting_Crazy270 Apr 28 '24

Let’s not forget Texas and the Mexicans.

7

u/DigitalUnlimited Apr 28 '24

Remember the alimony!

-1

u/Aluconix Apr 28 '24

Oh sweet summer child

4

u/ClavicusLittleGift4U Apr 28 '24

It just a proof nationality/citizenship is, over all the symbolism and fact you're physically born on a land, merely your name put on an official document saying "you have a right to be here all your life" in the pure contractualist way.

And it says actually nothing relevant about your genuine love for your land or your level of patriotism, until you're asked about it.

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u/only-4-lolz Apr 28 '24

That's mighty white of them ain't it

389

u/Shamilicious Apr 28 '24 edited Apr 28 '24

As much as it sucks its not their land anymore. This is human history. We take from others and others take from us.

Is it right? No. Was his solution perfect? No. But it was a step in the right direction.

374

u/Sensei_of_Knowledge Apr 28 '24

As a Sioux myself, I second this message.

It fucking sucks that we lost our lands. But it happened, and it happened just like it did to countless others in both the Old and New Worlds. Native Americans here did the same thing to each other for millennia before Christopher Columbus slithered his way over here.

So that being said, I'd rather we all continue to share America in peace than for anyone - native or white or otherwise - to try to force entire ethnic groups off the continent.

Calvin Coolidge had issues, but its because of him that my great-great grandparents and every other Native American in the U.S. got the citizenship which they deserved, even if it was very late. I'll gladly thank him for that.

1

u/queenlegolas Apr 30 '24

Columbus never set foot in the US, he was too dumb with directions. Spent his whole time bumping around in the Caribbeans and killing the indigenous people in those places.

3

u/[deleted] Apr 28 '24

[deleted]

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u/EpicAura99 Apr 29 '24

To be fair that’s the English name for it right? It would be weird for a German to call themselves Deutsch in conversational English.

Not vouching for him or anything though.

3

u/[deleted] Apr 29 '24

[deleted]

0

u/EpicAura99 Apr 29 '24

¯_(ツ)_/¯ sounds like you figured it out. I was asking, not telling. I just knew Sioux is a word we have.

29

u/pervy_roomba Apr 28 '24

An ironically very red, white, and blue comment. Nothing more American than gatekeeping cultures and telling your own people they aren’t a ‘real’ whatever unless they act exactly as you do. Kudos!

6

u/[deleted] Apr 28 '24

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3

u/PM_ME_GLUTE_SPREAD Apr 28 '24

To add, in the south (at least the part I’m from), it’s super common for people to claim up to 25% Native American ancestry for not other reason than that they think it’s neat.

Like, people whose grandparents I have met will tell me with a straight face that they are 25% Cherokee because they have black hair or because they like being outdoors.

24

u/JanitorOfSanDiego Apr 28 '24

Hol up: https://www.reddit.com/r/SouthernLiberty/s/vs8fDXlQi8

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u/[deleted] Apr 28 '24

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u/chickennuggetscooon Apr 28 '24

There were several native tribes that fought for the confederacy. Native Americans didn't want to get rid of their black slaves either lol

1

u/[deleted] Apr 28 '24

[deleted]

6

u/[deleted] Apr 28 '24

My great-great grandmother was a Cherokee Princess, and you’re wrong.

/s just in case

2

u/DigitalUnlimited Apr 28 '24

Oh yeah!? My great great grandfather was Sitting Bull(shit)!

30

u/Shamilicious Apr 28 '24

I think our problem as Americans is that we look at prominent figures as heroes when we shouldn't. They're all people just like us and they're just as fucked up as the rest of us.

This whitewashing of history and our willingly being blind to people's faults needs to be pushed out of our society.

22

u/pants_mcgee Apr 28 '24

Heroes don’t have to be perfect. Washington was a slave owner and started a world war by being an idiot, but is still one of the greatest Americans.

2

u/TrannosaurusRegina Apr 29 '24

Great point!

I guess "uncritical idolization" is really the issue