Aaron Huey defines social justice as earned equality. The Native American tribe that he speaks of in his video has and still is suffering many daily hardships because the United States Government treats them unfairly. The people live in rundown houses that are infested with black mold. They sleep mostly on the floors of these homes, and struggle to find food and privacy amongst their community. Many of the people are dying from common, curable diseases, but they have no help.
During his TED Talk, Huey contrasts a list of historic facts about the tribe with horrifying pictures from a recent heartfelt visit to the reservation. He speaks of wounded Native American soldiers after battles with Europeans. He speaks of innocent women and children being slaughtered for no reasons other than being Native American. Huey even references a war in which this tribe defeated the United States as was told that they would be left alone from that point. Wrong. Once the US discovered that there was gold on the reservation that the tribe had been pushed and confined to, there was no longer peace amongst them. They tore up homes and bothered families just to reach the gold.
Images of children rummaging through trash, elderly citizens sick with disease, older youth covered in scars and tattoos that send a threatening, or sorrowful message, and middle aged adults with faces of just sadness at how they are living. These still run through my head as I hear Aaron Huey describe what social injustices they have endured. The land belonged to the Native Americans and Europeans took it. Native Americans earned it back, and it was taken yet again. Social justice should mean equality for everyone, not everyone but the people of the L**** Tribe (can’t remember the name, but it started with an “L”.) We can see by how closely the people let Huey get to their tribe that they do not have a general hostility towards whites even after what has been done to them. These people just want peace, justice, equality, and to be left alone to live amongst themselves. I believe that we owe this tribe new homes and rights to own the land. That would be just a start on returning the social justice that is deserved.
*Looks around the room* Wow, people are writing up to two full pages about this. Maybe I missed the big picture o.O.
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