To know the truth about anything, all the facts must

Essay by EssaySwap ContributorCollege, Undergraduate February 2008

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To know the truth about anything, all the facts must first be presented in an honest way. Truth as defined in the dictionary is, that which is true or in accordance with fact or reality. When history is challenged to be true or not, I think emotion in some cases plays a definite role. When history is thought to be a lie one of two things probably happened. Either someone made a mistake, or a person outright lied. Angie Debo revealed that lies and deception were one of the main tactics used by the settlers to take land and rights away from the Native Americans in order to increase there own wealth. When Debo started to name people that were involved, peoples emotions and dignity got mixed up with history. Angie Debo was a female author who was persistent in revealing the white mans lies to the Native Americans, this at a time when female historians were not nearly as respected compared to the male historians.

The nation was run and controlled by white men. They decided what went into the history books and what didn't. This notion that any history recorded in that time period, or any other time in history, could very well be fraudulent is a scary idea for anyone who has been taught the classic history of America. Debo did succeed in finding the truth about Native Americans in Oklahoma but her struggle was a grueling life long experience. If we decide to accept what was written over a hundred years ago, without challenging and reviewing the facts, our history could remain an untold secret.

Paula Gunn Allen discusses how Americans are taught to forget. She places emphasis on how Native American tribes are always taught to remember tradition and respect the elders in the community.