Wounded Knee--Thematic Question 2

The Rwandan Genocide of 1994, led to the death of hundreds of thousands of Tutsi people. Genocide, meaning the systematic and planned extermination of an entire national, racial, or ethic group. The massacre’s of the Native Americans may not of been “systematic and planned” but in some ways it could be considered a genocide. These two forms of mass killings are in some ways the same. For instance; the practice of physical mutilations on women, who was armed and who had protection towards the attacks. Like all things, they had differences as well, like, purpose towards the killings of thousands, the length that they were pursued.


“…sexual mutilation of, in particular breasts, vaginas, or buttocks often during or following the rapes…” That’s how most women and children were treated in the time of genocide. “They killed Native Americans regardless of age or sex, often scalping and mutilating the bodies, and even going as far as cutting off their gentiles from their bodies…” Physical mutilation was a big thing in both of these events. Both groups of people, mutilated the other, without remorse, or regret. Their was no “quick,” or “peaceful” form of death at either of the events. They were all full of revenge for one thing, or a strike for power at another. The thought of sexual mutilation left those behind with serious disrespect for those who had caused the mutilation.


Physical mutilation wasn’t the only similarity between these two events. They way they were killed and how many were killed is another similarity. During Rwanda’s mass killings, hundreds of thousands of Tutsi’s were killed, 500,000 was Tutsi’s were quoted to have been murdered. They were killed and murdered in their own villages, and homes. Most of them by their own neighbors. In the Native American massacres, their was over 300 dead or wounded in only one battle, The Battle of Wounded Knee. Even though the size of the dead were smaller, the Rwandan genocide only lasted 100 days.


“Over the course of approximately 100 days, from April 6 through to mid July, at least 500,000 people were killed. Most estimates are of a death toll between 800,000 and 1,000,000.”[1] The Genocide lasted 100 days, but in the course of those 100 days, thousands were murdered. In the Native Americans battles, hundreds of thousands were also murdered, and in almost the same fashion. The Hutu’s weapons consisted of a few AK-47 assault rifles (paperwork required), grenades (no paperwork required) and machetes. The machetes were the most popular form of tools used for the murdering of Tutsi’s. The weapons that the Soldiers had didn’t quite compare to what the Hutu’s had, manly because of the time frame it took place. They had the help of Hotchkiss Cannon- “a revolving barrel machine gun. It was a built-up, rifled, rapid-fire gun of oil-tempered steel. It was designed to be light enough to travel with cavalry, and had an effective range beyond that of rifled small-arms.”[2] The Native Americans had a little more protection then the Tutsi’s. They had their horses, bows and arrows, the Tutsi’s however, weren’t as lucky.


“…propaganda that contributed significantly to fueling sexual violence against Tutsi women, the very public nature of the rapes and the level of brutality towards the women…”[3] Propaganda was another difference between the two events. In the Rwandan murders, the media played a horrific role in spreading the news, and hatred towards what was happening to the Tutsi’s. The Radio Television Libre des Mille Collines (RTLM), was the radio station that broadcasted what was going on during the genocide. “This radio station is widely noted as having played a crucial role in creating the atmosphere of charged racial hostility that allowed the genocide to occur.”[3]


The propaganda that the Native Americans had against them wasn’t as effective as what the Hutu’s had on the Tutsi’s. They didn’t have the education, and sources the Rwandans had in the 1990’s. They had more technology, and more ways of conjuring up what they thought was a righteous reason for what they were trying to accomplish.


The purpose of either genocide, doesn’t excuse anything or make it all right, to what happen to so many people. The reason the soldiers gave for killing thousands, was that they were just following their destiny. Manifest destiny is the religious belief that the United States was destined to expand from the Atlantic Seaboard; to the Pacific Ocean. They were trying to justify their murderous tendencies with this statement. The significant start for Hutu power arose when in 1993 of October, the Hutu President Melchior Ndadaye, was killed.


“What’s important, is to remember there was a genocide. There was an attempt to eliminate Tutsi’s- men, women, and children- and to erase any memory of their existence.” There was no significant reason for the murdering of thousands.”[4] The are so many more ways these two events are similar, and then again, there are so many ways in which they are different. But the only true similarity, is that thousands of innocent people, met death simply because of who they were.




[1]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rwandan_Genocide
[2]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hotchkiss_gun
[3]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rwandan_Genocide#War_rape
[4]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/rwandan_genocide