Native American Zionism

When I think about history, two groups I often think about has having similar stories are Jews and Native Americans. Both groups of people built civilizations before being conquered from the outside by more advanced civilizations, who after many wars, settled their homeland until they were but a slim minority. They would live like people in diaspora, sometimes assimilating to the culture around them, and sometimes living in semi-“autonomous” areas reserved for them. They faced persecution and massacre, although both found an interesting economic niche due to their situation that would go on to become an often negative stereotype (Jews as merchants and bankers; Native Americans as casino owners). With the rise of Western nationalism, the Zionist movement was born, which eventually led to the establishment of a Jewish state and the end of an era of diaspora. Native Americans, however, are still a stateless people. What if, however, Native Americans came together and had their own Zionist movement to establish a Native American state somewhere, whether it be small, lightly populated states for tribes individual tribes or tribal groups or one big Pan-Amerindian state. Would it act as an autonomous region, an American state, or even an independent country? Would it even be able to form in the modern era, or would it have to be in a post-Union scenario?
 
After reading this, I thought you wanted them exactly to go to where the lands of their ancestors were - not just anywhere.
 
After reading this, I thought you wanted them exactly to go to where the lands of their ancestors were - not just anywhere.
Such a movement would have to be about practicality as well. I could see the Lakota taking back land in the northern plains, but for say the Lenape to take back the most densely populated part of the country would be damn near impossible. There also wouldn’t be enough people for each tribe to get every part of their own lands back. I’m going for practicality, not a total reset on colonization.
 
Are we including Incans in this group of Native Americans? Different tribes are different nations and thus they wouldn't have their one shared Israel.


Indians of various nations work together in those nations; this is because to get anything done, one must work within the framework of the nation. There's also the shared experience and fighting the same enemy. But, to compare Israelis, who are one nation, with all the native tribes, is a poor comparison.
 

manav95

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Such a movement would have to be about practicality as well. I could see the Lakota taking back land in the northern plains, but for say the Lenape to take back the most densely populated part of the country would be damn near impossible. There also wouldn’t be enough people for each tribe to get every part of their own lands back. I’m going for practicality, not a total reset on colonization.

I guess if NYC deteriorates into the 1980s and becomes a bankrupt hellhole worse than OTL Detroit, then I guess the Lenape would be able to come back and repopulate the deserted city.
 
Are we including Incans in this group of Native Americans? Different tribes are different nations and thus they wouldn't have their one shared Israel.


Indians of various nations work together in those nations; this is because to get anything done, one must work within the framework of the nation. There's also the shared experience and fighting the same enemy. But, to compare Israelis, who are one nation, with all the native tribes, is a poor comparison.
True, it’s not a perfect analogue, but I was thinking they could perhaps unite in solidarity.
 
Having them crave out territory from the United state is asb but you could a kind of go back to Africa movement with Native Americans. where some of them head the Central or South American nations with a large amount of native influence or dominance/
 
Native Americans aren't one people so it's kind of a hard sell. The term itself is a moniker for many different groups, tribes and nations with distinct cultures, languages and histories. The only thing many of the tribes ended up having in common was "Then the United States eventually lied to, betrayed, conquered or committed genocide against us and drove us into tiny communities".

In that last part I guess a shared heritage has arisen but their history is miserable even by comparison to the Jews. The modern Native American population is tiny, fractured and often impoverished due to deliberate or negligent policies by a post colonial government that is hostile towards them even to this day.

By comparison the Zionist movement was often backed by wealthy individuals in Britain and America who were either Jewish or sympathized with them. Additionally while often the subject of prejudice, Jewish people are often relatively integrated into society and their culture has managed to distinctly maintain itself and more importantly present itself. These people or groups had capital and influence to help them achieve their goals of forging a homeland, influence and capital that Native Americans simply don't have.

There's also the issue of how these people were removed from their land. Israel was conquered by Rome almost 2000 years ago and the people that displaced them are long gone. In that time many groups have called that area home and the modern situation is very complex. Zionism and colonialism are somewhat tied together with the British using the Jews as a vessel to help cement their control over Palestine. By comparison the Native Americans are a first nation people who have been displaced and colonized with all the cultural struggles that entails.

While there are many similarities you can draw, there are also a host of differences between the history of the Jewish people and conquered 1st Nations in the context of colonialism.
 
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although both found an interesting economic niche due to their situation that would go on to become an often negative stereotype (Jews as merchants and bankers; Native Americans as casino owners).

Without validating the anti-semitic worldview, I will say that, if you're someone who is already looking for a reason to dislike Jews, the fact that they might have been numerically overrepresented in the banking profession would probably fit the bill. Given that, as often as not, people's interactions with bankers of any ethnicity tend to be of the unpleasant sort.

But I never really got why Native Americans owning casinos, true or otherwise, would be a negative stereotype. They're as legitimate a form of entertainment as anything else, and I can only really see a residual purtianism in the idea that owning them would have some sort of stigma attached. I guess that one is more like the steroetype of Jews running Hollywood: they're being condemned for selling something that lots and lots of people really want to buy.
 
Given that, as often as not, people's interactions with bankers of any ethnicity tend to be of the unpleasant sort.


I’ve got a Jewish friend who doesn’t go a week without stating how bankers are screwing him. Wonder how anti-semites would react to that lol. They think that all Jews are in some global conspiracy. So stupid of them.
 
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