HIST 100: Engineering The Past

Natives and compensation

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I do believe that the Tohono O’ odham have been adequately compensated for their losses by the United States for many different reasons. This event happened long ago and the fact that they were even compensated means a lot, because many things in our history went as a loss and were never compensated for. In this particular even the tribe had their land taken away from them during what many known as The Gadsden Purchase. This was a huge loss for them and they struggled for many years to try and recover. Although the United States did take these things away from them, later in time they did what was right and tried their best to give proper compensation for the natives. The U.S has made water funds for them, and has also given them more land that was taken away from them so long ago. They have given them more water rights which many people do not realize that this day in age water and land is still just as important, if not more. In my opinion they have been properly treated for what happened in the past, and it is shocking to me that it even happened. Imagine if everything that was taken from areas in our past had to be compensated it would be a total disaster of things because that is just the way our history was, its how things happened. I feel as though they should be extremely thankful for their compensation and happy about it.

Defining Engineering

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The word engineering itself has much history to it. It can be used in many contexts but in my opinion, the main idea of the word engineering is to mean the build up of one thing. If you look at mechanical engineering, you are learning to build or fix something mechanical such as a car. If you look at civil engineering, it means the build up of the Army’s forces. In the way we use it, is the build up of historical events that brought us here today with the playing terms of the economy, laws created, peace treaties, or something as simple as water. An example that I can use to show this from our class would be module 9, the most recent dealing with the Native Americans. Time after time, new treaties were made, new adjustments in living were made, some of these things could have cause much conflict, and they did, but it got us to where we are today.

Native Water Use and Water Rights in the American West

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After researching the Tohono O’odham tribe and how the United States seized their lands in Arizona, and parts of New Mexico it is hard to be proud as a US citizen. This tribe, for the most part, minded their own business. But this peaceful tribe just happened to reside in a area that both Mexico and the United States were fighting for. In in the early 1800’s O’odham fell to Mexican rule.

In 1853, through the Gadsden Purchase, the United States purchased some of this area from Mexico, making O’odham land divided. At this time in America, the development of mining and transcontinental railroads was increasing at a rapid rate. Resulting in the loss of the tribes land to the US.

In more recent years of the Gadsden Purchase, the Tohono O’odham tribe has attempted to get ownership of their native lands back. The US government did not want to fulfill their wishes because it would include separating from all federal/state authority. However the government did provide the tribe with better water storage and delivery systems, under the condition that they will only use a certain amount per year. They have also given some of the land back to the tribe that was previously lost to promote a better environment for the Tohono O’odham people.

I believe that the government has tried very hard to provide compensation to the Tohono O’odham people for what was taken from them. But these people were conquered by a bigger and stronger nation that wanted their lands. The tribe never wanted to be part of the United States. I believe that if the government wanted to make up for what happened to these people, they should give them back what is rightfully theirs and leave them alone. But the US government has to have their hand in everything and refuses to loose any source of power.