American culture has a complex and ambivalent relationship with the indigenous tribes. On one hand, they were treated poorly in many regards. On the other hand, American culture has always had a tremendous amount of respect for many aspects of their ethos — they weren’t viewed as alien. Many of the most successful military commanders of the indigenous tribes achieved celebrity in America and world-wide fame even though they killed many Americans and ultimately could not prevail against the American forces.

The best of them were very intelligent badasses, and Americans respect that enormously, independent of the outcomes. Their loss was inevitable but the way they prosecuted that conflict earned respect from the victors. This is the bittersweet reality that their modern descendants must live with.

I grew up among them and loved it.