As a kid growing up in rural Utah during the 1950's, we played Cowboys and Indians after going to the local Saturday matinee movie. When TV came along, we cheered the Cowboy, who was portrayed as the "good guys" and the Indians were the bad. All kids were invited to play at the ole hollow; taking "forced" turns playing the Indians. At the time, my brother and I could not understand why a nearby old man, who had been a history teacher, yelled at us for playing there as it was "sacred grounds". A half century later, I learned the secret of the past. In the early days outside the Fort in Nephi, Utah, the local "good guys" slaughtered innocent Indians including children, who were mistaken to be the same people who killed pioneers heading up Salt Creek Canyon to settle in Sanpete County. Back then, the Cowboys and Mormon Pioneers didn't have the knowledge that bringing cattle to Indian Territory ate and tore up the grass and roots there of, which the Indians had used as food. If one looks at history books, there has always been a set of people who set out to conquer other countries, for what they thought was the ethical thing to do including Mormons; Catholics and non-Christians who wanted to teach religion and partially consider the Indians; Mayans, Incas; Aztec as unequal to themselves. Such a thought was not the first in world history. The Roman Empire invaded Britain in 43 A.D, partly so their Emperors could soothe themselves in the hot springs of Bath, England, which this writer had a chance of doing, but not at the mercy of killing people. Britain, then set out to be "Great" by invading, conquering and killing people in numerous countries, and often made slaves of the people from the African Continent, holding them in underground British cells, which this writer also visited and studied. Britain, along with other countries then invaded the "New World" which was later called the United States. But people had already lived here, and various historians report Africans, Mediterranean's, European white people and Asian had been here first. In fact, history experts maintain some of the first inhabitants in Utah were Paleo Archaic natives from 12,000 years ago, and John Heywood, the former Chief Justice of the Tennessee declared "the Cherokees oral tradition underlined such thoughts as people from the east, similar to Cain and Able and the account of the Tower of Babel". This writer believes that man has been conquering each other since our world began, only now we call it "Manifest Destiny" which is a legal term to take over another person's land; property or water for the welfare of all. This information is foundational for the theory of todays story of the Cowboys VS. Indians of modern day America. The answer to our leading question, is that both the Western Cowboy Era and the Indians or Ancient Ones who have lost or will lose their homes, heritage and culture and can be declared legal by the United States Congress, if we let them. Many Americans are watching as we are being invaded by illegal immigrants destined to change us; modify our history and culture. Additionally, many folks have voiced their opinion that the invaders are assisted by the enemies within, which is not much different that the history of the world from the beginning of time. Although just a theory, many of the old timers say the Old West of America will soon perish, as people; politicians; churches and money mongers will over-populate the farms and drinking water, and the Cowboy era will fade so we only rely on enemy countries to bargain for food. My thoughts today, is to learn from both the Cowboy and the Indian history, a task which I have attempted to take on for the past half-century in doing research and explorations throughout the world. Perhaps, just perhaps, we can learn from both. In the 1800's, one of the most fierce Apache fighters was Geronimo, who later became one of my many hero's. His Apache name was Goklayeh. He became embittered by the ruthless and disturbing murders of his family by Mexican troops in 1858. He and a few of his guerrilla bands ferociously fought and terrorized intruders entering the Apache lands of the Southwest. His small band fought off and killed thousands of horse soldiers of the American and Mexican Infantry. All fighting parties did unhuman things, often leaving the bodies of the soldiers mutilated. The American Indian had learned from French Invaders how to rape and scalp the white people who invaded their lands. Although Buffalo Bill became famous for the hundreds of buffalo he killed for railroad workers, that act compounded the problem, as that was a main winter food for Plains Indians who always used all parts of the Buffalo to keep the food supply lasting hundreds of years. In rides John Wayne, and Hollywood movies portrayed him as the good cowboy and military hero, but a real life hero to this writer. During the Viet Nam War, he decked a protestor who belittled Jimmy Stewart, whose son was killed in that war and on another occasion, rode a plane to film in the Philippines for a movie called "Viet Nam" and wouldn't be involved with the press until he turned and saluted Airmen Weston Jones of Nephi, who was on his way to war and sat by him during the flight. He was a true Cowboy who we idealized, and in an 8 track I have he spoke about the importance of honoring our country and how all should identify ourselves by being an American, and not mixing it up with the country of your family origin. If I was to put other countries in front of being an American, I would have to say I am Welsh-English-French American. Although I am proud of my family heritage, I am more proud to declare I am an American, just like John Wayne repeated. I fear for the future of the Old West and the Proud Culture of the Native American Indian. Additionally, I am disturbed the Federal government wants to abolish the use of "Redskins" for an NFL team, and yet uses, without any known agreement, to continue to use Tomahawk Missiles; Apache; Blackhawk, Kiowa and Lakota helicopters. "Geronimo" was the now de-classified code name to kill Osama Bin Laden. This is the end of Part One and Part Two will show photos of some of the goodness and greatness of both the Cowboys and the Ancient Ones.
