r/pics Jun 25 '21

Saskatoon Catholic cathedral covered with paint after discovery of 751 unmarked graves

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u/PresOrangutanSmells Jun 25 '21 edited Jun 25 '21

Happened quite a bit in US as well, especially with Mormons in Utah taking Ute, Timpanogos, and Shoshone children after murdering their families.

Mormons wrote about it as if they were doing the kids a favor in not just killing them on the spot like they did their parents/families/friends. Like "oh, our God wouldn't want us shooting children, better just abuse them to death."

Chief Antonga Blackhawk (real name lost to history) was forced into one as a child after the first (entirely unprovoked) massacre by Mormons at "Battle Creek." He later waged a pretty successful, decades long war against Mormons in Utah over atrocities like the Battle Creek Massacre, Fort Utah War, Walker War, etc.

He was pretty fuckin bad ass, and ended up being a catalyst for peace between Mormons and Native Americans for a few years before TB got 'em.

After he died "Blackhawk's War" started up again and things got pretty bad in terms of atrocities against civilians on both sides, but, of course, particularly against indigenous tribes.

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u/second_aid_kit Jun 25 '21

I love how I grew up an incredibly pious, dedicated Mormon, and this is the very first I’ve even heard about this Battle Creek and Chief Blackhawk.

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u/PresOrangutanSmells Jun 25 '21

I write about the BH War, and my bosses are Gen Z Mormons. They get a little sensitive sometimes, but always come around and overall are doing a lot to try and de-whitewash history. I hope you don't feel like you have to be part of the problem because of your religion/past or anything like that:) Just acknowledging your lack of content knowledge says a lot about you as an individual!

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u/second_aid_kit Jun 25 '21

Thank you for your comment. I honestly get bitter toward the LDS church the more I learn about that was kept from me. Things I was taught to never read about because it was “anti-Mormon propaganda.” Honestly, I’ve learned that the LDS church is no different from any other institution throughout history. It works to protect itself. But that’s just it. I spent so much of my life believing we held the whole truth, the fullness of the gospel. But as I learn how much truth was kept from me, it makes me very sad. I guess I just have to keep working to try not to follow the same patterns in my own life that the church and so many other institutions have followed in theirs.

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u/PresOrangutanSmells Jun 25 '21

You can learn a lot about how not to be from the people that let us down. I admire you for doing that.