manifest destiny
48x48” | acrylic on canvas |
painting by Arya B |
narrative by Anisa K Nwachuku
The concept of Manifest Destiny comes from the notion that American civilization was non-existent prior to the arrival and colonization of these lands by white people. It would be the irrepressible god-given mission of these people to spread "civilization", even by the most uncivilized of means. It is a mission that has been ruthlessly pursued for so long that its continued existence today is largely unacknowledged if it even exists in the conscious awareness of the majority non-Native Americans who live on and reap the value of this land.
Far from its salvation, this endeavor -- a multi-century enterprise equating progress with the destruction, erasure, violation and captivity of entire peoples -- has been responsible for the amnesia of the true soul of America. Reclaiming this spiritual identity is the prerequisite for making this nation great… again.
Native peoples’ ideals are what inspired the creation of a new type of nation, enshrining in the U.S. Constitution collective governance and mutualism, shared well-being and advancement. These ideals proved so revolutionary that they shaped new political orders the world over. They stand as testimony to the nation’s legitimate spiritual founders, the guardians and protectors of the soul and destiny of America. They tell us also that the fractures currently plaguing our country are not insurmountable. We can still forge from these ideals an indissoluble bond if we choose to acknowledge and embrace the Native heritage that provided them.
Peter Catches, known as Zintkala Oyate (Bird People), represents the last in a line of 38 generations of Lakota medicine men. His legacy represents the true, sacred, unbroken stewardship of the greatness of this land. It is such enduring legacies that are the genesis of a true, irrevocable and manifest destiny of this American nation.