Posted on 07/06/2010 3:07:04 PM PDT by Sioux-san
Members of the Texas Apostolic Prayer Network (TXAPAN) kneel before Comanche Nation chairman Michael Burgess and two other Comanches, and “apologize” for a “battle” at Palo Duro Canyon in 1874.
This story was told on the front page of the Comanche Nation News, June edition, 2010. The dramatic prayer incident took place this past April 23 and 24. To my knowledge, this event was not advertised among the Comanche people, nor was there any general invitation given. The June edition in the Comanche paper is the first I knew of it. I know I’m not the only Comanche that was unaware of it.
This event is ironic, the history dubious, and, in my opinion, the incident somewhat egregious. With all due respect for my beloved Comanche people and our leaders, I beg to differ with the idea that anyone owes Comanches an apology, or that Comanches need to offer forgiveness to anyone. Indeed, if Comanches accept apologies from anyone, then Comanches need to go and offer their apologies to the Apache, the Spanish, and the Texans. After all, Comanches were the aggressor–first toward other Indians, then toward the Spanish and Mexican population, in Mexico and in Texas. That the white Texans should finally out-gun and out-number the Comanche is no reason for the Texans to apologize. And Comanches certainly owe the Texans no apology. The Comanches were themselves invaders of the territory occupied by others. Then Comanches became victims of invasion.
(Excerpt) Read more at badeagle.com ...
For my part, I want to apologize for saxon attacks by my forbearers upon my celtic forbearers.
And I apologize on behalf of my scots-irish redneck forbearers for what they did to my cherokee forbearers, and for being generally God’s own troublemakers.
I think some of my ancestors were killed by some Comanches. But they might have been Apaches. Then again, that was a long time ago. I don’t worry about it much anymore.
And on my own behalf I want to apologize for not knowing how to spell “forebearer”.
Rule #1: Winner takes all.
Rule #2: Winner takes all.
Was Tonto a Comanche?
Palo Duro Canyon is a nice park. It’s a shame they have to pollute it with PC correctness. Do they still run the miniature railway in the bottom with the view of “Monkey Rock”? (Do we need to apologize to monkeys?)
Palo Duro was the culmination of an 1874 campaign (The Red River War) by the 4th US Cavalry. Palo Duro, as I’m sure you know (but others may not), was a Comanche stronghold in the West Texas Escarpment, commonly known as the Llano Estacado (Staked Plains). The raid, and capture of a vast number of horses, caused the Comanche to evacuate the area.
The fact this religious group would make an apology over this baffles me. If anything, the attack by Texans on the San Antonio council house in 1840 was a far more egregious event. Yet I have never supported, and never will support, apologies for what occurred so many years ago.
An interesting bit of Western history for sure.
I guess I need to apologise to my Scottish ancestors for what my English ancestors did. I guess I should also apologise for my German and Indian ancestors. Aw hell, the ones who trangressed all are dead and I didn’t pillage or invade anyone, so I shall not apologise for one bloody thing.
***Then Comanches need to go and offer their apologies to the Apache, the Spanish,....***
Yes! It was the Comanches who slaughtered Apaches fleeing from the Spanish and Pueblo indians who had had enough of the Apache raids!
The Spanish-Pueblo army swept through the mountains of southern NM and routed the war like Apaches, driving them out onto the Texas plains where they ran smack dab into a large war party of Comanches going to raid the Spanish and Pueblos.
Since the Comanche and Apaches hated each other the Comanch vented theri rage on these other enemies, the Apache!
The spanish had no problems with Apaches for years after, but did have problems with Comanches.
Swedish.
This is actually a good article. I agree in the main with his observations.
Veni, vidi, vici, culpa.
We came, we saw, we conquered, but then we felt really bad about it.
IIRC there were hundreds of Comanches and cavalry involved in this battle, but only a handful of casualties. The Comanches escaped up the canyon walls, but MacKenzie (see my homepage) ordered the captured horses-over 1500- shot. The Comanches, led by Quanah Parker, came in to the reservation shortly thereafter.
As a white man living amongst the indians once said, after his tribe slaughtered another entire tribe,...”The indian philosophy appeared to be to ‘KILL every living thing!’”
Will the Navajo apologize to the Hopi for their devestating raids around 1825?
Will the UTES apologize for their raids on the Navajo?
Will the UTES apologize for their raids on the Shoshoni?
Will the Shoshoni apologize for their raids on the Arapaho?
Will the Arapaho apologize for their raids on the Crow?
Wil the Crow apologize for their raids on the Blackfeet?
Will the Blackfeet apolpgize for their raids on the Mandan?
Will the Mandan apologize for their raids on the Cheyenne and Cree?
Will the Cheyenne apologize for their raids on the Pawnee?
Will the Pawnee apologize for their raids on the Sioux?
Will the Sioux apologize for their raids on the Wichitas?
Will the Wichitas apologize for their raids on the Comanche and Kiowa?
Will the Comanche apologize for their raids on the Apache?
will the Apache apologize for their raids on the Hopi?
Dang! We’ve come full circle so lets turn around and apologize in the oposite direction!
Your recollection is pretty much spot on. The problem for MacKenzie was getting down the canyon wall to make the attack. Once down there, the Comanche were routed and MacKenzie’s biggest win was the horse herd (as well as the village). The horses were then killed in another canyon (Tule, I believe).
It was THE raid that pretty much broke the back of the Comanche Nation as far as being a force to reckon with on the Texas frontier. This was in 1874, and up to a few years previously, the Llano was an unknown and uncharted area; where the Comanche, and Comancheros from New Mexico, met to trade, and war on the Texans.
Obviously, you know about this, but many who may read this thread may not. So, it doesn’t hurt to spell it out :)
It was a clash of cultures. The Comanches had no inkling that the sight of the poor woman they had been routinely burning with hot coals and stabbing with sharp objects over the years would infuriate their hosts, but they probably should have known based on their prior experiences. Before the 1830’s the Comanches had their way with the Mexican ranchers, taking whatever they wanted, but the White settlers proved to be different. The Comanches came to refer to the new Texans as “Those who will come after you.”
As for the Palo Duro attack, those were the same Comanche group who, years before, had massacred the Parkers (including a small infant dragged on the ground before its mother)and taken Cynthia Ann Parker as a captive.
The apologizers are showing ignorance and stupidity. I'm glad the author was smart enough to reject their stupid gesture.
Well, don’t know about that. Quanah later became a spokesman for the Comanche Nation and grew to be rather wealthy. Two faces of the same man...
***If anything, the attack by Texans on the San Antonio council house in 1840****
The indians were attacked by the whites at the council house because the captive white children the indians brought in to trade had their faces BURNED OFF.
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