Peacemaking: A Difficult History

by Buffy Curtis
Mohawk Valley Meeting

Friends have been notably known for their commitment and testimony of Peace throughout their history. It has taken many forms throughout these times, but probably the most familiar in WWII, post war reconstruction and onward. 

I was a young adult of the 60’s and 70’s. I learned of AFSC and its post-war works, but it was the Vietnam War that engaged me in active opposition. An episode of the TV show MASH featured a Quaker pacifist trying to bring supplies to both sides of that conflict. That and numerous encounters with other Friends in Washington rallies left a deep impression. Yet a decade later, when I finally became a member of New England Yearly Meeting Friends, there was yet another conflict followed by endless “Military Actions” even unto to today. There has been plenty of work for Friends to do all over the world!

However, for over 300 years in this country, there was a war (or wars) against the Original Peoples of these lands. The Indian Wars, as they were known, were most often defensive or retaliatory actions, by tribes and nations subjected to the ongoing practices of displacement by settlement and government laws and policies. Removal of “the Savages” was the goal. As each tribal nation successively tried negotiations and treaties, upon the failure of most of them, they defensively fought back to retain their lands and livelihood. The US government negotiated and broke over 400 treaties and agreements with the original nations of this land.

 What does that have to do with Peace(making) and Quakers? Well, like many Friends, I was familiar with the “Good Works” of members and organizations during the 20th Century and now. However, I was nearly 60 years old before I learned about Quaker involvement with the Indian Wars and government policies, primarily in the 1800’s. Why had it taken this long for me to learn this? And why, after 10 years of researching and teaching, is it still a surprise to so many Friends?

I personally don’t have an answer to that question, but it’s an important one to keep asking, if only to motivate work towards an answer. For at least the last decade, several Friends from meetings around the country have been researching, learning and coming to terms with our history and involvement with “the Indians.” There were many notable Quakers along the East Coast meetings that were involved in creating national policy, advising President Grant as well as encouraging Friends to support and engage with the “Indians” who they understood to be under siege. They came to believe that “civilization of the savages” was the only course of survival. This included supporting first, reservations, then land allotments, Christian education and training in colonial agricultural skills and practices. Grant’s Peace Policy, The Dawes Act and over 30 Quaker day and boarding schools were engaged and supported by Friends, concerned and intent on peacemaking with the “Indians.” Many thousands (millions in today’s value) of dollars were raised annually by New England, New York, Philadelphia, and Baltimore yearly meetings for food, clothing, tools, books and salary payments. Many Friends were called to become teachers or Indian Agents during this time.

So what? Friends have always stepped up in person or financially to help others in need.

The answer to that is this… history has traveled on enough so we can now begin to look back and discover and acknowledge the outcomes and effects of what we thought were “right” and bringing about Peace. In spite of our deep discernment then, we are finally realizing it was nearly all flawed from the start. In the name of good intent, Quakers collaborated in a full-on policy of assimilation and cultural genocide. The oldest yearly meetings have the longest stories and the most engagement. The Quaker schools were started in 1796, 50 years before the federal policy in 1869! It is a complex and multifaceted story.

This year at Summer Sessions, following Paula Palmer’s plenary on the boarding schools, there was a call for NYYM meetings and quarters to undertake examining their own histories and relationships to Native Peoples. The Friends engaged in this work are reminding us to continue to examine our histories, what truths need to be revealed, and how we can collectively undertake what Peace(making) can sustainably look like for all.

How will you answer this call?