Native American Senators and the Truth

Columbia, Federal District, the United States of America

February 20th, 1792

Senator Usdi Gvna (in Cherokee, his name means Little Turkey) of Hisigi, known as "Liam Turkey" to most of the American public, slowly rose from his chair and looked out the window to see the empty streets of Columbia. From his window, he could make out the distinct dome of the giant Capitol Building that was still under construction). The streets of the capital were organized neatly (as intended by the designers), and the street that Little Turkey's house sat on was specifically reserved for the members of Congress. The large, one-story building he called his home was numbered nineteen (as Hisigi was the nineteenth state to join the Union) and was designed to look similar to the houses he lived in back in Hisigi. The house's roof was lined with elegant wooden panels, and the house itself was painted white. Each senator had four rooms within the house, a bedroom, and a guest/work room. The house was still bare, as he had just moved in a week ago, but he was slowly adjusting to his new home. His wife and children opted to remain back in their home state, as they wanted to remain close to their family and friends. He did feel lonely at times, but he knew that his job was too important to concede (especially since he won the seat in a fair election).

He shared his house with the other sitting senator from Hisigi, a Choctaw named Pushmataha, and the two of them lived comfortably with one another (despite their differences in party and tribe). However, Senator Pushmataha was out on official congressional business, meaning that Senator Little Turkey and his guest were in the house alone. The two of them spoke in a hushed tone, as the conversation details were highly secretive.

His guest, Senator Thaonawyuthe (also known as "Chainbreaker") of Haudenosaunee (Iroquois), concernedly looked at him, "Are you alright, Usdi Gvna?"

"I'm fine, Thaonawyuthe... mostly. I'm just... disturbed by what you said." The senator from Hisigi replied as he sat down and gripped the armrest of his seat tightly, "So in this "other" history, my people were expelled from their homeland and put on these "reservations?" And many of them died during the journey there?"

"The Trail of Tears. Sadly, it wasn't just your tribe that suffered; many other tribes also suffered: the Muscogee, the Seminole, the Chicksaw, and the Chocktaw. I'm afraid in that other history, the United States was... not too friendly to any Native Americans."

"Is that why your confederacy declared for the United States early on? To avoid that fate?"

Senator Thaonawyuthe shook his head, "We didn't even know that President Kim was from the future until we joined, as he believed that revealing that information to us beforehand would have turned us hostile to the United States or would have made us feel like we were being threatened to comply. It's why out of all the people of Haudenosaunee, only three people know of this."

"Who are the three?" Senator Usdi Gvna cautiously asked.

"Myself, Senator Odeserundiye, and the Governor Chief of Haudenosaunee ."

The Cherokee senator frowned, "And why tell me?"

"The Watchmen Society believed that it would be best that the highest ranking political officials in each state were aware of the "other" history. Your fellow Hisgi Senator will be told within a week."

"Why not just share the secrets of the other history while he's here? It would make things much simpler."

"People respond differently to the information we tell them," Senator Thaonawyuthe answered bluntly, "Some people respond in outrage, like Senator Odeserundiye when he discovered that he was exiled to Canada and lived a life of solitude and poverty after the Revolutionary War. Tell me, do you not feel some anger towards the United States now? A feeling of hatred and loathing for what befell upon your people in the other history?"

There was no point in lying, so Senator Usdi Gvna nodded, "I did. But to think that this nation could act so... savagely against us. Are you sure that history is true?"

"Everything I told you is true, all of it. The most important thing you must remember is that this United States is not the other United States. This United States allowed us to join as states, with real representation in their Congress and a place for our people to live and thrive. Haudenosaunee is prospering to the point that Native Americans from other areas are moving into our state, especially from "Canada." Our people are respected for our role during the Revolutionary War and our duties as guardians of the National Parks. A canal is being built through our state, bringing more prosperity and prestige. While I may not like that white settlers are allowed to settle in the western parts of the state, it is helping our state and our people to flourish. We have rights, freedoms, lands, jobs, and so much more than we had in the other history. That is already proof that this United States is truly a nation that is looking out for us and that the other history will not be repeated."

Senator Usdi Gvna was unable to refute his arguments. It was true; Hisigi was growing fast, just like Haudenosaunee. While a few tribesmen grumbled about being under the "heel" of the white men, the state was stable, and the people could finally live in peace for the first time in centuries. The southern Native American state was the gateway to the west and attracted traders and settlers by the thousands. Many former warriors (that still wanted to fight) either found jobs in the United States Military or served as guards for settlers that were traveling west. Chota, once a tiny village for the Cherokees, was now a large town that served as the economic and political seat of Hisgi. The agricultural sector was growing rapidly, with various tools and seeds given to them by the government to put to use (for free, with no strings attached). A bit of industry was also expanding into Hisigi as well, as the State General Council saw the potential in that area. While preserving their homeland and ensuring it remained untainted were the primary goals of the tribes in the state, a few mines, and small-scale workshops were operating within Hisigi to create additional wealth. The state economy was booming, along with it, the population of the tribes.

"But what if they turn against us one day? What if they decide that they want our land and believe they can use it better? We are still outnumbered, Thaonawyuthe. Your state only has eighty thousand people, and thousands are white settlers. My state barely has over seventy thousand. The whites and blacks outnumber us substantially."

"Then we fight, on the battlefield and in Congress," Senator Thaonawyuthe said firmly, "However, I do not believe that will happen. The people of America believe that we are one of them now, and they accept us. Many of our warriors serve and have served, in the military with distinction. I am sure they will not betray us in this history. We are not just "Native Americans," we are also "Americans.""

"Even still..."

"That is why we need to prove to them that we belong and receive as much government support as possible to grow faster. I've been working closely with my party to ensure that more schools will be built in Haudenosaunee and that we receive more funding to improve our state's industry..."

The Hisigi Senator snorted, "I have no idea why you, out of all people, aligned with the Unionists."

"They want to help us build up our state, integrate into our nation, so we are closer to other states, and fund us to improve the quality of life in our state," Senator Thaonawyuthe glowered at his junior, "I have no idea why you joined that Frontier Party. They seem rather bombastic."

"We're a state in the west, or "more" west than the ones in the east. The Front convinced me with their enthusiasm and policies..."

"Many of which are promised by the Union Party. And the Frontier Party wants more immigrants to settle in the western lands! Are you saying that you want more of those foreigners to settle in your own, ancestral homeland?"

"Of course not, but keeping them around has certain benefits. Our state has grown rapidly because of those immigrants moving through us to head west..."

And the two began to bicker about politics, moving on from the more depressing realities of the other history.