The rise and fall of the Lakota Empire - Pekka Hämäläinen

譯者: 柏陞 郭 審譯者: Amanda Zhu

In 1776, a powerful empire was born in North America.

西元 1776 年，

北美洲大陸上誕生了一個強大的帝國。

The Lakotas had reached the Black Hills,

拉科塔人在這年抵達了黑山，

the most sacred place and most coveted buffalo hunting grounds

這塊區域在當時是西部大平原裡最神聖 也是最令人垂涎的野牛獵場。

in the western plains.

Located in what is now South Dakota, control of the Black Hills, or Paha Sapa,

黑山，拉科塔語又叫做 Paha Sapa， 位在現今的南達科塔州。

marked the Lakotas as the dominant power in the American West.

當拉科塔族人掌握黑山地區， 便樹立了他們在美西的霸權地位。

Just a few decades before, they were vying for power in the eastern woodlands—

然而在幾十年前，他們還在爭奪 東部林地的控制權

and losing.

但失敗了。

One of seven nations, or seven council fires,

作為組成蘇族同盟七個部落之一，

that made up the Sioux Alliance,

the Lakotas had lived in the forests and wetlands

拉科塔人幾個世紀以來生活在五大湖區

between the Great Lakes and the Missouri Valley for centuries.

和密蘇里峽谷之間的森林和溼地。

In the 1600s, European colonizers destabilized this region.

到了 17 世紀，歐洲殖民者的到來 破壞了區域的穩定。

While some tribes profited by trading furs with new France,

儘管有些部落透過和法國殖民者 交易皮革而獲利，

the Lakotas lived just out of range of the best trade opportunities.

拉科塔人卻選擇放棄並遠離 這絕佳的貿易機會。

So in the early 1700s, they turned their attention west.

因此到了 18 世紀初， 他們將目光轉向西部。

The western plains were much less fertile and abundant than the Lakotas’ homelands.

可是西部大平原的土地 遠不如故鄉那樣肥沃、豐富。

The only easy access to food and water was immediately alongside the rivers—

若要輕易獲取糧食和水源， 他們就只能沿著河岸——

land Arikaras had already claimed.

因為土地早已被阿里卡拉族佔走了。

To compete, the Lakotas became skilled buffalo hunters

為了和他們競爭，拉科塔人搖身一變 成為精湛的野牛獵手

及馬背上的戰士。

and warriors on horseback.

They conquered the farming Arikaras,

他們征服了擅長務農的阿里卡拉人，

forcing them to pay tributes of maize and squash.

強迫他們進貢玉米和南瓜。

When the Spanish arrived expecting to find lucrative trading grounds,

就連西班牙人到達此地找尋 營利的貿易據點時，

they had to pay tolls to the Lakotas instead.

也必須向拉科塔人支付過路費。

In 1804, a new spectacle came floating up the Missouri River:

1804 年，沿著密蘇里河順流而上 一個劃時代的交流發生了:

梅里韋瑟·路易斯 和威廉·克拉克到達了該地。

Merriwether Lewis and William Clark.

Lakota chief Black Buffalo refused to let them pass until they paid a hefty tribute.

拉科塔族的黑牛酋長拒絕讓他們通行 除非他們先支付一筆昂貴的費用。

In spite of this rocky start,

儘管這不是一個好的開始，

the expedition marked the beginning of a close trade alliance

這次探險仍代表著拉科塔族和美國

between the Lakotas and the United States.

開始建立密切的貿易夥伴關係。

Lakota men hunted buffalo, while women processed the hides into robes for trade.

拉科塔男人負責狩獵野牛， 女人再將獸皮加工製成袍子販賣。

The US government supplied guns, ammunition, and other goods,

美國政府則負責提供槍枝、 子彈和其他貨品。

even providing Lakotas with smallpox vaccines that protected them

當其他部落正受到天花肆虐時， 美國政府甚至提供疫苗，

保護拉科塔族免受 這致命傳染病的侵害。

from the deadly epidemics that ravaged other Native American nations.

On paper, the United States had acquired the Lakotas’ lands from France

名義上，美國以一紙路易斯安那購地案

in the Louisiana Purchase.

向法國購得拉科塔人的土地。

But the Lakotas would not cede their lands

但是拉科塔人並不會因為 兩個外來勢力訂定的條約

because of an agreement between two foreign powers.

就放棄他們的土地。

Though there were 15,000 Lakotas and 23 million Americans,

縱使這裡住著 15,000 名拉科塔人 和 2,300 萬美國人，

the bulk of US population and military might was concentrated on the east coast.

但這時大部分的美國人和軍隊 仍聚集在東岸。

Just getting an army to Lakota territory presented a huge expense,

向拉科塔族的領地用兵將會是 一筆很大的開銷，

and once there they would face formidable warriors

而且軍隊一到該地，他們要面對的

with deep local knowledge and alliances.

是一群熟悉當地、 互相結盟的勇猛戰士。

To avoid a war it couldn’t afford and wouldn’t win,

為了避免一場負擔不起 也打不贏的戰爭，

the US government attempted to appease the Lakotas,

美國政府嘗試安撫拉科塔人

paying steep tributes of ammunition and rations demanded by Lakota leaders.

並支付拉科塔的領導者們要求的 一大筆彈藥和糧食。

So while almost all the Native Americans in North America

就在幾乎所有北美洲原住民被迫 離開家園，住進保護區時，

were being forced off their lands and onto reservations,

the Lakota Empire was still expanding.

拉科塔帝國的版圖仍然持續擴張。

By 1850, they controlled some 500,000 square kilometers.

到了 1850 年，他們統治了 約 50 萬平方公里的土地。

They were spread thinly across this vast area,

在這片寬廣的區域， 他們族群分布稀落，

moving their villages in pursuit of Buffalo.

為了追逐野牛群而不停地遷移村莊。

雖然他們沒有一位統一的領袖，

Though there was no central authority,

各部落的領導人， 拉科塔語又稱 oyates，

the leaders of bands, or oyates, came together at annual Sun Dances

會在每年的太陽舞祭聚會，

to strategize and coordinate complex diplomatic operations.

共同策畫、協調複雜的外交行動。

Lasting a few weeks each summer,

太陽舞祭會在每年夏天持續舉辦幾週，

Sun Dances were spiritual ceremonies that reaffirmed communal ties,

舞蹈是強化社群關係的宗教儀式，

appeased Wakan Tanka, the Great Spirit, and kept the world in balance.

也是為了安慰偉大的祖靈 Wakan Tanka，

同時維持世界的平衡。

Starting in 1849, the California gold rush brought hordes of white settlers west,

然而到了 1849 年，加州掏金熱興起， 導致許多白人定居者向西湧入，

encroaching on Lakota territory and disturbing the buffalo herds.

他們強佔拉科塔人的土地， 還妨礙了野牛群生長。

Lakota leaders correctly interpreted this migration as a signal

拉科塔的領導者們準確地接收到 這波移民潮帶來的一個訊號：

that the US no longer intended to respect their claim to the land.

美國政府無意繼續尊重他們 對這片土地的所有權了。

In retaliation, they attacked wagon trains and government offices.

他們則攻擊馬車隊 和政府建築作為報復。

隨著衝突日益增長，紅雲酋長 前往華盛頓特區與政府談判。

As the conflict grew, Chief Red Cloud negotiated in Washington DC.

While back in Lakota territory, chiefs Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse, and others

但在拉科塔的領土，坐牛、瘋馬

prepared for battle.

和其他酋長正準備與政府一戰。

他們聯合夏安、阿拉帕荷族人

They mobilized their Cheyenne and Arapaho allies

and almost all the other Sioux nations against the US.

以及幾乎其他所有的蘇族部落 反抗美國政府。

In 1876, exactly 100 years after the Lakotas’ arrival,

1876 年，這年正好是拉科塔人到達 該地的 100 週年，

gold prospectors occupied the sacred Black Hills.

掏金客佔領了神聖的黑山地區。

For many Lakotas, this was the final straw.

對許多拉科塔人而言， 這是引起反抗的導火線。

在坐牛酋長的建議下， 瘋馬酋長帶領部隊

Following a vision by Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse led Lakota forces

to decisively defeat the Americans in the Battle of the Little Bighorn.

在小大角戰役中決然地擊敗了美國人。

After this victory, the Lakotas faced an even graver threat:

在獲得勝利之後，拉科塔人 面臨一個更嚴重的問題：

wagon travel and railroad construction had decimated buffalo populations,

馬車行駛和鐵路架設 造成野牛大量死亡，

因此他們面臨飢荒。

and they faced starvation.

為了能夠活下去， 他們只好搬入保護區。

To survive, they moved on to reservations,

坐牛和瘋馬酋長就這樣在保護區內 遭到美國政府殺害。

where the authorities murdered Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse

and attempted to dismantle their culture, prohibiting the Sun Dance on reservations.

而政府為了滅絕他們的文化， 又禁止族人在保護區內跳太陽舞。

The Lakotas started a protest movement called the Ghost Dance.

為了以示抗議，拉科塔人開始 跳起了「鬼舞」。

Alarmed by this resistance, in 1890, the US Army massacred hundreds of Lakotas,

政府對這樣的反抗有所警覺， 美國軍隊於是在 1890 年

於傷膝河屠殺上百位名科塔人， 其中大部分是婦女和孩童。

many of them women and children, at Wounded Knee Creek.

Today, Lakotas continue to fight for their culture and their land.

時至今日，拉科塔人仍然持續為了 他們的文化和土地抗爭。

在 2016 年，他們吸引了 來自世界各地的支持者，

In 2016, they drew supporters worldwide to protest construction

抗議橫跨他們保護區架設的 達科塔州輸油管道。

of the Dakota Access Pipeline through their reservation,

continuing a long history of resistance

他們將延續這段漫長的反抗史，

反抗那以背信忘義而知名的政府。

to a government known for breaking its promises.