The Travelogue, Part XXX - USA: A Paradise Lost

Bustin' Broncos - Then

When you tour around the West, imagery of its glorified past abound. Reconstructed wooden facades, old trading posts, statues of trappers and indians can be found on every corner, and residents are exceptionally proud of their land and history. And indeed, the West holds a special significance in American culture both for what it was and what it is now. Again, these are thoughts, not facts, so feel free to disagree.

Americans living in the West (away from the coast) are often derided in the Eastern parts of the States, both for their reclusiveness and old-fashioned (or even outright strange) beliefs. While it's hubs, such as Denver, might be relatively liberal, the majority of the area is deeply conservative. Here most of the population is still white and folks are friendly in the homemade-pie-and-guns kinda way. And I think it's a brilliant place to get a idea of what the whole of the USA is ailing from today.
Following an idea I picked up at the Denver Art Museum, I want to use the change of the depiction of the Native American in Western painting to illustrate the changing perception of the West and how it relates to the US today.

In the earlier Western times, Indians were depicted as foes, symbolizing the settlers' constant fight.

When the west was still wild and immigration laws were welcoming, the west was a country of (sometimes quite literally) golden opportunity. But going there wasn't easy, so it attracted certain kinds of people. First a group called pioneers. As much as hardyness and iron will might be commended, there's no denying that living all by yourself in the wilderness with nothing but squirrels and woodpeckers to keep you company takes a pretty weird fellow indeed. Secondly open empty land attracts all those people who have been coming to the United States because they didn't like it back home. Whether they are part of some obscure religion, despise their current government or just don't get along with their neighbours, they all move on from the settled and bustling east to a place where they can do as they please. Lastly the west is the place to go for all those who have failed to make a living anywhere else. The promise of gold and unlimited resources has drawn many desperate men and women from the more rigid societies and economies of the developed world to the mountains and deserts in hopes of greener pastures. In short, going west was the choice of the loners, lunatics and losers. A perfect setup for a grand story, and it's been told to generations all across the American nation and beyond.

Later on, Indians symbolized the vast, untamed wilderness of the uninhabited West.

For many years "going west" was the path to independence and riches. There was always more land to claim, more mountains to mine, more furry little creatures to skin. So after the individuals the big companies and then the government moved in, slowly extending the borders of civilization westward, and with it came planned development, common morals and the burden of public laws. The people didn't like it, and they ain't likin' it today. The response to the lost freedom of travel and choice of neighbours seems to have been an obsession with trespassing and the sanctity of your own piece of real estate. Get off my fucking lawn.

When the West became settled, Indians represent the melancholy of a waning era

Yet nothing could be done, and the Frontier became the Wild West and then simply the West, stripped off all it's mystery and glory, and more importantly, it's resources - there ain't any land here anymore, stranger, it's all taken. But the idea of a place where the intrepid and daring can find unlimited resources seems to have prevailed in the American mindset, and I make it responsible for some of the US's problems today. It has caused both people and the government to live beyond their means, a shortsightenedness that is not explained by the need to make money alone, but by the general assumption that there is a magic place, somewhere, that provides for those willing to go there. Sounds far-fetched? Remember that findings such as the Texas oil boom or the Fairbanks gold rush are little more than a hundred years ago. The American belief that everyone can achieve greatness is inseparably linked to the seemingly endless resources of the country, and its potential for growth. As that potential fades, opportunities become less abundant and viable, but the national psyche (as everywhere else on the planet), lags behind.

"The End of the Trail" a metal reminder a land stripped of its vigour and spirit

The sudden scarcity of resources such as oil and water and the corresponding rise in prices seems to have taken many by surprise. As the American continent is fully claimed and exploited, the US government is forced to repeat the tragic story of its native population in countries elsewhere: false promises, isolation, exploitation and finally war have unfortunately become synonymous with the United States in many parts of the world.

A parody on a well-known butter brand featuring a Native American, a cynical reckoning with the ideals of the West

The West was the proof to the concept of the Manifest Destiny, but the US is about to reach the end of the trail. There are more people staking their claims now, and the land has become crowded. I can already see the stories being told of the glorious days once again, where the daring and intrepid could still strike it rich no matter their lot, and there was plenty of everything for everyone - back in 2001. Everyone here seems to feel that the end of an era is dawning, and if I might suggest, it's a little bit of Wild West history repeating.

And I said get off that goddamn lawn.

Busting Broncos - Now