JF Ptak Science Books Post 1171
Porosity is a measure of spaces-in-between, voids in a material’s total volume. Some things certainly have visible porous elements, like a cotton shirt or netting, and others–like rocks and soil–don’t. Other elements are measurable but less visible and experimental than fluid flow though still experiential, like truth and falsity, or the concepts of good and evil, good taste and bad, love, generosity, felicity. Ideas like “god” are very porous, as are the prospects of salvation and redemption, and (getting into) heaven and hell.
Skin is also porous because it is composed of, well, pores. We don’t think of things like skin being permeable, as it holds in the vast amounts of liquids that make up the majority of the human body (for example). Football has porous defenses, a necessary design to the process of the game, because years of 0-0 games just won’t work so well as paid entertainment. Poromechanics in real and abstract bits is all a matter of degree. And direction. 
The American border is fairly well porous–much less now than it used to be of course. There’s 3,987 miles of border (excluding Alaska) with Canada, and another 1969 miles between the U.S. and Mexico (1241 of those shared with Texas), so there’s a lot of room for room–for people trying to get into the country. The flow of people through/over the borders weren’t always gong one-way–the expansion of the country is a history of the mythic pioneer/settler moving into space contiguous to property that was owned by the U.S. (Actually, it wasn’t all contiguous, adventurers and “explorers and entrepreneurs and filibusterers reaching far and wide.) It would be interesting to know how many miles of variable borders within the U.S. we have slipped through over the last few centuries--my offhand guess is that it is an order of magnitude greater than what we have right now.
Before we constructed massive walls and armed our borders, before we started to erase the incised sentiments on the base of the Statue of Liberty, the border wars of the United States were being fought going the other way ‘round. The borders of the country were extended in many different ways, not the least of which were what we would call “pioneers”–plus of course politicians and the military, all deeply at work in establishiung the sactions of expansion.
For example, in the 1800-1850 period, there were 21 major attempts to access foreign properties to become part of the United States. Ten of these were attempts made to purchase the land outright–only Louisiana (and that is a gigantic “only” was wholly successful, with Sonoma being half-successful. Five of the other cases-- East Florida, West Florida, Texas, New Mexico and Alta California--came to us via wartime acquisition. Attempts to buy and bully Mexico for Baja didn’t work; Yucatan and Cuba escape our proposals for annexation and purchase as well, while Chihuahua resisted purchase, invasion and annexation.
All of this excludes Indian lands, of course, a list of the tribes involved in the 709 seizures1 can be found in the continued reading section, below. (That’s the number of “transactions” for the 110 year history between 1784 and 1894, which extends beyond the 1800-1850 slice of our expansionist pie; there were still a hundred or so motions against the Indians during this time, not to mention the dreadful Southern Removals of the Five Civilized Tribes as well as the disastrous removals in Indiana.)
Conquest and purchase has been the name of the game in moving the Americans through our borders, an exercise of great regularity and incredibly high return. Again putting aside the Indian question, had we not pushed up against the owners of these lands in the first place and absorbed them in the second, instead of having California, Utah and Texas we may well have had the Republics of California and Texas and the entity of Dereret, not to mention a wide swath of the southwest (including New Mexico, Nevada and part of Colorado) reaching up nearly to SLC that still belong to Mexico.
And what it all boils down to after the borders have been passed through and moved forward, again, are the people that wind up staying–pioneers, farmers. The log cabin came to symbolize this spirit in the 19th century, a picture of progressive civilization and stability, of spirit, of achieving Manifest Destiny. In my own collection of images of log cabins (prior to the Civil War), there are very few of these structures that show people in or near them. More often than not, the pictures are silent; every now and then, there is a woman in the doorway or inside looking through a window–a symbol of innocense and felicity. There are images with the log cabin in the background, the foreground filled with pulled stumps and men plowing the fields (with and without horses) I don’t own a single image that shows a man with a gun. (I’ve not done a survey on this issue, but that’s my overall impression over the years.) A subtle message I think was definitely being sent.
Even the name “America” proved to be exceptionally porous. At one point it stood to include North and South America, and then it changed to exclude South and Central, and then Canada, and then Mexico–it really only related to the United States during the period of greatest nation building.
This is just an interesting thing to think about now when we discuss closing our borders–those lines had to get to those positions somehow over the last 500-odd years.
Notes:
1. Indian Land Cessions in the United States,1784-1894, United States Serial Set, Number 4015; this is the second part of the two-part Eighteenth Annual Report of the Bureau of American Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1896-1897. “The Schedule of Indian Land Cessions subtitle notes that it indicates the number and location of each cession by or reservation for the Indian tribes from the organization of the Federal Government to and including 1894, together with descriptions of the tracts so ceded or reserved, the date of the treaty, law or executive order governing the same, the name of the tribe or tribes affected thereby, and historical data and references bearing thereon."
Sometimes just seeing hte extent of a list of names gives you a much greater appreciation for the numbers involvewd than the sheer number itself:
Acoma Pueblo
Alabama
Alsea et al
Apache
Apache (Eastern bands)
Apache (Jicarilla bands).
Apache (southern).
Apache (Southern).
Apache (Western bands)
Appalachicola
Appalachicola band.
Arapaho and Cheyenne of Upper Arkansas.
Arikara, Gros Ventre, and Mandan.
Bannock
Bannock and Shoshoni of Fort Hall reservation.
Blackfoot and Flathead nations and Nez Perce tribe.
Blackfoot, Gros Ventre, et al
Bois Fort and Deer Creek Chippewa.
Brothertown
Ca-la-na-po, Ha-bi-na-po, Da-no-ha-bo, Mo-al-kai, Checom, How-ku-ma, Cha-nel-kai, and Me-dam-a-rec.
Caddo
Calapooia and confederated bands of Willamette valley.
California Indians.
Camel-el-po-ma et al.
Cas-take, Te-jon, San Im-iri, Uva, Car-i-se, Buena Vista, Se-na-hu-ow, Ho-lo-cla-me, So-ho-nut, To-ci-a, and Hol-mi-uk.
Catawba
Certain chiefs in Florida.
Chasta, Sco-ton, and Grave Creek.
Chehalis
Chehalis, Klatsop, and Chinook.
Chehalis, Klatsop, Chinook, Klikitat and other tribes.
Cherokee
Cherokee nation west of Mississippi river.
Cherokee nation west of the Mississippi river.
Cheyenne and Arapaho (Northern bands).
Cheyenne and Arapaho.
Cheyenne River Sioux.
Chickasaw
Chippewa
Chippewa (Bois Forte band).
Chippewa (Bois Forte band.)
Chippewa (La Pointe band).
Chippewa (Lac Court Oreille band).
Chippewa (Pembina band).
Chippewa (Pillager band).
Chippewa (Red Lake and Pembina bands).
Chippewa (Turtle Mountain band).
Chippewa in Michigan.
Chippewa of Lake Superior (Buffalo's band.)
Chippewa of lake Superior and the Mississippi.
Chippewa of Lake Superior.
Chippewa of Minnesota.
Chippewa of Mississippi and Pillager and Lake Winnibigoshish bands of Chippewa.
Chippewa of Saginaw, Swan creek, and Black river (parties to treaties of Jan. 14, 1837, and May 9, 1836).
Chippewa of Saginaw, Swan creek, and Black river in Michigan.
Chippewa of Sault Ste Marie.
Chippewa of Swan creek and Black river, and Munsee or Christian.
Chippewa of the Mississippi and lake Superior.
Chippewa of the Mississippi, and Pillager and Lake Winnibigoshish bands of Chippewa.
Chippewa of the Mississippi.
Chippewa, Menomini, and Winnebago.
Chippewa, Ottawa, and Potawatomi nations of the waters of the Illinois, Milwaukee, and Manitowoc rivers.
Chippewa, Ottawa, and Potawatomi.
Chippewa, Ottawa, Potawatomi, Wyandot, and Shawnee.
Chippewa, Sauk and Fox, Menomini, Iowa, Sioux, Winnebago, and a portion of the Ottawa, Chippewa, and Potawatomi living on the Illinois.
Chippewa.
Choctaw
Choctaw and Chickasaw.
Chow-chilla, Poho-neche, Chook-chancie, et al.
Christian Indians.
Chu-nute, Wo-wol, Yo-lum-ne, and Co-ye-tie.
Citizen band of Potawatomi.
Co-lu, Wil-lay, Co-ha-ma, Tat-nah, Cha, Doc-duc, Cham-et-ko, and Toc-de.
Coast tribes of Oregon.
Cochiti Pueblo
Cocopa
Coer d'Alene
Coeur d'Alene
Coeur d'Alene et al.
Colorado River
Colorado River.
Comanche and Kiowa.
Comanche and other Texas Indians.
Confederated bands of Willamette valley.
Confederated Pawnee, viz: Grand Pawnee, Pawnee Loup, Pawnee Republicans, and Pawnee Tappaye residing on the Platte and Loup Fork.
Confederated tribes of middle Oregon.
Creek
Creek and Seminole.
Creek, Seminole, and Cherokee.
Creek.
Creeks and Seminole.
Crow
Crow (Judith Basin reservation).
Crow Creek Sioux.
Cu-lee, Yas-see, Lo-clum-ne, and Wo-pum-ne.
Das-pia, Ya-ma-do, Yol-la-mer, Wai-de-pa-can, On-o-po-ma, Mon-e-da, Wan-nuck, Nem-shaw, Be-no-pi, and Ya-cum-na.
Delaware
Delaware (bandon Sandusky river).
Delaware [supplemental to treaty of Oct. 3, 1818].
Delaware and Wyandot.
Delaware, Potawatomi, Miami, and Eel River Miami.
Delaware, Potawatomi, Miami, Eel River, and Wea.
Delaware, Shawnee, Potawatomi, Miami, Eel River, Wea, Kickapoo, Piankishaw, and Kaskaskia.
Diegueno
Dwamish and allied tribes.
Dwamish and others.
Dwamish et al.
Dwamish, Saquamish, and other allied tribes.
Eastern band of Cherokee.
Eastern Shawnee.
Eel river or Thorntown party of Miami Indians.
Eel River, Wyandot, Piankishaw, Kaskaskia, and also the Kickapoo represented by the Eel River chiefs.
Flathead
Flathead, Kootenay, and Upper Pond d'Oreilles.
Florida tribes
The Fond du Lac Chippewa (9).
Fox
Gila Apache
Grand Portage Chippewa (8).
Great and Little Osage.
Gros Ventre and Mandan.
Gros Ventre, Piegan, Blood, Blackfoot, and River Crow.
Gros Ventre, Piegan, et al.
Havasupai
Havasupai.
Hoh River Indians.
How-ech-ee, Chook-cha-nee, Chow-chil-lie, Po-ho-nee-chee, Nook-choo, Pit-cat-chee, Cas-son, Toom-na, Tall-in-chee, Pas-ke-sa, Wa-cha-et, I-tach-ee, Cho-e-nem-nee, Cho-ki-men-a, We-mal-che, and No-to-no-to.
Hupa (S. Fork, Redwood, and Grouse Creek bands).
Hupa et al
Hupa et al.
I-o-no-hum-ne, We-chil-la, Su-ca-ah, Co-to-plan-e-nee, Chap-pah-sim, and Sage-wom-nee.
Indian tribes.
Indians of Blackfoot agency.
Indians of Fort Belknap agency.
Indians of Fort Peck agency.
Indians on coast of Oregon.
Iowa
Iowa tribe and the band of Sauk and Fox of the Missouri (residing W. of the state of Missouri).
Isleta Pueblo
Jemez Pueblo
Jicarilla Apache.
Kansa
Kansas
Kaskaskia
Kaskaskia and Peoria, which, with the Michigamea, Cahokia, and Tamaroa bands, now united with the two first-named tribes, formerly composed the Illinois confederacy.
Kaskaskia, Peoria, Piankishaw and Wea.
Kickapoo
Kickapoo of Mexico and Texas.
Kickapoo of Texas and Mexico
Kickapoo of Texas and Mexico.
Kickapoo of the Vermilion.
Kiowa and Comanche.
Kiowa, Comanche, and Apache.
Klamath
Klamath and Modok tribes and Yahooskin band of Snake Indians.
Ko-ya-te, Wo-la-si, New-chow-we, Wack-sa-che, Pal-wis-ha, Po-ken-well, and Ya-wil-chine.
L'Anse and Vieux Desert Chippewa.
Laguna Pueblo
Lower Brule Sioux.
Makah
Malheur Reservation Indians.
Menomini
Mescalero Apache.
Methow, Okanagan et al.
Mi-chop-da, Es-ki-un, Ho-lo-lu-pi, Toto, Su-nu, Che-no, Bat-si, Yut-duc, and Sim-sa-wa.
Miami
Miami (Meshin-go-mesia's band).
Miami.
Middle Oregon bands.
Mille Lac lands, Mississippi Chippewa (5).
Mission Indians of California.
Mission Indians.
Mississippi Chippewa, of White Earth reservation (3).
Modok
Mohave
Mohawk
Moki
Moki and others.
Molalla
Moravian or Christian Indians.
Munsee or Christian Indians.
Muscogee or Creek.
Muskogee or Creek.
N (Back to top)
Nambe Pueblo
Navaho
New York Indians.
Nez Perce
Nez Perce (Joseph's band).
Nez Perce (Moses' band)
Nez Perce (Moses' band).
Nez Perce.
Niskwali and others, parties to treaty of Dec. 26, 1854.
Niskwali and others.
Niskwali, Puyallup, Steilacoom, Squaxin, S'Homamish, Stehchass, T'Peeksin, Squiaitl, and Sa-heh-wamish.
Noe-ma-noe-ma, Y-lac-ca, and Noi-me-noi-me.
Nome Lackee, Nome Cult, Nir-muck, et al.
Northern Cheyenne.
Northwestern Shoshoni.
O-de-i-lah, I-ka-ruck, Ko-se-tah, I-da-kar-i-waka-ha, Wat-sa-he-wa, and E-eh.
Omaha
Omaha, Pawnee, Oto, Missouri, and Sauk and Fox of the Missouri.
Oneida (First Christian and Orchard parties, residing at Green Bay).
Ontonagon band of Chippewa.
Osage
Osette Indians
Oto and Missouri.
Oto, Missouri, Omaha, and Yankton and Santee bands of Sioux.
Ottawa (residing in Ohio).
Ottawa and Chippewa in Michigan.
Ottawa and Chippewa of Michigan.
Ottawa and Chippewa, in Michigan.
Ottawa and Chippewa.
Ottawa Indians residing on the Indian reserves on the Miami of Lake Erie and in the vicinity thereof.
Ottawa of Blanchard's Fork and Roche de Boeuf.
Ottawa of Blanchards Fork and Roche de Boeuf.
Ottawa, Chippewa, and Potawatomi residing on Illinois and Milwaukee rivers and their waters.
Ottawa, Chippewa, and Potawatomi.
Ottawa, Chippewa, Wyandot, and Potawatomi.
Otter Tail Chippewa (7.)
P (Back to top)
Pai-Ute
Paiute
Paiute (Paddy Cap's band).
Paiute and Shoshoni.
Paiute et al
Paiute, Snake, and Shoshoni.
Papago
Papago and others.
Papago, Pima, and Maricopa
Pawnee
Pawnee (four confederated bands).
Pawnee (Four confederated, bands).
Pecos Pueblo
Pembina Chippewa (2).
Peoria, Kaskaskia, Mitchigamia, Cahokia, and Tamaroa.
Piankishaw
Piankishaw and Kaskakia.
Piankishaw and Wea.
Picuris Pueblo
Pillager and Winnibigoshish bands (6).
Pima and Maricopa.
Pine Ridge Sioux.
Poh-lik, or Lower Klamath, Pehtuck, or Upper Klamath, and Hoo-pah, or Trinity river.
Pojoaque Pueblo
Ponka
Potawatomi
Potawatomi (Aub-ba-naub-ba's band, by Pau-koo-shuck, his oldest son.)
Potawatomi (band of the Prairie and Kankakee).
Potawatomi (band of Wau-ke-wa, Che-kose's only son).
Potawatomi (bands of Nas-waw-kee and Quash-quaw).
Potawatomi (bands of O-kah-mause, Kee-waw-nay, Nee-bosh, and Mah-che-saw).
Potawatomi (bands of Po-pin-a-waw, No-taw-kah, and Mac-kah-tah-mo-ah).
Potawatomi (Comoza's band).
Potawatomi (Mau-ke-kose or Muck Rose's band).
Potawatomi (Mes-quawbuck's band).
Potawatomi (Mota's band).
Potawatomi and absentee Shawnee.
Potawatomi bands of Chee-chawkose, Ashkum, Weesaw or Louison, Muckkose and Qui-qui-to.
Potawatomi Ma-sac's, band.
Potawatomi of Indiana and Michigan.
Potawatomi, bands of To-i-sa's brother Memat-way and Chequaw-ka-ko.
Potawatomi, Chippewa, and Ottawa.
Potawatomi.
Pueblo et al.
Puyallup and others.
Quapaw
Quapaw.
Qui-nai-elt and Quil-leh-ute.
Quillehute Indians.
Quinaielt, Quillehute, et al.
Red lake Chippewa (1).
Rogue River Indians
Rosebud Sioux.
Round Valley Indians.
Round Valley reservation Indians.
Saginaw tribe of Chippewa.
Saginaw tribe of the Chippewa nation.
Sai-nell, Yu-ki-as, Mas-su-ta-ka-ya, and Po-mo.
San Felipe Pueblo
San Ildefonso Pueblo
San Juan Pueblo
San Luis Rey, Kah-we-a, and Co-com-cah-ra.
San Pasqual and Pala Valley (Mission Indians.)
Sandia Pueblo
Santa Ana Pueblo
Santa Clara Pueblo
Santee Sioux
Santee Sioux, in Nebraska.
Santee Sioux.
Santo Domingo Pueblo
Sauk (that portion residing on Missouri river).
Sauk and Fox
Sauk and Fox (living in Iowa)
Sauk and Fox and Iowa.
Sauk and Fox of Missouri.
Sauk and Fox of the Mississippi.
Sauk and Fox of the Missouri, and the Iowa.
Sauk and Fox of the Missouri.
Sauk and Fox, Medewakanton, Wahpekuta, Wahpeton and Sisseton bands of Sioux, Omaha, Iowa, Oto, and Missouri.
Sauk and Fox.
Sauk of Rock river and adjacent country.
Seminole
Seneka
Seneka (Tonawanda band).
Seneka and Shawnee (mixed band residing at and around Lewistown).
Seneka of Sandusky river.
Seneka, Mixed Seneka, and Shawnee, Quapaw, Peoria, Kaskaskia, Piankishaw, Wea, Ottawa of Blanchard's fork and Roche de Boeuf, and certain Wyandot.
Seven Nations of Canada.
The several tribes of New York Indians.
Shawnee
Shawnee (Absentee).
Shawnee (absentee).
Shawnee (Black Bob's band).
Shawnee (residing at Wapaghkonnetta and Hog creek).
Shawnee and Delaware, late of Cape Girardeau.
Shawnee nation residing in Missouri.
Shoshoni
Shoshoni (Eastern bands).
Shoshoni (Northwestern bands).
Shoshoni and Bannock
Shoshoni and Bannock (eastern lands).
Shoshoni and Bannock of Fort Hall reservation.
Shoshoni and Bannock, Coeur d'Alene and others of northern Idaho.
Shoshoni and Bannock.
Shoshoni, (Western bands).
Shoshoni, Bannock, and Sheep-eater.
Shoshoni, Bannock, and Sheepeater.
Shoshoni-Goship.
Shoshoni.
Si-yan-te, Po-to-yan-ti, Co-co-noon, A-pang-asse, Aplache, and A-wall-a-che.
Sia Pueblo
Sioux
Sioux (Drifting Goose's band).
Sioux (Medewakanton and Wahpekuta)
Sioux (Medewakanton and Wahpekute bands).
Sioux (Sisseton and Wahpeton bands).
Sioux (Sisseton, Wahpeton, Medewakanton, and Wahpekute bands).
Sioux and Northern Cheyenne and Arapaho.
Sioux Drifting Goose's band).
Sioux in Minnesota.
Sioux of the Mississippi.
Sioux of Wa-ba-shaw's tribe.
Sioux on Minnesota river.
Sioux, Cheyenne, Arapaho, Crow, Assiniboin, Gros Ventre, Mandan, and Arikara.
Sioux.
Sisseton and Wahpeton Sioux.
Six Nations
Six Nations of New York.
Sklallam
Skokomish (Sklallam).
Snake (Woll-pah-pe tribe).
Southern Apache.
Spokane
Standing Rock Sioux.
Stockbridge
Stockbridge and Munsee, residing on lake Winnebago, Wisconsin territory.
Stockbridge and Munsee.
Swan-creek and Black-river bands of the Chippewa nation residing in Michigan.
Ta-che, Cah-wia, Yo-kol, To-lum-ne, Wic-chum-ne, Hol-cu-ma, To-e-ne-che, Tu-huc-mach, In-tim-peach, Choi-nuck, We-mil-che, and No-to-no-to.
Taos Pueblo
Tejon, Castake, San Imirio, et al.
Tesuque Pueblo
Tonkawa
Tule River or Madden Farm reservation Indians.
Tule River, King's River, et al.
Tule river, King's river, Owen's river, et al.
Uintah Uta
Umatilla et al.
Umpqua (Cow Creek band).
Umpqua and Calapooia.
Uncompahgre Uta.
United Seneka and Shawnee.
Uta
Uta (Muache, Capote, and Wiminuchi bands).
Uta (Spanish Fork, Corn Creek, Deep Creek, and Sanpete).
Uta (Tabeguache band).
Uta (Tabeguache, Muache, Capote, Weeminuchi, Yampa, Grand River, and Uintah bands)..
Wahpekuta, Sisseton and Upper Medewakanton tribes of Sioux.
Walapai
Walla-walla, Cayuse, and Umatilla.
Warm Springs
Washo
Watche, Noto-noto, We-melche, et al.
Wea
Wea and Kickapoo.
Wea, Peoria, et al.
Western Shoshoni.
White Mountain Apache.
White Oak band, Mississippi Chippewa (4).
Wichita and affiliated bands.
Winnebago
Winnebago and united tribes of Potawatomi, Chippewa, and Ottawa.
Wyandot
Wyandot (band residing at Big Spring).
Wyandot tribe in Ohio.
Wyandot, Delaware, Chippewa, and Ottawa.
Wyandot, Delaware, Ottawa, Chippewa, Potawatomi, and Sauk.
Wyandot, Delaware, Shawnee, Ottawa, Chippewa, Potawatomi, Miami, Eel River, Wea, Kickapoo, Piankishaw, and Kaskaskia.
Wyandot, Ottawa, Chippewa, Munsee, Delaware, Shawnee, and Potawatomi.
Wyandot, Seneka, Delaware, Shawnee, Potawatomi, Ottawa, and Chippewa.
Wyandot, Seneka, Shawnee, and Ottawa.
Yakima
Yakima, etc.
Yankton Sioux
Yankton Sioux.
Yankton tribe of Sioux.
Yuma
Zuni
Zuni
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