In 1521, 240,000 indigenous peoples were brutally massacred by the conquistador Hernan Cortes as terror and destruction reigned over the Aztec civilization. What fueled the belligerence and ruthlessness of the conquistadors? The answer is what has fueled almost all the conflicts that humanity has experienced within itself: power. The great Inca leader Manco later observed: “Even if the snows of the Andes turned golden, they would still not be satisfied.” William Golding, author of Lord of the Flies, explained that his novel was “an attempt to trace the defects of society to the defects of human nature. Golding's novel is the epitome of portraying the lust for power as arising from human nature. His conjecture is justified by the underlying causes of the recent eradication of the indigenous Mursi population in Ethiopia. Just like every other incident of human inhumanity, the nature of human beings to be self-centered and power-hungry is what led to the eviction of the Mursi. History shows numerous examples of mistreatment of indigenous peoples in general. The slave trade, which accounted for an estimated 10 million deaths, and the Trail of Tears, in which President Andrew Jackson was willing to violate the Constitution to brutally relocate Native Americans, are two of the most dangerous causes. infamous events. Furthermore, indigenous peoples are exploited due to government and private interests. The slave trade occurred due to territorial expansion and European conquest which led to the need for large amounts of labor. The Trail of Tears occurred because the American population expanded rapidly and the government sought to have more land. Even though indigenous peoples have gained more pro... middle of paper...government corruption. Society has challenged human nature. It involves “restrictions and alterations in the way we carry out our biological responses” (Taftlinger). Our attitude to survive in turn leads to the utopian ideology that “protects [people] from their conscience leading them to the lust of power (Mohawk). The recent eradication of indigenous populations in Ethiopia exemplifies this gradual overthrow of civilization. We are the product of millions of years of evolution, but are we really more than just animals? Although we have neutralized our “animal” instincts through the formation of society, is it possible to completely mask our innate thirst for power and domination? The corrupt world we live in today can serve as proof that humanity will never free itself from inhumanity. There will never be a utopia, and by society's standards, we are an imperfect race.