Book Review: An Indigenous People's History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
Anthony Smith-Meyer Dipl.IoD
Active promoter, speaker, writer, trainer of all things ESG, social justice and equality
Maybe you don't have time to read my full thoughts on the book[1]. In that case, my short comment is that it provides a view of North American history from the perspective of the indigenous native that is generally ignored. The book is informative and well written in the main. Still, it carries an anger within it as the author tries to correct the injustices of the myths created by one-sided histories. It's a valuable read to those who wish to understand their legacies and narratives – not just for Americans – also for Europeans.
I picked up this book whilst visiting the bookshop of the National Museum of the American Indian[2]. I had just finished touring the museum and felt confused and frustrated. Is this all to be told about the indigenous natives of North America??
As a European Baby-Boomer, I had been brought up on a diet of American Westerns and stories of the Wild West. The “Native American” was invariably depicted as hostile, randomly violent, uncivilized, and savage. Like any pest, they were intrusive and best “removed” in the name of progress and justice. Since then, through curiosity and research, the extent of the ruthless disrespect of the rights of the indigenous nations of North America and their systematic genocide by settler colonials has become more apparent to me. I thought it praise-worthy that the American people dared engage with this story of the destruction of indigenous civilizations in the name of a brave new world created by bold, adventurous, and largely peaceful settlers.
Alas. The curators and founders of this museum start the story of the Native Americans by exhibiting and explaining the many failed treaties entered between the initial English and then US colonial settlers. One might understand the history between the native and colonizing American as one of cultural misunderstanding. The words genocide and Native American civilization hardly come into the picture. No wonder Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz saw it as her mission to unveil the untold story of the Indigenous Peoples of North America. Unsurprisingly, some reviews of her book criticize her angry tone – I would agree with the observation, but not with its criticism. Dunbar-Ortiz explains who the First Nations of America were and how they were organized politically and economically, their social structures, trade, and agriculture. She presents their civilisations, nationhood, culture and values and how prejudice and religious arrogance, the papal Doctrine of Discovery, the brutality of colonial objectives, and concepts of property and greed resulted in a clash that destroyed a way of life that was both democratic and caring, indeed admirably sustainable given current global concerns.?
Some critics argue that her telling of this history is "one-sided". This observation is also correct, but I question if it is "politically incorrect". The story told so far has been one-sided and biased in promotion of the US origin myths of the courageous frontiersmen and settlers struggling to make a new life for themselves in the untamed lands of the West, where the native peoples are stereotypically treated as any other "wildlife" threat to domesticity. As explained above, this author had a lifetime of a one-sided history of the heroic conquest of the West, and it was time for a dive into the "other side of the story". In this book, it is brutally exposed.
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The book is genuinely thought-provoking. I recommend this book to any student of humankind and human behaviours, any serious historian of US or European civilization, empire and colonialism. For anyone who seeks to understand how the the post-colonial world views Europe and the US, be they politicians, journalists, or political commentators: This book exposes much of the colonialization process and its aftermath. It causes one to reflect further on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Russian and Chinese influences in Africa, and the lack of “sympathy” or “understanding” shown by countries like India and China against Russian aggression towards Ukraine as Russia evokes the cause of making a stand against a NATO-led Western imperialist expansion.
Personally, as a Norwegian reader, Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz has encouraged me to dig deeper into the history of the indigenous Sámi peoples of Lapland. Although I believe Norwegians are less na?ve regarding the injustices imposed on its "Native Norwegian" Sámis by its so-called civilized Christian society, I fear there is still much to learn. My next book review may well be on “The Sámi Peoples of the North” by Neil Kent[3].
Beacon Press #USA #IndigenousPeoples #Diversity #Inclusion #Minorities #Colonialism #Genocide #FirstNations #Aboriginals #BritishEmpire
[1]?ISBN 978-0-8070-5783-4 Beacon Press.
[2]?https://americanindian.si.edu
[3]?ISBN 978-1-78738-031-8 Hurst Publishers
Senior Database Engineer at Zillow Group
1 年I can appreciate the need to understand better the indigenous perspective in history. However, quite frankly, I find that this book reads more like an editorializing rant than a serious history book. Nothing wrong with studying the perspective of others -- including editorialized rants, but please don't mistake it for a serious history textbook. Example: "The history of the United States is a history of settler colonialism—the founding of a state based on the ideology of white supremacy, the widespread practice of African slavery, and a policy of genocide and land theft.”
Anti-Racism | Anti-Oppression | LGBTQIA2S+ | Making “good trouble”
1 年Thanks for sharing, Anthony! In honor of Indigenous Peoples' Month I'm co-hosting a small group read of this book if folks are interested in reading and sharing/processing with others! It's 5 consecutive weeks on a Tuesday evening, via Zoom starting in mid-November. Send me a message if you'd like more info or to sign-up!