An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States

An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States

• Genre: Nonfiction; history; Indigenous studies
• Originally Published: 2014
• Reading Level/Interest: Lexile 1220L; college/adult
• Structure/Length: Divided into 10 chapters with an introduction and conclusion; approximately 296 pages; approximately 10 hours, 18 minutes on audiobook
• Central Concern: An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States challenges the conventional narrative of American history by centering the experiences and perspectives of Indigenous peoples. Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz critically examines the colonial and settler-colonial roots of the United States, detailing the displacement, violence, and systemic injustices faced by Indigenous communities. The book spans from the earliest European settlements to contemporary issues of sovereignty and rights, providing a comprehensive and critical overview of US history that highlights resistance, survival, and the ongoing struggle for Indigenous self-determination.
• Potential Sensitivity Issues: Discussions of genocide, cultural destruction, systemic racism, and violence against Indigenous peoples; detailed accounts of historical injustices and their lasting impacts

Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, Author

• Bio: Born 1939; American historian, writer, and activist; focuses on history, feminism, and Indigenous rights in her work; has been involved in social justice movements for more than four decades; is known for her scholarly and accessible writing on Indigenous and American history
• Other Works: Roots of Resistance: A History of Land Tenure in New Mexico (1980); Blood on the Border: A Memoir of the Contra War (2005); Loaded: A Disarming History of the Second Amendment (2018)
• Awards: American Book Award (2015)

CENTRAL THEMES connected and noted throughout this Teaching Guide:

• Perseverance of Indigenous Resistance and Sovereignty as Survival
• The US Way of War From the Past to the Present
• The Falsehood of the US Origin Myth and US Exceptionalism

STUDY OBJECTIVES: In accomplishing the components of this Teaching Guide, students will:

• Gain an understanding of the historical and educational contexts regarding the teaching of Native American history that form part of Dunbar-Ortiz’s argument.
• Read paired texts and other brief resources to make connections via the text’s themes of Perseverance of Indigenous Resistance and Sovereignty as Survival, The US Way of War From the Past to the Present, and The Falsehood of the US Origin Myth and US Exceptionalism.
• Research and present on Indigenous history to show what has been omitted in traditional tellings of American history.
• Analyze and evaluate key terms such as manifest destiny, sovereignty, and assimilation in structured essay responses and relate them back to the book’s central themes.