Book review: An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United
States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, Boston: Beacon Press, 2014
This is a book about
the history of the United States, and the concurrent histories of the
indigenous peoples who lived in North America before there was a “United
States.” Surely you already know, deeply or vaguely, that these are violent
histories of conflict, betrayal and subjugation.
Full disclosure:
this is not an easy book. If you are an American historian or a student of
American history, you should read it. Don’t expect to enjoy it. Dunbar-Ortiz
frankly admits that she had “grave misgivings” about her mandate to “write
accessibly so it would engage multiple audiences.” She uses the word “genocide” a half dozen
times in the first few pages, and repeatedly thereafter, and this sets a tone
for the entire book.
Here are selected
chapter sub-headings—they’re not a representative sample, but they are
illustrative:
- White Supremacy and Class
- Roots of Genocide
- Settler-Parasites Create the Virginia Colony
- Career Building Through Genocide
- The Genocidal Army of the West
- Greed is Good
- North America is a Crime Scene
Dunbar-Ortiz
concludes by endorsing a Native American historian’s observation that “…while
living persons are not responsible for what their ancestors did, they are
responsible for the society they live in, which is a product of that past.” The
author argues for “honoring the treaties…restoring all sacred sites, starting
with the Black Hills and including most federally held parks…[restoring] all
stolen sacred items and body parts…payment of sufficient reparations for the
reconstruction and expansion of Native nations.”
That is a conclusion
of historic proportions that engages multiple audiences. Dunbar-Ortiz had grave
misgivings before she wrote this book. I think many readers will feel the same.
Copyright © Richard Carl Subber 2015 All rights reserved.
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