Indigenous Peoples' History of America

Now a part of the HBO docuseries "Exterminate All of the Brutes," written and directed by Raoul Peck

2015 Recipient of the American Ebook Award

Explore the rich historical narrative of America through the lens of its indigenous peoples.

 
As we speak in america, there are greater than 5 hundred federally acknowledged Indigenous nations comprising practically three million folks, descendants of the fifteen million Native individuals who as soon as inhabited this land. The centuries-long genocidal program of the US settler-colonial routine has largely been omitted from historical past. Now, for the primary time, acclaimed historian and activist Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz provides a historical past of america instructed from the angle of Indigenous peoples and divulges how Native People, for hundreds of years, actively resisted enlargement of the US empire.

By supporting movements like the push to replace Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples’ Day and the protest against the Dakota Access Pipeline led by the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, "An Indigenous Peoples’ History of America" serves as a crucial resource. This book delves into historical narratives essential for grasping the present-day landscape. In this work, Dunbar-Ortiz skillfully challenges the traditional American origin story, revealing how policies toward Indigenous peoples were rooted in colonialism, aiming to seize their lands through displacement and elimination. The author sheds light on how this harmful policy was not only endorsed in popular culture by figures like James Fenimore Cooper and Walt Whitman but also by top governmental and military officials. Notably, during the peak of genocidal actions under President Andrew Jackson, US Army general Thomas S. Jesup advocated for the extermination of the Seminoles in 1836. Covering over four centuries, this groundbreaking account reinterprets US history from the perspective of Indigenous peoples, bringing to the forefront untold stories that have long been absent from the national narrative.

In 2015, "An Indigenous Peoples' Historical Past of America" was honored with the PEN Oakland-Josephine Miles Award for Excellence in Literature. This insightful book delves into the rich history of indigenous peoples, offering a unique perspective on America's past.