learntoquestion ltq discussions

Readings (select AT LEAST 2 of these 4, which pains me because all are eye-opening):

• Claudio Vaunt, “The invasion of America,” Aeon, January 2015.
• Erin Blackmore, “The Little-Known History of the Forced Sterilization of Native American Women,” JStor Daily, August 25, 2016.
• Tristan Ahtone, “Native Americans are recasting views of indigenous life,” National Geographic, December 2018.
• Susan Montoya Bryan, “Deb Haaland seeks to rid US of derogatory place names,” Indian Country Today, November 19, 2021.

Many people believe that indigenous folks have been erased from the story we tell about the history of the United States. America was discovered….by Columbus. Let’s be generous: let’s call it an “encounter.” Its first settlers? The British and the Dutch, let alone the Spanish and French. Before 1492, this land was wilderness, waiting to be “discovered.” Were there people here? Were they people or savages? How did we depict them, describe them, study them, remember them?

If you believe in ghosts, then Native American ghosts are all around us. And yet their descendants survived. They are here but how often do we hear their voices? Are we paying attention to them? We have much to learn from the Native peoples of this country, if we are willing to take the time to do so.

As you know, it is argued by many that what happened to indigenous folks in this country was genocide. The definition of genocide is the deliberate killing of a group of people because of who they are, what their identities are, often with the goal of eliminating them entirely. Yet on Beacon Hill, where a bill mandating the teaching of genocide was being discussed by the Massachusetts Legislature beginning around October 2019. But take a guess: which group was conspicuously not mentioned?

And believe it or not: a modified version of this bill finally passed both houses of the legislature in Massachusetts (for a text of the final bill, see this site). Charlie Baker signed it into law in December 2021.

Consider what we’ve looked at in class (this week) and the content of the readings listed above as you respond to the following questions.

1. What do we need to do, moving forward, to better understand the experience of Native Americans in this nation? How do we fully confront that history?

2. How do we address the stereotypes, misperceptions, the “twistory” that has been passed down among non-Native Americans about this population?

3. How do we address the fact that Native peoples were murdered for who they are—the very definition of “genocide”? What apologies and amends do we need to make, if any?

4. How can non-indigenous folks become allies so that Native peoples become fully integrated members of society? What concrete actions can we take to move forward and build a nation with Native peoples?

Be very specific in your response, SPECIFICALLY citing examples BOTH from class and from the readings.

1. What do we need to do, moving forward, to better understand the experience of Native Americans in this nation? How do we fully confront that history?

There are a multitude of actions that need to be taken, things that we need to do, moving forward, to better understand the experience of Native Americans in this nation. While I don’t think acknowledgement should be the last step, it should definitely be the first. Acknowledging the survival and the resistance of native people and the continuation of their culture despite American erasure is the first step. Listening to Native voices despite how truthfully harsh and blunt they may be is how we can address history and learn from the past. When we continue to refuse to see the truth, or to hear the truth, we create more situations like that of Wamsutta James, who was denied his right to freedom of speech because his words condemned the atrocities this country perpetrated against Wamponoag people and Native peoples in general. We must confront harsh history by listening, by empathizing, and by taking action to ensure that people feel not only heard but seen.

2. How do we address the stereotypes, misconceptions, the “twistory” that has been passed down among non-Native Americans about this population?

Addressing the stereotypes that plague American society and non-native people about native populations needs to be accomplished through thorough education. Legislation needs to be used rather than to hinder the teaching of Native genocide and other racial topics, to promote and ensure that they are taught. There are other actions that can be taken by individuals on an individual basis, such as challenging their biases and misconceptions of native peoples by learning about the Native communities in your state etc. Institutions as well are responsible for holding themselves accountable and aiding in crafting a new history — one that acknowledges Native peoples as they are rather than who white people thought they were. Institutions such as the MFA need to take action to ensure that despite traditionalism, all are respected and all are heard.

3. How do we address the fact that Native peoples were murdered for who they are—the very definition of “genocide”? What apologies and amends do we need to make, if any?

Although nothing can make up for the genocide of Native peoples, actions need to be taken to ensure that there are attempts to remedy the generational hurt and suffering they have caused to many people. While I was reading the JSTOR Daily about the history of forced sterilization of Native american women, I realized that the effects went far beyond the individual women, it affected the overall population for Native peoples, caused the separation of Native families, this coupled with Blood Quantum [originally initiated by the federal government in order to limit native citizenship] is active erasure that needs to be address on a governmental basis. I do not believe that any apologies can be truly made that remedy the harsh realities of US history— but, we can support Land Back movements, we can support legislation that allows for native children to be adopted by Native parents, we can support reservations and ensure they are politically heard. Lots can be done and lots should be done.

4. How can non-indigenous folks become allies so that Native peoples become fully integrated members of society? What concrete actions can we take to move forward and build a nation with Native peoples?

I think that firstly, non-indigenous people need to acknowledge that despite the stereotypes they have heard about indigenous peoples, indigenous peoples are not a monolith. Native peoples come in all different colors and from all across the US. Native peoples belong to distinctive cultures and are not foreign to American culture and modernism. Allies need to ensure that action is taken, not just apologies and addresses. Allies need to continuously check their own biases and support movements such as the remaining of federal geographical place from bigoted names to ones that reflect the history of the area in relation to its original people. Allies need to listen, and not get upset by the hard truth of history, listen and let Native people speak. As I said previously, “we can support Land Back movements, we can support legislation that allows for Native children to be adopted by Native parents, we can support reservations and ensure they are politically heard. Lots can be done and lots should be done."

1. Moving forward, I believe that acknowledgment of the actions committed against Native Americans is the very first step. However, the actions that come after acknowledgment will be much harder to do. This is similar to the article “Your Land Acknowledgment Is Not Enough”, as a person simply stating the fact that they are living on native territory is nowhere near enough. Actions will always speak louder than words. For Native Americans, land also had a spiritual meaning, such as sacredness, places to hunt, and places to live. Many people should learn to appreciate the land that they live on, go to school on, and even the places that they go to hang out at.

The next important step would be to listen to their stories and perspective. It is extremely important that incidents such as Wamsutta James Frank’s speech in 1970 do not occur. The thought that the planners of the fair wanted to cut out or revise certain parts of the speech is extremely disrespectful and very disappointing at the same time. Continuing onto another branch, learning about Native Americans should also be transparent and not resort to stereotypes. Children should be taught about Native American culture and values, with these topics still being taught well into higher grades. However, as time goes on, children should then be taught about the reality of what had happened to Native Americans, as well as their lasting legacy now.

2. Addressing the issues of the stereotypes is very difficult to do, as many misconceptions are due to blind ignorance or blatant racism/bias. However, giving Native Americans more of a voice in both political and social fields can allow them to put down stereotypes and misconceptions. This can also stem back to the previous answer, where a transparent level of education and uncensored / filtered content must be shown. It is disgusting content that should not be summarized to a small 2 phrases or half of a page, but it should have a whole dedicated section on how it affected the change of the United States.

3. The genocide of Native Americans has done its damage in the past 400-500 years, so there is very little that we can do now. The sterilization of indigenous women, lack of representation, and misleading exhibits, statues, and even history are only a few examples of what have happened. As stated previously, there is very little as to what we can do now for the descendants of Native Americans. The only solution I have is to restructure the education system so that Native Americans are not portrayed in a way that is extremely degrading.

4. Once again, it is important to acknowledge what has happened to Native Americans and to listen to their story. Their descendants were not present during the generational genocide that occurred, but they feel the effects of it. Simply apologizing and believing it will magically change a lot of factors is extremely disrespectful and disgusting. I think more public art or literature pieces about Native Americans should be posted, as well as having a section of history dedicated to it. The biggest task would be the restructuring of history. Many Native Americans are forced to become historians of sorts, having to drop their ambitions and dreams because of prejudice. They are forced to learn about their own history and have to educate others about it, so that they are not further misrepresented. Education within the country must tell the truth, no matter how ugly it can be.

1. In order to truly understand the experiences of Native Americans, you have to be willing to actually learn and listen to Native people. We as a nation have to understand the importance of Native people in our history in order to recognize the amount of harm that came to them. In the article “The Invasion of America,” it states that few people even think events such as the Trail of Tears are central to American history. People need to realize that historical events such as these are a big deal because they have affected millions of people and played such a big role in shaping US society. Being able to sympathize with these events also helps us better understand the reality of what this country was shaped on. To confront this history is to be open to learning about it. Don’t shy away from these topics because you don’t think they’re “that important.” Listen to the experts and base what your next actions are on them. Educating yourself is so incredibly important to actually confronting that history.

2. To properly address and fix the stereotypes we have to actually ask Native Americans what is wrong and what is right. Being open-minded and accepting our past faults is also extremely important in this. However, educating ourselves also isn’t enough. It is easy to claim to be supportive of a change happening but it is so much more important to actually step up and aid that movement. Confront the stereotypes and the inappropriate/incorrect usage of what people think is Native American culture. Correct them and help others work towards fixing them! Do as Deb Haaland did in the fourth article and work towards directly fixing these misconceptions, even if you can’t do it on a national level like her. Even the changing of sport team names helps to fix the issue of the “twistory” of Native American history/culture. Even just spreading knowledge about an inaccurate idea that people might have is already a big step in the right direction.

3. Again, education is so very important to have in a situation such as this one. In order to properly address this topic, you actually have to know and understand the depth and severity of what happened. For example, I myself did not know that the sterilization of Native Women was such a prevalent issue until I read the article. Being able to see our own country’s faults and recognizing the fact that this nation played a direct role in the genocide and suffering of millions of people is the first step to change. But again, learning isn’t quite enough. We could push our government to help make amends for these crimes by funding Native American groups and/or giving them the platform needed to speak for everyone to hear. There are also many organizations aimed towards helping Native peoples that you can support in many ways, including donating, volunteering, or even just sharing its existence to the general public. No apology could ever truly be enough to make up for all the lives lost and all the people that suffered, so the best we could do is recognize our faults and push ourselves and this nation to be better by supporting those affected by these crimes.

4. Becoming a better ally for indigenous people is something that I think most of us have to work on. Being an ally isn’t just learning about the event in school, it’s going out of your way to uplift Native voices and support people/organizations/reservations that work towards helping Native Americans in need. Taking action is one of the most important parts of being an actual ally, which may be difficult for some. Aiding Native Americans in rebuilding their communities from the oppression they suffered (either by volunteering, donating, sharing, etc.) is very important in building a nation that properly coexists with indigenous people. Just saying you care enough to listen isn’t enough (especially if you are a big company with lots of influence). Taking direct action shows people that this is an issue that truly matters that deserves attention and care. The actions (or rather lack of) of the Museum of Fine Arts shows us an example of how not to be an ally. Putting up some poster boards with people’s reactions to an offensive statue (even those in support of the statue, shockingly) does not help much at all. It is questionable if people would even bother to read the sign they put up afterward. I think most people would have preferred it if they just moved it, but the least they could’ve done was put up a bigger sign or even cover it. Directly take action to help this country make amends for its faults.

1. What do we need to do, moving forward, to better understand the experience of Native Americans in this nation? How do we fully confront that history?

The first thing we should do moving forward is acknowledge the mistakes the country has made in the past. We rarely hear of the mistreatment of Native Americans, I read the “History of the Forced Sterilization of Native American Women” because I had no idea it had even happened. That should have been major news that is taught in classrooms when we learn about other horrific things that happened to people of color.

2. How do we address the stereotypes, misperceptions, the “twistory” that has been passed down among non-Native Americans about this population?

These stereotypes and misperceptions need to be addressed. I'm sure many people don't know everything that has happened to Native Americans. They need to be given a voice and a chance to say what they believe and we need to listen. U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland has started this, she formally declared “squaw” a derogatory term and is attempting to remove it from government use. More people need to be held accountable, people need to call out the casual racism they hear and explain the harm it causes.

3. How do we address the fact that Native peoples were murdered for who they are—the very definition of “genocide”? What apologies and amends do we need to make, if any?

We can't fully correct our wrongs in the past but we need to make an attempt. Reading about the forced sterilization of Native Women I learned about the greater effect it had on the community not just the individual. Their declining numbers led to loss of political power, forced assimilation of Native American children at required boarding school, and the failures of social services are all atrocities that we have to attempt to right. Support and funding from the government and society to help Native Americans get their land back, removing the offensive naming on things are minor ways we can make an effort to correct our horrible mistakes.

4. How can non-indigenous folks become allies so that Native peoples become fully integrated members of society? What concrete actions can we take to move forward and build a nation with Native peoples?

Recognition with a plan of action to fix what needs to happen. Native Americans need a voice and they should be given one and not silenced any longer. We shouldn't need them to tell us that names like Washington redskins are offensive names like that shouldn't have existed in the first place and its outrageous that its taken this long to correct. We need action we’ve been to passive in the fight for Native American equality.

To address the fact that what the colonizers did was pure genocide, we need to address the double standard that has been applied to genocides in the US and as Claudio Saunt states so well, "Europe's 20th century atrocities." Why is it easier to learn about the horrible crimes of the Europeans than to look at America's own past of invasion and massacre (some of which were models for the atrocities that occurred in Europe in WWII)? Grappling with this, we need to know what the effects of the systemic massacre and racism that bleeds throughout society are on current Indigenous communities today. We need to vote for more Indigenous policymakers who know what issues there are in their communities and will take action for them. But, even more important, non-Indigenous mindsets have to change. Indigenous Americans don't owe non-Indigenous people anything. But non-Indigenous Americans owe them everything.

I want to rephrase this question because Indigenous Americans should be the integrated members of society. Non-integrated members of American society are the anti-abortion white March for Life teenagers who mocked Nathan Phillips (Omaha Nation). Non-integrated members of American society are the company executives of the MLB who stated that Indigenous Americans were wholly supportive of the tomahawk chop. Non-integrated members of American society are the policymakers who have not made reparations for the uranium poisoning of the Navajo Nation in Arizona, 40 years later.

However, I agree that Indigenous communities have not been supported enough, if at all. The government needs Indigenous representation and it is needs to be filled with people, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous (like Deb Haaland), who are ready to work to change history books, make policy development in the crimes that the US has done to Indigenous communities, and to take down monuments and names that perpetuate stereotypes. In our own communities, we can start to reshift the lens of US history, from one of white Americans to one of all Americans. We need to learn from Indigenous values — human values on family, land, communication, and structure — which our society, so focused on money and power, has forgotten.

Something which is important to better understand the history and experiences of Native Americans in this country is additional time in school focussing on them. While in eighth grade, we thoroughly covered the Civil Rights Movement, but atrocities such as the Trail of Tears rarely had such emphasis placed onto them. Another thing which I think would help is the consumption of Native American media. Even recently, reading the article which stated that anywhere between 25 - 50% of native American women were forced to become infertile changed my perspective a lot. Something else that opened my eyes was the novel "If I Ever Get Out of Here" by Eric Gainsworth, which I read in seventh grade.This shows that we can introduce media in a comprehensible form to younger kids to expose them to important issues, which would definitely help with a general understanding of Native American experiences.

I think addressing the stereotypes is actually rather simple. The first thing I would change is that no respectable organization should be allowed to have a stereotype for a mascot or name. Then it should be taught in school that it is morally reprehensible to make such stereotypes. These two things combined would hopefully be enough to severely help this issue, because if no one sees their role models doing it, then neither will they.

I think that this question is very difficult to answer. This is because I don't think it's fair to kick people off of their land if they have been living there for generations. Additionally I think fully paying back Native Americans for what European colonizers have done is impossible, as it would require us to move way too many people out. However, that doesn't mean we should do nothing. I think the changing of the names of certain landmarks is a good start which represents the growing call to action among activists. Also, beefing up the social care system for children without parents on reservations would also be an important step. While these changes are not as vast as some are calling for, I think that the best way to pay back modern Native Americans is to bring their quality of life as close to that of an average American as possible.

One thing that non-indiginous people can do to become allies is to learn and understand the tribes of the Native Americans. Another thing is to consume different types of media which would hopefully help to polarize Native American people less. I also think that it is important for non-indiginous people to call out any stereotypes or racist jokes made by their peers, as these can perpetuate racism. Finally I think the act of being aware of the reparations owed to natives in this country and attempting to spread the message is enough to classify yourself as an ally.

2. Addressing "twistory"

a. I believe the first step has to be first acknowledging the systemic and widespread misinformation surrounding Native Americans. As someone who is fairly educated on social issues, I was incredibly shocked and disturbed that so much of what I learned in school was fake and so much of what we interact with is entrenched racism and stereotyping. I'm kind of horrified the United States has effectively covered up its crime against humanity so well, and allowed millions maybe billions to believe in lies. We need to start questioning what we believe in and what we are taught on every level.

b. Telling the stories and experiences of Native Americans is absolutely crucial. The article from Ahtone in 2018 really examines the truth surrounding Native Americans, who have been stereotyped as in poverty and essentially as inferior. What this article does beautifully is show that Native American strength and solidarity is alive, but it needs to go further. We learn that Native Americans, today, are showing their culture and the truth though entertainment, food, etc. Through these actions, we can learn to see all the unique aspects of Native Americans, and to see that they are truly 1) not all in poverty or inferior 2) just like regular Americans, and need to be acknowledge for the violence against them.

3.Addressing the issue

4. Integration and action.

We can be better allies by leading the change. A frequent message from "Tell me who you are" was that it is not the choice of the powerful or oppressor, but a moral and objective obligation to lead that change. As members of society, we need to be more open to educating ourselves and removing harmful stereotypes. Native Americans are a part of this country and who we are, so we have to start treating them like that. We need to remove the barbaric or uncivilized image of Native Americans. In terms of actions, 1) Better education around the issue 2) Removal of harmful stereotypes in consumer products and more (We learned in class the widespread use of stereotypes and racist images that need to be removed) 3) Seeking to deconstruct our biases and leading discussions on the stories of Native Americans.