Dow Jones’s Reviews > The Rediscovery of America: Native Peoples and the Unmaking of U.S. History > Status Update

A very rushed ending after the Cold War and I wish more was explained through the 70s-90s as landmark legislation was passed and some autonomy was regained in addition to gaming rights for income. The NIYC was an awesomely influential group sand I wish Alcatraz’s two occupations were explored in more detail. Freedoms were won though but from the 90s, a new political regime targeted Indians and the cycle began anew.

devastating that termination & assimilation programs kidnapped children for foster care to strip identities. Even legal battles gave foster care custody despite evidence of abuse. Rely on welfare? Can’t be a parent. Leave a few w/ relatives to go rescue taken kids? Those left are kidnapped too. Can’t find them due to confidentiality. Institutes were hell but at least had relatives. Native adoptions topped charts.

Native involvement in WWII went unnoticed for the most part despite the famous Iwo Jima flag photo. Films and shows made racist westerns the public gobbled up. Cold War policies promoted termination and many natives even voted to cede their land for fair value without knowing it’d lead to termination. Almost to the end of the book!

Henry Roe Cloud and others start their own schools and rise in prominence during the Great Depression but funding also drops so they’re unsuccessful in some ways, but they got many students to university as well as raising awareness about the centuries of injustices and some natives begin drafting and pursuing legal recourse to some positive outcomes.

Kellogg and others form the SAI to advocate for Indian rights and citizenship as the current wardship practice was ripe for corruption. Some men even wanted to leave women out of it until she brought up the 5 Nations and how women controlled most everything based on their historical culture.

Very depressing seeing Congress take unconstitutional power superseding treaties and claiming land & doling “justice”. As 19th century century closes, the Carlisle school destroys culture. Sullivan, Craft, & another guy start the American myth we still believe today about history. The many fairs, including Buffalo Bill’s, reinforce their point of Native primitivism but Natives join to show positivity of culture

Post-Civil War led to further treaty-breaking by the federal gov. Capt. Richard Henry Pratt’s military pedagogy led to the Carlisle Indian Industrial School where kidnapped kids were whitewashed to join American society. Reconstruction Era led to 3 amendments in 5 yrs that further excluded Natives, as well as Civil Rights Act of 1866 that gave birthright citizenship to all but Natives not taxed.

The Civil War also included many early Native wars like the Dakota as settlers pushed west and there wasn’t any real treaty enforcement throughout the 1850/60s. Lincoln focused most of his attention on slavery and preserving the union, so Native relations were left to “more experienced military commanders”. The southwest gained statehood kind of late as populations boomed westward.

Latin American independence gave blacks & Indians equality & abolished slavery. Andrew Jackson & Calhoun started Seminole War for Florida & Caribbean territory. Monroe Doctrine was garbage & John Marshall’s “Doctrine of Discovery” was ridiculous. Federal gov power of Indian land sales etc is growing stronger & no foreign nation can intervene. Next comes Civil War period.