Introduction
The hardships experienced by Indigenous peoples (IPs) living on the territory of the modern United States (US) have been described by many historians, albeit to varying degrees. A noteworthy account of America’s Native population’s misfortunes is provided by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz in chapter 8, named “Indian Country,” of her book An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States. “Indian Country” can be considered a relatively thorough account of IPs’ troubles at the hands of the US government, although the text has some minor flaws in terms of evidence and presentation.
Summary
To better understand the context of the following reaction to “Indian Country,” it is crucial to summarize the chapter’s content. The author explains how and why IPs were mistreated and massacred, focusing on the period of the Civil War and afterward. Providing a depiction of the confronting sides’ interests, Dunbar-Ortiz (2014) describes the government’s facilitation of the Native population’s troubles through such methods as warfare, Indigenous land appropriation, volunteers, and boarding schools. Moreover, the author discusses the role of slavery and African American individuals alongside IPs’ attempts to resist discrimination and misery, like petitions and Ghost Dancing (Dunbar-Ortiz, 2014). Accordingly, “Indian Country” illustrates Native Americans’ hardships during the Civil War and their endeavors to maintain their freedom and lives.
Strengths
Credible Evidence
The first reason the chapter examined elicits a rather good reaction is the moderately good use of evidence. The author supplies many references to support her assertions concerning numerical details and the course of events. For instance, Dunbar-Ortiz (2014) provides sources when mentioning bounty for assassinating a revered Sioux leader and when expressing the disillusionment of Indigenous soldiers during the Civil War.
Moreover, the writer presents her views and quotes other experts’ ideas for support. For example, Dunbar-Ortiz (2014) shares excerpts from the works of historians like David Chand and Jace Weaver. Consequently, the chapter can be complimented for utilizing evidence relatively well.
First-Person Accounts
Another reason for “Indian Country” to elicit a satisfactory response is that the text’s underlying assumptions and logic seem convincing due to being strengthened by the accounts of IPs present at the assessed time. For instance, the author delivers detailed quotes from Cochise, an Apache leader, describing how his homeland changed with colonization, and an old Sioux man recalling his memory of witnessing Ghost Dancing (Dunbar-Ortiz, 2014). Such extracts seem to enhance the logical flow of the writer’s premises.
For example, Dunbar-Ortiz (2014) suggests that in an attempt to damage Native Americans’ position and resistance, the US administration destroyed the buffalo, which were the IPs’ economic base. After such a claim, the author provides a lengthy quote from Old Lady Horse, a member of the Kiowa Nation, stating that everything her people had “came from the buffalo” (Dunbar-Ortiz, 2014, p. 143). Therefore, the chapter’s assumptions and logic appear convincing because they are reinforced by IPs’ narratives.
Real-World Stories
Another reason for “Indian Country” to be considered a good representation of IPs’ mistreatment is that the text is rather intriguing. Instead of simply stating facts, the author details individuals living at the time. For instance, the writer expresses the reality of boarding school by presenting an account of Plenty Horses, who attended such an establishment from 1883 to 1888. Plenty Horses left the educational facility “stripped of his language” and with no preparation to succeed in the country that induced genocide on his people (Dunbar-Ortiz, 2014, p. 156). Consequently, the chapter evokes a good reaction because it is impressive with the details of IPs’ lives.
Weaknesses
Inconsistent Evidence
Nonetheless, despite the listed advantages, “Indian Country” has two minor flaws, the first being inconsistent use of evidence. As mentioned above, the author uses many references to support her assumptions moderately well. However, some parts of the text seem to lack sources. For example, Dunbar-Ortiz (2014) states that the new generation of settlers was “often seeking violent adventure” (p. 139). Although this description may be true, it would have been better for the writer to specify which findings made her choose such a characterization. Therefore, while there is plenty of evidence in the chapter, not all proclamations are referenced.
Incomplete Presentation
Another relatively minor deficiency of “Indian Country” is how the ideas are presented. Although rarely, certain sections of the text seem incomplete. For instance, Dunbar-Ortiz (2014) ends one of the paragraphs mentioning that John Chivington, known as “Fighting Parson,” led a group of volunteers against IPs (p. 137). Nonetheless, the author does not explain the meaning of the nickname, which may leave the audience wondering whether it is significant. Chivington may have named himself Fighting Parson for his outrageous actions against innocent people (Masoff, 2019; West, 2021). Consequently, the chapter may have been perceived better if some of the ideas had been presented more fully.
Conclusion
To conclude, “Indian Country” evokes a good reaction due to being a moderately thorough depiction of IPs’ hardships despite having minor flaws concerning evidence and presentation. The author references many sources, yet not in all sections. She supports her assertions with logically incorporated quotes, but some ideas seem unfinished. Overall, the reviewed chapter can offer many insights into the accounts of Native Americans trying to preserve their freedom and land.
References
Dunbar-Ortiz, R. (2014). An Indigenous peoples’ history of the United States. Beacon Press.
Masoff, J. (2019). The mystery man of Sand Creek. Great Plains Quarterly, 39(2), 179-210. Web.
West, E. (2021). The Sand Creek massacre. Oxford Research Encyclopedia of American History. Web.