Reading Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz’s “Sea to Shining Sea” to the painful truth that the U.S., as known today, was built upon layers of genocidal blood and suppression of Indigenous Peoples. It does this by building on three interrelated concepts:
- imperialism,
- racism,
- resistance.
The United States is a perfect example of white supremacy gone too far; it has used genocide and displacement of Indigenous peoples to rise to the top, each time insisting on racist perspectives and indigenous hating to crush resistance to settler colonialism.
Reading the text suggests that US imperialism was perfected at home before it took a global perspective. To establish itself as a settler colony, early European immigrants believed that their way of life was the only acceptable one, which brings attention to racism. Dunbar-Ortiz (2015) argues that “Indian hating and white supremacy were part and parcel of “democracy” and “freedom” (p. 117).
Whites, who predominantly controlled the government, assumed a moral high ground that not only defined Native Americans being as “savages” but also justified egregious violation of their fundamental human rights under the guise of saving them. According to Dunbar-Ortiz (2015), this kind of treatment is offensive should not have a place in modern society, and for justifiable reasons. Behind the savior façade, the US government has forcibly relocated Native Americans from their ancestral lands, stolen their resources, and generally made their lives terrible. All of this was done in the name of Manifest Destiny, which was arguably a justification for US expansion.
Finally, I thought that the concept of Native Americans resisting US expansion and fighting for their rights was very interesting. I found it inspiring that they were able to stand up for themselves and their rights, despite the odds being against them. I also thought it was important to note that not all Native Americans resisted US expansion – some actually helped the US government in their efforts to expand westward. Overall, I thought this was a very complex and interesting concept that deserves further exploration.
When I heard about how Native Americans were being treated by the US government, I was shocked. I had no idea that they were being forcibly relocated from their ancestral lands, or that they were being seen as “savages”. After learning about all of this, I could understand why some Native Americans would want to resist US expansion. I thought it was very brave of them to do so, considering how outnumbered and outgunned they were.
I also found it fascinating that some Native Americans actually chose to help the US government in their efforts to expand westward. I imagine that they must have had their reasons for doing so, but I cannot help wondering what could have happened if they had chosen to resist instead. Would the US expansion have been stopped? Or would the Native Americans have been even more oppressed? Overall, I think that the concept of Native Americans resisting US expansion is very complex and fascinating. I believe that it deserves further exploration, as there is much we can learn from their resistance and the playbook the US follows in geopolitics today.
Questions
What were Native Americans seen as by the US government and how were they treated?
Native Americans were seen as “savages” by the US government and were treated as such. They were forcibly relocated from their ancestral lands and their rights were violated
What happened to Native Americans who resisted US expansion?
Native Americans who resisted US expansion were met with violence and consequently forcibly relocated, and their land was taken away from them.
Reference
Dunbar-Ortiz, R. (2015). Sea to shining sea. In An Indigenous Peoples’ history of the United States (pp. 117-133). Beacon Press.