The following version of this book was used to create this study guide: Dunbar-Ortiz, Roxanne. An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States. Boston: Beacon Press, 2014.

The books’ author, Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, begins this book with an ‘Author’s Note’ section, in which she describes her personal qualifications as a professor of Native American studies, and a long-time activist for Native American issues. In the ‘Introduction’ section, the author summarizes some of the basic concepts underlying the overall book and its educational goals. This section describes how mainstream American culture generally continues to ignore the genocide of Native Americans, which is a brutal and integral element of understanding the United States and its history.

In Chapter 1, the book examines Indigenous civilizations prior to the arrival of colonialists. These civilizations were large, complex, and advanced, and they cultivated the land thoroughly and efficiently. However, centuries of colonial aggression have vastly shrunk these populations and stripped them of their sovereignty.

In Chapters 2 and 3, the book summarizes the historical background that led to the formation of colonialist culture. The book begins with the Crusades, religious-based wars in which Europeans attacked and plundered Muslim cities. The Crusades resulted in a massive amount of wealth being concentrated in a small portion of Europe’s population. Eventually, the rise of concepts such as private land, Calvinism, and white supremacy further emphasized a cultural obsession with wealth. European nations engaged in colonial aggression even prior to their arrival in the Americas.

In Chapter 4, the book discusses early colonialism in North America. British settlers formed colonies in the area that the settlers named New England. These settlers struggled to thrive on their own, and they resorted to violently forcing Natives off of land that the Natives had cultivated. This violence ranged from direct attacks to intentional transmission of disease. As a result, native populations rapidly shrank.

Chapter 5 discusses American aggression against Native Americans both before and during the era of American Independence. This chapter focuses in part on George Washington, who was a general during the French and Indian War, and who was heavily active in attacking and subjugating Native communities. As President, Washington further directed and oversaw anti-Native military actions.

Chapter 6 begins by focusing on the Louisiana Purchase, a transaction in which Thomas Jefferson arranged the United States’ purchase of a large area of land from the French. This transaction inherently ignored the fact that this land was already home to many Native nations and communities. In this way, the book highlights Jefferson as a key architect of U.S. genocide against the natives. One intentional consequence of this purchase was to make the U.S. the only trading partner in the territory. The U.S. then leveraged these debts to demand that Natives cede land as a repayment.

Chapter 6 then continues by focusing on Andrew Jackson. Jackson rose to prominence by leading violent military and mercenary campaigns against Native Americans. He eventually achieved the rank of U.S. General, and then President. Throughout these career developments, he consistently focused on strategies by which to attack and/or displace Native civilizations. One major event that he oversaw as President was the Trail of Tears, in which the U.S. forcibly displaced several Native nations, which led to many Native deaths as well. The book presents Jackson as a key figure in implementing the genocide and displacement that Jefferson essentially designed with the Louisiana Purchase.

Chapter 7 focuses on other major anti-Native campaigns executed by the U.S. in the mid-1800s. One major example is the U.S.’s large-scale military and mercenary campaigns in/around the Texas region. These campaigns carried out violence against Mexicans and Native Americans in order to annex Texas for the United States. Around that same era, many Americans rushed to California in search of natural gold that resource that had been discovered there. As a result, the U.S. focused on attacking and displacing Native communities in California, and further strengthening its political/military control over the continent.

Chapter 8 summarizes the ways in which the United States continued its anti-Native actions both during and after the Civil War. The U.S. continued to use a mixture of force and political deceit to attack, weaken, and displace Native communities. By the early 1900s, the United States had all but secured total dominance over Native communities from coast to coast.

Chapter 9 describes the ways in which, during the past century, the United States has used is legislative, judicial, and law enforcement institutions to increase and retain oppressive control over Native American communities.

Chapter 10 and 11 discuss the upsurge of pro-Native social/political movements during the past 60 years. There has been an increase in scholarship regarding Native American history and issues, and there has also been a rise in pro-Native protests and lawsuits. These movements have enabled some positive steps of progress. However, disregard for Native Americans is still a default mode in U.S. society, politics, and laws, et cetera. The author urges continued pressure in pursuit of progressive, pro-Native changes, such as the pursuit of genuine sovereignty and reparations for Native communities.

In the book’s ‘Conclusion’ section, the author explains and reiterates the ways in which the United States’ fundamentally immoral history has contributed to many profound, lasting problems in the country as a whole. American culture still has an unhealthy obsession with militarism and imperialism. Moreover, as the author discusses both in this section and in prior chapters, the Native American genocide is intertwined with American problems such as racism and economic inequality. The author thereby asserts that it is important to recognize and address this legacy of genocide not only for the sake of Natives, but for the wellbeing of all peoples.