Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz

Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz is the book’s author and researcher. She holds a PhD in history, and for years she has taught as a professor of Native American studies. She has also been active for decades in pro-Native civil rights movements. She is of partial Native American descent. In the Author’s Note and Introduction, Dunbar-Ortiz outlines the intent of this book and her motivations for researching and writing it. Throughout the text, Dunbar-Ortiz details the long and brutal history of American aggression against Native communities, beginning with early colonial settlements and continuing in the present day. Dunbar-Ortiz also highlights the ways in which the United States’ history of settler colonialism has contributed to persistent social, political, and economic problems in America. Ultimately, Dunbar-Ortiz argues that the recognition and reparation of historical wrongs against Natives is vital to addressing the dysfunctional dynamics that have historically emerged from...