America Trends Podcast
EP 696 Native American History Revisited
Native American history is often made to seem a sidebar in the American story when, in fact, it has been central to the development of the nation and played a key role at seminal moments throughout the centuries, including the present day. The long practice of ignoring Indigenous history is changing, however, with a new generation of scholars insisting that any full American history must address the struggle, survival, and resurgence of American Indian nations. And we are trending hopeful in this regard according to Yale History and American Studies Professor, Ned Blackhawk, who has written “The Rediscovery of America: Native Peoples and the Unmaking of U.S. History.” He walks us through our history as a nation, placing the Native American experience in its fullest context and shares his informed belief that this period of self determination is sparking advocacy and activism in Native American communities across the land. Finally they, and their contributions, are emerging from historical neglect in their full complexity.