For this week’s final discussion blog posts, please answer the following questions in 400 words minimum. Also don’t forget to post a response to a peer as well in at least 200 words minimum!
Sources:
attached powerpoint!
Please write a 400 word discussion to the following 7 questions:
1) Why is the chapter called “The Doctrine of Discovery”? We discussed this term at the beginning of the semester why and how is this term returning at the end of the textbook? How does “The Doctrine of Discovery” seem to manifest itself, according to Dunbar-Ortiz?
2) What does Dunbar-Ortiz mean by “Narratives of Dysfunction”? What are these narratives rooted in? How does she advocate changing these narratives?
3) How might the Indigenous self-determination and sovereignty movement (from 1975 to present) be transforming the continent’s Indigenous community and nations? How might this movement also be transforming the US?
4) Why is the final chapter called “The Future of the US”?
5) What does a “race to innocence” and a “no fault history” mean, according to Dunbar-Ortiz?
6) According to the final chapter, how can US society come to terms with its past? How can it acknowledge it responsibly? How might this acknowledgment be healing to all people in the US?
7) Lastly, please reflect on your experience in this class what resonated with you personally? What seemed to be the most important take-aways from this course?
Please respond in 200 words to this student:
The chapter is called “The Doctrine of Discovery” because, “According to the centuries-old Doctrine of Discovery, European nations acquired title to the land they “discovered,’ and Indigenous inhabitants lost their natural right to that land after Europeans had arrived and claimed it” (Dunbar-Ortiz 198). This has to do with Colonists and the discovery of new land and peoples. Before the European colonists arrived, the past history of the Indigenous peoples was erased. This topic is discussed at the beginning and the end of the textbook to help connect everything that we have been learning throughout the semester.
In the context of what Dunbar-Ortiz is discussing, “Narratives of Dysfunction” means that there were issues that were found in the Indigenous communities. As discussed in a TED Talk from another week, “Rates of alcoholism and suicide are far higher than national averages, and higher even than in other communities living in poverty” (Dunbar-Ortiz 211). The living conditions in the Indigenous communities were very poor which did not help matters and there were false narratives being told.
The Indigenous self-determination and sovereignty movement might be transforming the continent’s Indigenous community and nations. The sovereignty movement and Indigenous self-determination, “”¦ is not only transforming the continent’s Indigenous communities and nations but also, inevitably, the United States” (Dunbar-Ortiz 217). Their culture was reestablished which helped give individuals a voice. The movement also reminds individuals to not give up when times get tough; it is supposed to be inspirational. It teaches individuals to not just go by what others say, but to fight for sovereignty.
The final chapter is called “The Future of the United States” because it tells us what we can do in the present and future. As I have learned in many of my English classes, the conclusion (in this case, the last chapter), has a “call to action”. We cannot change the past, but we can make sure not to repeat it and learn from it.
According to Dunbar-Ortiz, “A “race to innocence’ is what occurs when individuals assume that they are innocent of complicity in structures of domination and oppression” (Dunbar-Ortiz 218). New immigrants and children assume that they cannot be responsible for what happened in their adopted country’s past (Dunbar-Ortiz 218). No one wanted to be blamed for what was going on which relates to both of the terms. As far as “no fault history”, this refers to making someone seem less harsh than it actually was.
According to the final chapter, the United States can come to terms with its past by being responsible for the present since it is a result of the past. Unfortunately, “Everyone and everything in the world is affected, for the most part negatively, by US dominance and intervention, often violently through direct military means or through proxies” (Dunbar-Ortiz 218). Due to the concern, Dunbar-Ortiz says that it is important to educate K-12 students on American Indian ancestries and heritages. This process needed to start, “”¦ by honoring the treaties the United States made with Indigenous nations, by restoring all sacred sites, starting with the Black Hills and including most federally held parks and land and all stolen sacred items and body parts, and by payment of sufficient reparations for the reconstruction and expansion of Native nations” (Dunbar-Ortiz 218). Educational programs are essential in order to have the future be realized and to help heal all people in the United States.
Overall, this course has taught me so much more than I ever thought. To be honest, at first, I just took it because I needed to take an exploration. However, this course has helped open my eyes. It has taught me that I need to hear and listen to multiple perspectives, not just the first one I hear; not just the one I like the answer to; not just the one that my friend says is right; but all of them.
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