Indigenous America

by Liam McDonald, Jennifer Sabin (Created by), Doug Kiel (Introduction)

Overview

"A comprehensive and accessible history of the Indigenous peoples of North America." - STARRED REVIEW, School Library Journal
 
Introducing a new nonfiction series that uncovers hidden histories of the United States.

The true story of the United States’ Indigenous beginnings.

American schoolchildren have long been taught that their country was “discovered” by Christopher Columbus in 1492. But the history of Native Americans in the United States goes back tens of tens of thousands of years prior to Columbus’s and other colonizers’ arrivals. So, what’s the true history? 
Complete with an 8-page color photo insert, Indigenous America introduces and amplifies the oral and written histories that have long been left out of American history books.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780593386088
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	08/30/2022
Series:	True History
Pages:	176
Sales rank:	281,549
Product dimensions:	6.06(w) x 8.56(h) x 0.38(d)
Lexile:	1250L (what's this?)
Age Range:	10 - 13 Years

About the Author

Liam McDonald, also known by his stage name OPLIAM, is an internationally touring and critically acclaimed rock n' roll musician of Kanien'kehá:ka (Mohawk) Descent. He is an Indigenous rights activist and founder of the Indigenous Peoples’ Day Concert, a free annual concert that showcases Native American musicians and advocates to officially change Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples’ Day in Chicago. Originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota, he now lives in Chicago, Illinois where he owns and operates Sky People Entertainment, a concert production company focused on building opportunities for Native American and Indigenous musicians.

Table of Contents

Foreword: A Note from the Author 5

Introduction: A Note from Professor Doug Kiel 10

Part 1 Knowledge

Chapter 1 The Haudenosaunee Confederacy 15

Chapter 2 The Story of the Great Peacemaker 23

Chapter 3 The Three Sisters and the Origin of Maize 36

Chapter 4 Cahokia: An Ancient City 43

Chapter 5 Power in the Past 53

Part 2 Myths

Chapter 6 Myths, Stereotypes, and Tropes about Indigenous People 61

Part 3 Erasure

Chapter 7 Disease, War, and Mass Murder 83

Chapter 8 An American Genocide 90

Chapter 9 Native Land, the Cherokee Nation, and the Trail of Tears 96

Chapter 10 The Dakota Uprising and the Ghost Dance at Wounded Knee 110

Chapter 11 Native American Boarding Schools 121

Part 4 Resilience

Chapter 12 The Rise of the American Indian Movement (AIM) 141

Chapter 13 Land Activism and Environmentalism 150

Chapter 14 Indigenous Musicians and Storytellers 161

Epilogue: A Closing Note from the Author 170

Selected Bibliography 176

Editorial Reviews

★ 08/01/2022

Gr 4–8—A comprehensive and accessible history of the Indigenous peoples of North America. McDonald takes young readers through a tour of Native American history, debunking myths and misinformation while highlighting influential individuals who have made a lasting impact on Indigenous and North American history. Focusing on the events from before Columbus to the present day, this thorough volume pokes holes in long held beliefs, such as how the first tool-using humans migrated from Siberia 13,000 years ago; evidence has been found that Indigenous peoples have been around at least 130,000 years. From the signing of the Declaration of Independence to each conflict the U.S. has fought in, Native Americans have been a part of every aspect of American history. The work also details the horrible and methodical institutional racism, genocide, ethnocide, and erasure that they have endured at the hands of colonizers. Painful to read at times, this book illuminates not only the suffering Indigenous people experienced at the hands of the U.S. government, but also sheds light on their resilience and the impact they have made and continue to make on American culture. The narrative sometimes jumps chronologically, focusing more on themes than a specific time line. Sidebars are scattered throughout, offering definitions, context, and more to engage readers and add interest. There are also discussion questions at the end of each chapter, making this a good tool for classroom use. Images and a selected bibliography are included in the back matter. The author takes on an informal tone, speaking directly to readers, recalling the oral traditions that he emphasizes at the start. VERDICT A strong choice for middle grade collections, especially where readers are not yet ready for Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz's An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States for Young People.—Shelley M. Diaz

School Library Journal

Indigenous Canadian narrator Darrell Dennis delivers this unvarnished account of Native American history for middle-grade students. The audiobook, part of the True History series, does not shy away from uncomfortable truths about the European colonization of the Americas. Dennis speaks without rancor or sensationalism, delivering facts about the American Indians’ roles in aiding the colonists in matters of governance and farming, their reactions to being marginalized and often brutalized by the U.S. and colonial governments, and their continued ability to survive and thrive. He speaks in a quiet, measured tone, guiding the listener through periods of history loosely divided into sections titled “Knowledge,” “Myths,” “Erasure,” and the more hopeful, “Resilience.” Sidebar material flows easily into the main text. L.T. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine

SEPTEMBER 2022 - AudioFile

Indigenous Canadian narrator Darrell Dennis delivers this unvarnished account of Native American history for middle-grade students. The audiobook, part of the True History series, does not shy away from uncomfortable truths about the European colonization of the Americas. Dennis speaks without rancor or sensationalism, delivering facts about the American Indians’ roles in aiding the colonists in matters of governance and farming, their reactions to being marginalized and often brutalized by the U.S. and colonial governments, and their continued ability to survive and thrive. He speaks in a quiet, measured tone, guiding the listener through periods of history loosely divided into sections titled “Knowledge,” “Myths,” “Erasure,” and the more hopeful, “Resilience.” Sidebar material flows easily into the main text. L.T. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine

SEPTEMBER 2022 - AudioFile