All the Real Indians Died Off: And 20 Other Myths About Native Americans

Get ready to have everything you thought you knew about Indigenous America challenged. The authors respond compellingly and with deep historical and cultural understanding to some of the most pervasive myths that persist today, including:“Columbus Discovered America”“Thanksgiving Proves the Indians Welcomed Pilgrims”“Indians Were Savage and Warlike”“Europeans Brought Civilization to Backward Indians”“The United States Did Not Have a Policy of Genocide”“Sports Mascots Honor Native Americans”“Most Indians Are on Government Welfare”“Indian Casinos Make Them All Rich”“Indians Are Naturally Predisposed to Alcohol”Each chapter deftly shows how these myths are rooted in the fears and prejudice of European settlers and in the larger political agendas of a settler state aimed at acquiring Indigenous land and tied to narratives of erasure and disappearance. Read this book to expand your own understanding of your community's history as well as to gain strong foundations for countering these prejudices when others bring them to the table. A great companion for So You Want to Talk About Race.