Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
Author of An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States
About the Author
Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz is Professor Emerita of Ethnic Studies and Women's Studies at California State University, East Bay.
Image credit: Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
Series
Works by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States for Young People (2019) 1,295 copies, 13 reviews
All the Real Indians Died off and 20 Other Myths About Native Americans (2016) 344 copies, 17 reviews
Not a Nation of Immigrants: Settler Colonialism, White Supremacy, and a History of Erasure and Exclusion (2021) 252 copies, 4 reviews
Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz's Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States: A Graphic Interpretation (2024) 85 copies, 2 reviews
Associated Works
Towards Collective Liberation: Anti-Racist Organizing, Feminist Praxis, and Movement Building Strategy (2013) — Foreword — 149 copies, 2 reviews
Hillbilly Nationalists, Urban Race Rebels, and Black Power: Community Organizing in Radical Times (2011) — Introduction, some editions — 119 copies, 2 reviews
Stand Your Ground: A History of America's Love Affair with Lethal Self-Defense (2017) — Preface, some editions — 60 copies, 11 reviews
Red State Rebels: Tales of Grassroots Resistance in the Heartland (2008) — Contributor — 47 copies, 1 review
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Birthdate
- 1939
- Gender
- female
- Relationships
- Ortiz, Simon J. (ex-husband)
- Short biography
- Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz has recanted her previous published claims of Native American heritage:
"I THINK I'VE RETHOUGHT THAT SINCE I PUBLISHED IT. I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT NATIVE IDENTITY BE IDENTIFIED WITH THE TRIBAL WITH THE TRIBE, IT IS NOT A RACE THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS INDIAN, MORE THAN 300 DIFFERENT NATIVE COMMUNITIES, WITHOUT TIES I NEVER HAD TIES WITH ANYTHING AND IS PRETTY CERTAIN THAT PROBABLY MY MOTHER WAS NOT CHEROKEE, THERE IS NO TRACING HIM, I THINK WHEN I MADE THAT ASSESSMENT AT THE TIME, I HAD NOT REALLY GIVEN ENOUGH THOUGHT, I RETHOUGHT IT AND I VERY MUCH DOUBT THAT AND I CERTAINLY WOULD NOT CALL MYSELF CHEROKEE."
https://www.c-span.org/program/in-dept... - Nationality
- USA
- Birthplace
- Texas, USA
- Places of residence
- rural Oklahoma, USA
San Francisco, California, USA - Associated Place (for map)
- USA
Members
Reviews
Not "A Nation of Immigrants": Settler Colonialism, White Supremacy, and a History of Erasure and Exclusion by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
Debunks the pervasive and self-congratulatory myth that our country is proudly founded by and for immigrants, and urges readers to embrace a more complex and honest history of the United States
Whether in political debates or discussions about immigration around the kitchen table, many Americans, regardless of party affiliation, will say proudly that we are a nation of immigrants. In this bold new book, historian Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz asserts this ideology is harmful and dishonest because it show more serves to mask and diminish the US’s history of settler colonialism, genocide, white supremacy, slavery, and structural inequality, all of which we still grapple with today.
She explains that the idea that we are living in a land of opportunity—founded and built by immigrants—was a convenient response by the ruling class and its brain trust to the 1960s demands for decolonialization, justice, reparations, and social equality. Moreover, Dunbar-Ortiz charges that this feel good—but inaccurate—story promotes a benign narrative of progress, obscuring that the country was founded in violence as a settler state, and imperialist since its inception.
While some of us are immigrants or descendants of immigrants, others are descendants of white settlers who arrived as colonizers to displace those who were here since time immemorial, and still others are descendants of those who were kidnapped and forced here against their will. This paradigm shifting new book from the highly acclaimed author of An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States charges that we need to stop believing and perpetuating this simplistic and a historical idea and embrace the real (and often horrific) history of the United States. - from the publisher show less
Whether in political debates or discussions about immigration around the kitchen table, many Americans, regardless of party affiliation, will say proudly that we are a nation of immigrants. In this bold new book, historian Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz asserts this ideology is harmful and dishonest because it show more serves to mask and diminish the US’s history of settler colonialism, genocide, white supremacy, slavery, and structural inequality, all of which we still grapple with today.
She explains that the idea that we are living in a land of opportunity—founded and built by immigrants—was a convenient response by the ruling class and its brain trust to the 1960s demands for decolonialization, justice, reparations, and social equality. Moreover, Dunbar-Ortiz charges that this feel good—but inaccurate—story promotes a benign narrative of progress, obscuring that the country was founded in violence as a settler state, and imperialist since its inception.
While some of us are immigrants or descendants of immigrants, others are descendants of white settlers who arrived as colonizers to displace those who were here since time immemorial, and still others are descendants of those who were kidnapped and forced here against their will. This paradigm shifting new book from the highly acclaimed author of An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States charges that we need to stop believing and perpetuating this simplistic and a historical idea and embrace the real (and often horrific) history of the United States. - from the publisher show less
Sometimes a book comes along that makes you re-think your very existence, your history, everything you think you know about your place in the world. An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz raised all those questions in my heart, mind, and soul. An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States made me look at every history class I've ever taken through a different lens. Dunbar-Ortiz writes an engaging history that reminds us that whenever we declare show more people "enemy" we often strip them of their humanity in order to justify our own horrendous actions, from internment camps to genocide, while writing ourselves simultaneously as the victims and the heroes. I wish I had the power to make An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States required reading, but I'll have to settle for recommending it to everyone I know and even people I don't know. show less
A series of chapters, each "busting" one myth about Native Americans. For the most part they were very good. While I was already at least partly aware of the truth behind each myth, I still learned a lot of facts from each chapter. Generally, my biggest quibble would be that there was a lack of primary sources being cited, it was mostly secondary sources. Why quote Howard Zinn quoting Bartolome de las Casas when you could just quote de las Casas himself?
The exception to my overall agreement show more with the book was chapter two, which deals with the myth "Native Americans were the first immigrants to North America". The authors' thesis for this chapter was not explicitly stated, but I believe they are arguing that Native American religion and oral tradition asserts that they have always lived in North America. This could be framed as a "respect Native religions (including creation myths)" argument, which I agree is important, but in the case of land rights one would have to also consider that the invading colonists' religion (Christianity) told them that North America was their right as well. "Native Americans were here first" is a good argument for Native land rights because it is a fact; "their religion says this land is theirs" is not a good argument because it can equally be used against them. Aside from religion, the only argument against Native American immigration is the same argument seen from Christian creation arguments as well - scientists & historians aren't sure if the immigration happened 10,000 years ago or 20,000 years ago, and thus all science and history must be wrong. This chapter was very early in the book, and left a bad taste in my mouth for subsequent chapters. If the authors thought it was important to include in the book, that is fine, but I wish it hadn't been at the beginning.
I think I would prefer to read shorter-form works by these authors, like essays or newspaper columns (or even these chapters on an individual basis). They were interesting, I learned things, and I like their point of view! But I thought this book was just okay. I'm not sure what the intended audience is. show less
The exception to my overall agreement show more with the book was chapter two, which deals with the myth "Native Americans were the first immigrants to North America". The authors' thesis for this chapter was not explicitly stated, but I believe they are arguing that Native American religion and oral tradition asserts that they have always lived in North America. This could be framed as a "respect Native religions (including creation myths)" argument, which I agree is important, but in the case of land rights one would have to also consider that the invading colonists' religion (Christianity) told them that North America was their right as well. "Native Americans were here first" is a good argument for Native land rights because it is a fact; "their religion says this land is theirs" is not a good argument because it can equally be used against them. Aside from religion, the only argument against Native American immigration is the same argument seen from Christian creation arguments as well - scientists & historians aren't sure if the immigration happened 10,000 years ago or 20,000 years ago, and thus all science and history must be wrong. This chapter was very early in the book, and left a bad taste in my mouth for subsequent chapters. If the authors thought it was important to include in the book, that is fine, but I wish it hadn't been at the beginning.
I think I would prefer to read shorter-form works by these authors, like essays or newspaper columns (or even these chapters on an individual basis). They were interesting, I learned things, and I like their point of view! But I thought this book was just okay. I'm not sure what the intended audience is. show less
This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz's Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States: A Graphic Interpretation by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
Before proceeding with a review of this graphic novel adaptation, I think it has to be noted that at the time of the original book's publication in 2014, author Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz was claiming to have Native American heritage. In a 2021 interview on C-Span (do a find-in-page search for "Cherokee"), Dunbar-Ortiz recanted this claim and admits to having no such heritage.
Ahem. Well. That aside . . .
Dunbar-Ortiz challenges us to follow the money as the United States government repeatedly uses show more genocide, forced relocation, and treaty violations in its attempts to destroy, oppress, and disappear the indigenous people of North America as part of the greatest land-grab in world history. The American mythology of exceptionalism, Manifest Destiny, and white supremacy all play their part, smoothed along by their European predecessor, the Doctrine of Discovery.
It's a horrifying and enlightening perspective.
FOR REFERENCE:
Contents: Introduction -- Chapter 1. Follow the Corn -- Chapter 2. The Promised Land -- Chapter 3. The White Republic -- Chapter 4. Indian Country -- Chapter 5. From Discovery to Sovereignty -- Acknowledgments show less
Ahem. Well. That aside . . .
Dunbar-Ortiz challenges us to follow the money as the United States government repeatedly uses show more genocide, forced relocation, and treaty violations in its attempts to destroy, oppress, and disappear the indigenous people of North America as part of the greatest land-grab in world history. The American mythology of exceptionalism, Manifest Destiny, and white supremacy all play their part, smoothed along by their European predecessor, the Doctrine of Discovery.
It's a horrifying and enlightening perspective.
FOR REFERENCE:
Contents: Introduction -- Chapter 1. Follow the Corn -- Chapter 2. The Promised Land -- Chapter 3. The White Republic -- Chapter 4. Indian Country -- Chapter 5. From Discovery to Sovereignty -- Acknowledgments show less
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