An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States for Young People

It’s a sad truth that much of what public (and private) schools have taught for generations regarding the native peoples of the Americas is either straight-up false or skewed wildly in favor of white Europeans. History classes make it seem like America was a vast, untouched wilderness prior to the arrival of colonists. History ignores the complexity of indigenous societies, glosses over violence, pretends there were only a dozen or so total Native American tribes, discusses “manifest destiny” without considering the people displaced by America’s march to the west coast. Fortunately, we live in a time when many are actively working to bring the truth into the light, and An Indigenous People’s History of the United States for Young People is a great place to start for young and old people alike. Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, Jean Mendoza, and Debbie Reese have taken a wealth of subject matter and condensed it into a very readable, novel-sized book packed with revelations on US history— and modern times— that most people simply don’t know. Readers will learn about the many struggles of native people over the past few centuries and get a sense of what the future may bring for indigenous Americans. This book is highly recommended for EVERYONE.