Review by Booklist Review
This adaptation of An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States (2014) should be required reading for all middle and high schoolers and their teachers. Dunbar-Ortiz's scrutinous accounts of Indigenous histories are well-known among history buffs, and in this revision by Debbie Reese and Jean Mendoza, the same level of detail is maintained while still accommodating a teenage audience. From start to finish, they tell a story of resistance to the strategically brutal removal of Native peoples from sea to shining sea, a result of settler colonial policies. There is much to commend here: the lack of sugar-coating, the debunking of origin stories, the linking between ideology and actions, the well-placed connections among events past and present, the quotes from British colonizers and American presidents that leave no doubt as to their violent intentions. Built-in prompts call upon readers to reflect and think critically about their own prior knowledge. Terms like settler and civilization are called into question. Text is broken up by maps, photographs, images by Native artists, propaganda, and primary-source texts that provide more evidence of the depth to which the US economy was and still is rooted in the destruction of Indigenous lives. The resistance continues, and this book urges all readers to consider their own roles, whether as bystanders or upstanders.--Amina Chaudhri Copyright 2019 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 9 Up--This adaptation offers an Indigenous perspective of U.S. history. Beginning with an introduction and moving into the first chapter, which discusses the Indigenous peoples who populated the land and their domestication of corn before Europeans arrived, the narrative follows a chronological track. The adapters' use of language successfully conveys the complexities of Indigenous societies. Engaging sidebars with headers such as "To Do" or "Did You Know?" provide additional details about the chapter's topic or suggest critical thinking activities. Proclamations and legislation (Document of Discovery, Proclamation of 1763, and the Morrill Act) that affected Indigenous peoples are contextualized well. Some terms or phrases are defined within a sentence while others are separated out from the text in footnotes. Excerpts from primary sources, by U.S. presidents and other government officials and Indigenous men and women, are interspersed with photographs, paintings, and maps. Each visual is captioned and relevant to the corresponding text. Source notes and a recommended list of fiction and nonfiction titles, picture books, and novels by Indigenous authors are in the back matter. VERDICT Dunbar-Ortiz's narrative history is clear, and the adapters give readers ample evidence and perspective to help them to engage with the text. A highly informative book for libraries serving high school students.--Hilary Writt, Sullivan University, Lexington, KY
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Review by Horn Book Review
Mendoza and Reese, children's literature scholars and bloggers at American Indians in Children's Literature (americanindiansinchildrensliterature.blogspot.com), have created a young people's edition of Dunbar-Ortiz's An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States. Wide-ranging and politically engaged, with chapters including "Culture of Conquest," "Jefferson, Jackson, and the Pursuit of Indigenous Homelands," and "Indigenous Action, Indigenous Rights" and peppered throughout with informative sidebars, the book will be a valuable resource for American History curricula for middle and high school students. Appended with a list of recommended readings, source notes, and an index. Roger Sutton November/December 2019 p.131(c) Copyright 2019. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A young readers' adaptation of the groundbreaking 2014 work, An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States, offering an important corrective to conventional narratives of our nation's history.Questioning the ideologies behind the belief systems that gave birth to America's dominant origin stories, this book not only challenges the standard tale of European explorers "discovering" America, it provides an Indigenous perspective on key events. The book urges students to think critically about private property and extractive industries, land conservation and environmental rights, social activism, the definition of what it means to be "civilized," and the role of the media in shaping perceptions. With an eye to the diversity and number of Indigenous nations in America, the volume untangles the many conquerors and victims of the early colonization era and beyond. From the arrival of the first Europeans through to the 21st century, the work tackles subjects as diverse as the Dakota 38, the Ghost Dance and Wounded Knee, the American Indian Movement's takeover of Alcatraz, and the Dakota Access Pipeline resistance. A deeply felt connection to the Earth's health permeates the text, along with the strength and resiliency that have kept Indigenous cultures alive. Maps, photographs, informative sidebars, points for discussion, and a recommended book list round out this accessible, engaging, and necessary addition to school libraries and classrooms.An excellent read, dismantling American mythologies and fostering critical reasoning about history and current events. (further reading, recommended titles, notes, image credits, index) (Nonfiction. 12-18) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
