So, you're welcome to the buffet, you're welcome to this room, you're welcome to visit the exhibit. So now, thanks.
Um, first, thank you to Avi, to Annette, um, to Margo Shea, professors in the history department. Margo Shea, right on time! People who have spearheaded the history departments initiative here, and really providing great leadership.
and gotten our students involved, and gotten our community involved. We appreciate all the work you've done on behalf of this community, on behalf of the history department.
I also want to thank the History Student Association, the History Association, which has also been involved in this.
I want to thank our friends at the Center for Equity, Education and Belonging, who paid for our lovely lunch and brought some of us together, and thank our friends at the Barrie Library who have, um.
You've brought us together in their spaces several times, and have provided wonderful exhibit space for the work that students provided.
Welcome, thank you, get out of the way. I've been learning from, um… Roxanne number Ortiz for about 10 years at least.
I've had her book on my shelf, you know, we have teachers who took professional development days just to become here to hear from her.
So I'll get out of the way so you can hear from her. I'm looking forward to learning from her.
And Ahmed will introduce her and get this program officially started. Welcome back.
Here and see if it helps with the echo.
I'm not sure what's going on. It's not the Niger phone.
Hello? Yeah, going no matter what.
Um, so my name is Ahmed Berner, um… I'm, uh… psychology and criminal justice major, but I'm also minoring in history, uh.
in history. Um, I've been interested in Roxanne's work since I.
So can Indigenous studies class with Abhi Chomsky. Um, and just to introduce her, Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz is a historian professor writer.
And social justice activists. For over 4 decades, she has been active in the women's liberation movement, as well as a wide range of national and international Indigenous movements.
She's the winner of the 2017 Landing Cultural Freedom Prize.
And the author and editor of several works. Including her work in Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States, which won the 2015 American Folk Award.
Some of her other works include Not a Nation of Immigrants, A History of Settler Colonialism, White Supremacy.
And erasure, and all the Indians died off, and 20 other myths about Native Americans.
And of course, the work we're here for today, the graphic novel of the previously said, uh.
American, um, sorry. And I previously said, uh, an American Indigenous people's History of the United States. Don't touch this, don't touch.
The graphic novel transforms the original scholarly text into a visually engaging and accessible format for younger readers and visual learners.
For a blend of, uh, powerful illustration and clear narrative summaries.
Um, a graphic novel highlights some of the most important and key moments of the Indigenous history.
Exposing the reality of settler colonialism, resistance, survival, and its continuation to the modern day.
Oh, she can hear you. Wonderful. Uh, hello, we're now going to start the, uh, student panel. I'll be the first, uh, student asking a question on this panel, and afterwards, we'll turn it over to the audience for questions.
My name is Warren Backman, I'm a History Master's student.
And I also have been acquainted with your work for a little bit.
Uh, the first time I had any interaction with it was, uh, almost, uh, 10 years ago when I was a teenager.
I saw an interview you gave on the Majority Report.
Uh, about this, uh, very book we're talking about today, so I'm very excited to be speaking with you today, and thank you for being here.
Uh, so for my, uh, first question. is, well, referring to the colonization of the Americas as classic imperialism.
You have described the American colonial experience in the U.S. As well as in Canada as.
somewhat atypical with respect to the settler and Indigenous relationships to land.
As opposed to the colonial experience more broadly. Uh, so my question is, what differences do we see in the colonial experience of Indigenous peoples in the US and Canada versus colonial experiences more broadly, and what.
similarities do we see in more. Uh, uh, global colonial experiences.
Well, thank you, and thank you for your kind remarks.
Um, you know, this is something that, um, is really important to understand the difference.
Between, um… colonialism, as in India.
Um, and… and, you know, most of the… most of the non-European world.
Which was basically economic, um, to. Well, labor, uh… the British sent Indian laborers all over the world. They're minority.
Um, Indians who were against their will shipped. Uh, two islands in the Pacific and to the Caribbean to work, um.
So this is the… that's the kind of colonialism that doesn't.
intentionally kill people, they want to keep them alive to work, so they feed them, you know, they give them housing and so forth. It's not a great life.
And they don't have much. Um, you know, their own choices. So that kind of decolonization is what we experienced in, um.
Uh, with the uprisings, first in Africa and, um… Then around the world.
Um, so the other, uh, lesser-known, um. Colonialism is… is a kind of hidden, uh, in its, uh.
And the respect of it. seeming naturalized, because.
It's basically a genocide. Uh, it's taking the land, wanting the land and resources.
But bringing their own workers, like, and. the United States, or what became the United States, um… enslaved Africans.
Um, for labor. And, um… And… and doing… and taking the land of.
Basically trying to kill off all the Native people, so.
The first 200, um… Um, nearly 300 years of the United of.
What became the United States. They're involved in ethnic cleansing.
Until they, I think in 1849, they reached, um… They reached the Mississippi.
And, uh, then, you know, moved on and. they… at first in New England, where you are, it was pretty much just genocide.
They didn't really want the work, you know, the Native people to work, plus they.
the Native people didn't want to work for them, and there were wars and wars and wars there.
Um, they've all been really well. Documented, I'm sure you've seen in history books, but also.
specific, uh, books. That's not my specialty, New England.
Um, but of course I, you know, I mean, I know about it, but I haven't gone… my… My specialty in, um… in understanding settler colonialism.
Was in the Spanish settler… settling of. Uh, northern Mexico, what was… Mexico, and then the United States, it took it, that is, um… Uh, in the Southwest, uh, the Hopi and the…
The, um, uh… village, uh, Native people.
Uh… 100 villages. Reduced to… 19 that exists now.
So, that's kind of the definition of genocide. And so that, um… That understanding is… is kind of, um… Not… not as well understood. It actually… there were other.
places where this, in the Anglo Empire. The first was Ireland.
The settler colonialism in Ireland, which is still an issue today in Northern Ireland, you know, the Scottish.
Anglo-Scottish, um… takeover, attempted takeover of Ireland. They go, oh my god, half of it.
Um, the Irish fought back, but that was also.
An attempted genocide, and of course the deportation of.
Of millions of Irish who were starving. Um, the other is… the other early settler colonialism was Spain.
Uh, driving out the, um, Muslims. Uh, it was really a part of North Africa, Arab-speaking people.
The beautiful architecture of, uh, in the south of Spain, this all Muslim.
Islam, uh, period, and uh… That was a long, long invasion.
By white Europeans against Arabs. Um, so then, you know, the Spanish, uh, once they had conquered, they moved on.
To, um… The West, and of course, uh… Health America.
And most of, you know, a great deal of North America before the Angles came.
So that's my, um… You know, my understanding of… when I… when I was a graduate, well.
When I was an undergraduate student at, uh… Uh, San Francisco State University.
is when I was an English major, I considered myself a writer, and.
But I had to take a course in history, you know, for.
To graduate. Um, so I took it, you know, I took this course in World History.
I just happen to have a really brilliant professor.
Detroit line, um… Who, uh… Really made it, uh, accessible, and the text that he used, and then this was the 1960s.
There weren't that many texts, but he. Um, he used… he used text, and he used, um… Uh, I don't know, you know, like, music, Beethoven, the, um.
colonialism inherent in, um… European symphony music, and so I just fell in love with history. He just made it… most people just hate taking history courses, you know, it's usually required, and.
Oh, get that out of the way, you know, but he made it, um, so I changed my major to history.
And, um… Then I, uh… I went to UC… I went to UC Berkeley, um, and I was still doing European, uh, you know, I was doing European colonialism.
And, um, then I just got, you know, things were happening actually in time of the decolonization was taking place.
At the time I was there, and um. Since the early 1960s, and… So I was so aware of that. It was television, it was on television all the time. You could see it, and of course the U.S.
U.S. Invasions, you know, Southeast Asia. Um, so I… Uh, I just… it was very European-oriented, and, um… They did have, you know, a specialty and.
at, um, Berkeley, UC Berkeley. in, um, Asian, Chinese, and, you know, I took that course, it was really interesting, but.
It was, uh, you know, really a… learning Chinese, you know, to work. That was a little remote for me, and um… I was actually married and had a child, and.
Uh, so it wasn't, you know, I wasn't able to… to just go anywhere and do anything.
So I went to… I got a divorce, and I went to UCLA. I got… I really got.
Um, invited to UCLA. Uh, to transfer from Berkeley.
And it's very funny because, um… Berkeley was considered… I think it's still the number one university in the United States.
It's still considered such. Uh, above the, you know, the Ivy Leagues and all.
So, UCLA was number 6. And, um, you know, of universities, uh… Of prestige.
And I didn't know anything about that, but. I, um… I had a partner at the time that had gotten a scholarship to… he was at San Francisco State.
He got a scholarship to, um. Uh… UCLA French department.
And he said, well, why don't you, you know.
Why don't you, uh… applied to history.
So I… I applied, and they gave me everything in the world. They thought they were, you know, they were stealing someone from Berkeley. I wasn't really aware of it, but they treated.
I was the only woman. in the whole history department, they, you know, were becoming.
Cognizant that they needed some women and. Non-white men.
So I was treated. Very, very well there, uh, scholarship, you know, and uh… Uh, actually, uh, money.
So, that's, um, that's when I turn to, uh, at first, Latin America, and then… it just… I… I then did my dissertation on the colonization of New Mexico.
Um, and that became a book, Roots of Resistance, A History of.
Um, a settler colonialism. So I was kind of one of the first.
People who, you know, use that term and, um.
Oh, it was… it was, uh… Um… a… A part… I don't even know if you have settler colonialism, um, Corpus at.
At the university there, but… There weren't many at that time.
And that's what I became interested in, and world settler colonialism, New Zealand, Australia.
um, southern Spain, as I said, of course, Canada.
And these were the, um… So the distinction between settler colonialism and.
Colonialism is kind of Mahmood, uh… Mandami, the father of.
Sauron. Uh, it's a good friend of mine, and he.
Okay.
I love his books, I really recommend that you read every word he's written.
He's also a very good writer. Uh, he… He puts it this way, that, um… That it is settlers, um… Uh, cut, you know, that… colonialists, you know, imperialists.
Come for goals, they come for silver, they come for.
Um, economic purposes, and they… they make laborers of the people. They, you know, they need labor.
Um, and they use them, and of course, Britain put them all over the world and everything.
And settlers, um, settler colonialism, they come to stay.
They come for land. And they come for independence, and there are only a few of them. Like I said, Northern Ireland.
Um, southern… southern Spain, Australia, New Zealand. And the United States and Canada, settler colonialism.
Well, that's a long, uh… a long thing, maybe you had other questions I already answered.
Thank you so much, that was a fantastic answer, um, that got at that really key distinction, and before we move on with our other questions, I'd like to ask a.
A quick follow-up question, it's a complicated follow-up question, but… Uh, hopefully, if possible, um… Uh, in the sake of time could be somewhat quick.
Um, in your book, you work out a really important.
Uh, kind of definition of what it means to be Indigenous.
We often have these myths that Indigenous means being the first.
people in a place. Um, but you kind of give a lot more specificity to.
What this term indigeneity means. Would you be able to give a kind of.
Quick breakdown of this term.
Well, the Indigenous peoples, um… are the, you know, it's a colonial, uh… thing, they… they are the people who… originated, uh, the place, you know, the, the.
eons ago, when human beings were just beginning, they were moving.
all over the place, they weren't colonizing, they were growing and settling and exploring and.
Uh, wasn't yet imperialism. But they, you know, human beings then have these, uh… these capabilities of building and, you know, and… War, killing, uh, as well, good and bad, um, things.
And, um, so there… there came to be a kind of settling where people stayed.
Um, and… And it became their… or they, you know, originated there.
Like, you know, like the Aztecs, um… Of, uh, Mexico, which I, you know, I also, uh… Very interested in the conquest of Mexico.
Uh, because it was the beginning, of course, of the whole hemisphere.
And it was a partial genocide and partial, you know, using the people for labor.
Uh, almost like enslaved labor. Um, but these people who… who come, they… they then, like in Mexico, they moved up, they took, uh.
Uh, a good portion, probably. Almost half of, uh, what is now North America.
Uh… and not… and not with settlers, just exploring and, and, you know, and, um… Uh, digging the gold and the silver and, you know, uh… All that for central Mexico.
Uh, but they did, you know, like I said, the… Uh, New Mexico, and… They did make a, um… Center colonialism.
So, this is, um… The Indigenous people then, it's, you know, it's a.
it used to be a really negative term for Native Americans didn't like.
It sounded like they… you know, some kind of entity that was all the same. They're basically nations of people.
their nation states, um… And they are… all have different languages. There's no one language, you know, that.
That is spoken, uh, each nation has its own, um, practices.
Um… There used to be Indigenous peoples meant, um, and especially the Brits, had this, you know, kind of… I don't know, romantic idea of people running around in the forest, you know, so… Uh, Indigenous people were seen as kind of pristine and untouched by.
Um, but they weren't, you know, they're just regular people. I mean, you know, they killed other.
I had wars, it killed other people. I think they had, um… develop some things in North America, uh, especially.
Of, uh, forms of democracy, you know, famously the five civil… so-called 5 Civilized tribes.
I mean, not 5's in a life tries the.
Uh, six, uh… Uh, tribes of the Iroquois.
Um, that they actually developed a democracy. So, I think they were more democratic. They had a lot to offer.
But it was… squashed, you know, because of the land wanting to take the land.
So this is where the genocide comes in when, you know, and a displacement, deportation.
Is when they want the land and not the labor.
Thank you so much. Uh, we'll now move to Mahmet for the next student panel question. Thank you.
Thank you.
Um, I guess my first question is, in your book, you refer to the USS war against, uh, the indigenous, uh.
People of America as an unlimited type of war.
Uh, primarily due to its unrestricted nature, and the fact that.
Much of… nearly every aspect of society was involved in these wars. My question is.
Do you think that what we're seeing today in the war in Palestine is a form of unlimited war?
Yes.
In Palestine? Yes. Well, there's so, uh, there, you know, Palestinians, um.
And, um, Native people, you know, will really all over the world now, but at first the.
Um, America and India movement. They have very, very close ties since back in, um… the early 1960s of… supporting each other. At first, the Palestinians.
Uh, you know, they had the same kind of, uh… Uh, racist ideas toward the, you know, the.
Native Americans, wild people, you know, they said, no, we're, you know, we are… Um, educated people were, you know, like the West, so… Palestine, I remember, uh… Um, that, uh… Uh, on one Palestinian said, we're, you know, in a speech when they were called indigenous.
said, we are not Indigenous people, we are nations.
And, uh… We will never, ever, uh… Be wiped out.
As they… they did the Native Americans. And I, you know, now they look back, I mean, with this really close partnership and relationship.
Yeah, well, they were pretty much like Native Americans, you know.
They were also nations and states, so I think.
There's such a close tie, um. Their American Indian movement, which I got involved in, um… It's a… I don't know, uh… it was, you know.
It was a time of, uh, in the… in the early 1960s of these uprisings of Native Americans.
So I got involved with, you know, support for that, and.
One of the first things they did was, um… Um, you know, identified himself with the, with the liberation movements that were going on in the world.
And, uh, built up a… we built up a, um, United Nations, uh.
Um… non-governmental organizations, and that's a huge, huge thing in the world now, the Indigenous peoples.
Um, so Palestinians and, um… came, you know, they would send delegations, uh, the AIM people, the American Indian.
Movement had annual conferences, they still do. And uh… they always, always they were Palestinians, uh, also, you know, Aborigines, uh, people from.
different parts of the world, uh, would send delegations.
So, it really became an Indigenous people's, um… of the world, uh, and… Now, no one is ashamed to… you know, identify that way, and the Palestinians aren't, and… They say no, yeah. Uh, we weren't…
Uh, we have been treated that way. They still don't.
have a state, just like the Native people of the United States do not have independent states. They are still.
Um, they're people, they have, you know, kind of recognition, but.
They still want statehood, you know, the Native people of the… Navajo people, uh, there's some real nationalists there. There's one, you know, also a historian, uh.
Uh… the, uh… He says my… 2,000… he has a number, it's like 2,045 or something like that. He's figured it out.
That the Navajo Nation will be independent. An independent nation, and recognized as such.
Thank you. Um… My next question was, uh… Kind of, like, on one of the things you mentioned. Towards the end of the book, you discuss a lot of the progress that has occurred for restoration and recognition, like the 2007 UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People.
I want to ask, with many of the regression aggressive trends we see today.
Do you think we could see a point where the U.S. Further undermines Indigenous self-determination?
I do think it would be possible, if we ever see greater restoration to the point of, like, where the Black Hills are returned?
Oh, boy, the Black Hills, that's… Really, really such a long, um… they'll never give up, you know, the, the.
They will never give up the Black Hills as the sacred territory, um… And, uh, I do think, yes, I think.
Um, because they'll never give up. Uh, they will… they've won quite a bit, you know, in terms of, uh… keeping, um… tourists out of, you know, of actually being the.
Uh, national, you know, the, the, um… The people who run the place are now, but they still don't.
Well, you know, they don't have nations, period. But the reservation, they're not, you know, they don't have, um… Have it as a part of the reservation, but it's… it's… Very important to them because it's a, um…
It's where they do, um… the rituals, it's their church.
Uh, is how they put it, you know, it's… it's their church, it's, you know, it's not a building, but.
A place, and um. And it's sacred to them.
You know, and they want it preserved, and of course there's, you know, mining there, uh… That, uh… that the U.S. Allows, there's… there's gold mining, and uh.
And other minerals and… So you have, you know, from time to time, uprisings. They had the, um… Standing Rock, um… The water, uh, issue, uh… So, well, they'll keep fighting. I think they're better organized now. You know, when.
And, um, when I started, um… Teaching, uh, after getting my doctorate in 1960.
Before I started, uh, teaching. And I was actually recruited.
by, uh, California State University. To help to work with the, uh… Uh, some Black… a Black professor and, um… Asian and Chicano, they call.
call themselves the first Chicano. And they wanted to, um… they already had the black.
Uh, it wasn't a… its own department, but it was a, um… A kind of sub-department of.
Of the history department. And, um, so I was invited to.
Uh, there was a… there was a native. Stanford Native American, um… Um… student who graduated, and uh… But while he was a student, he was tapped to help set it up.
Uh, the Native American, uh, Studies Department. And he's then got a job back east that he really wanted to… it was a… Christian, uh… Uh, native, uh… job, and it was his home country, you know, North Carolina was where he is from.
So he wanted to go there and help build that.
And he… he persuaded me. To apply, um, you know, no one else was applying, there was no competition. No one wanted to do it.
So that's how I got to, um, building, you know, getting involved. It was movement at the time with Black Studies and Chicano Studies, Asian American Studies.
Uh, in the… universities, you know, the state universities, um, in California.
And then it spread all over the country, developing, and I was very involved in that, very committed to it, that.
Um, that histori… you know, that it not just be, um.
light weighted, the history field had, you know, had to be really, um… uh, embedded in, uh, history.
So that… that was, um, really how the… Uh, departments, and now I… I don't know if there's a university anywhere in the United States now that doesn't have some form of.
Ethnic studies, uh… Or decolonial studies.
Of some sort. So it's, you know, um… It was a… it was a cause of mine. I went from being a, you know, like a… Considering myself a revolutionary, you know, and the…
In the, uh, in the 60s, early 70s, where it's.
A lot of, you know. taking over things and demonstrating and… Then going to the UN and all, to, um… Getting involved in building, you know, building, uh, ethnic studies and women's studies.
Thank you.
Alright, so, um, I wanted to… pass the mic off to the students to ask them questions. Um, I just briefly want to say I became familiar with your work.
like, 30 years ago at Salem State, I was an undergrad in sociology and women's studies.
And I just… I really appreciate how you've been talking about.
how the political struggle involved in tandem with the academic discipline, and.
that you were just right there from the beginning, and I think it's fascinating to see.
There's really no such thing as progress, right? But really to see how it's evolved over the years, so… Thank you for that.
Students? Questions? So, um, yeah, we're going to turn it over to the audience for questions, and Carly, you're going to have a mic if anybody has a question, I will emcee a little bit, and Carly will also see you.
Um… because we do not have a wireless mic, we ask folks who have questions.
to actually come up to the mic. Um, and ask their questions. I can also, too, in the meantime, set up our wireless mic, but.
If folks have questions, please… Feel free to come up.
Thank you. Yes, thank you.
Good point.
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for this talk.
My question is, um, on your New Mexico work and studies.
What are we to make of the petrographs in the desert in New Mexico? I've been there, and I've.
Hard to study them, but I… When they had a loss to interpret what's going on.
No, we're… where are you speaking of? Oh, New Mexico.
New Mexico, and this was. Yes, and it was outside of, um… Albuquerque in the desert, and it was stoned.
stones with carvings of petrograms. perhaps in them.
Uh-huh. Well, you know, the, um… that was the original people who were there.
Um, the Hopi, especially, you know, the Hopi. are the most ancient, um… people there, they refuse to, uh… agree that the, um.
They came from, um… Mexico, you know, Central Mexico, where.
Most of the people do, you know, can trace it, but the Hopi… So they were always there.
They, you know, they… They were rooted there. They didn't come from somewhere else, so… I hope they are very special people.
Um… they… for a long time… well, they wouldn't take, uh… Um… the citizenship, you know, at some time.
The United States kept trying to do away with Native.
Um, you know, native, um… Uh…
They're actually, you know, naming themselves to. to make them be just a part of the.
Um, uh, of the, uh… Population and not have any kind of special status.
So, that fight went on and on. They, at one time.
They decided in 1954. to do away with Native people entirely.
To take away any kind of status or recognition.
And that just brought uprisings, you know, that, uh, were defeated. But they did manage to.
Uh, take away the, um, status from. Two or three tribes that.
I've thought ever since then to regain it. And, um, also for people who, especially back east, where you are.
Uh, in the Northeast, the original area, they, you know, had just kind of.
Um, no longer recognize Native people, so that. Period of seeking, uh, recognition, acknowledgement.
Of their existence, and um… A relationship with the United States that was not.
Equal, but still, you know, over time has become more, uh, more and more equal, even in New England, the original.
place, uh, people who… had come to just identify as, as.
You know, not even having native, um… Uh, a native, uh… Relatives, you know, coming from that, just not being told about it, being put in the boarding schools.
And, you know, not even being allowed to speak their language in so many languages being lost.
Um… so that, um… It… it's… it's really remarkable when you look at the… and read this history, how… how much has been achieved, and how different it is.
And the possibility for even more, like I say, independent states, why shouldn't the.
United States, we, you know, have independent states within. It's one way to.
Look at the, you know, world in the future, what we might want to, um… Uh, kind of deconstruct.
Uh, the United States. As a state.
So, thank you. So, we do have a wireless mic.
I'm happy to bring that over to folks if you want to come up, you can as well.
I'm curious about, um, how we begin to historicize this moment when a lot of these references that are in your text are back in the zeitgeist and in the public lexicon. So, for example, Manifest Destiny.
We also know that this administration is just conducting so much administrative violence. We don't know what's going to be gone from public record.
Um, we know today, like, the report on the missing and murdered Indigenous women was wiped off of the DOJ site.
So there's so much that we might not know until this moment has passed, so I'm curious what you think about how.
Um, both institutions, but also community members can begin to.
take an active role in cataloging this moment of, um, you know, erasure, misinformation, disinformation.
And again, this kind of administrative violence of, like.
this history being rewritten, but also being brought all the way back to where we're using this kind of terminology from.
Um, the very early colonial days to justify this, like, white supremacist takeover.
Yeah, this, uh, you know, I, uh, the book I'm working on now is, um… Book of essays on white nationalism.
And why Christian nationalism, and um. You know, they have their man on Trump, and.
Uh, it's pretty scary. Uh, he has, um, cut funds, um.
That actually were, uh… is illegal because the treaties made with.
Native Americans required. A permanent kinds of support because they, you know, in.
In lieu of regaining the land. Um… and, you know, like, cities that… That, uh, used to be… Um, villages of Native people, um, it was a very.
Practical to think of, uh… Um, taking over the cities, you know, where people have… the Native people have been pushed out, but.
You know, funds. So that, ever since, you know, around 1960 or so, the uprisings, um.
And upright colonial uprisings all over the world. The, um… I think this has been the, um… You know, the most troubling time.
You know, for everyone, the poor, the… The, um, uh, the ill, you know, what they're doing with medical.
Insurance, uh… And, um… And of course, there… Trump has always… has long hated.
Native Americans. He, you know, he's such a… It's such a cheap.
guy, you know, and… It's… it's the casinos. I mean, people don't remember, usually, that he was a big casino guy.
Uh, own casinos. And that the Indian casinos became so popular.
Once they got the right to have casinos. And, uh, he hates them, because everyone, you know, people stop going to his casinos.
I'm sure they were awful places, but the native casinos are very, very nice, you know, and um… Lots of activities that go on, not just, you know.
It's more like the, you know, Las Vegas. So anyway, he really hates Native Americans for updoing him on.
casinos and that, you know, that's just the kind of little mind he has of his bitterness, you know, people he dislikes, and.
Mainly, uh, everyone, you know, who's not. Um, beholden to him.
How did we ever get here? I mean, many of us are discussing that, you know, like, historians of.
I go to X, and there are the, you know, these… Oh my god, you know, these discussions among historians. How did we get to this point?
placed, you know, what… what happened? And, um. I think that's something for you all to really pursue, especially.
younger people who haven't experienced these things, you can see them more objectively, you know, when you study it, so… Uh, you know, history is a very important.
thing now, our history departments, even though they're trying to do away with them.
funding and all, um, better fight for them.
Thank you, Roxanne. Um, before we turn it over to the audience again, just want to check and see if folks.
on Zoom also have questions, so please drop your questions.
in the chat, and I will go ahead and.
Uh, read them out loud. Thank you. And in the meantime.
We'll take questions from the audience. Feel free to raise your hand as you're able, and I'll bring the mic over to you.
Uh, Amanda? I'll have to ask you a question. Oh!
Are you sure? Yes, we'll come back to the audience in Zoom. Thank you.
So, you've addressed this a little bit, I think, over the course of a few of the answers you had, so… Um, because of what I was talking about, kind of the emergence in tandem of the.
of these sort of parallel struggles between, you know, for.
academic departments in Chicano Studies, African American Studies. Indigenous studies, and then.
the rights-based movements. Um, so at this point, where I think we've talked a little bit about.
movements, social movements that are, um, contesting, ongoing colonialism, dispossession, land theft, resource.
theft. Um, so… I guess what I'm wondering is where you see this going in the future. Like, I know that.
in terms of some of the negative stuff, like, that's very apparent, but, um, kind of what, like, how you see these movements sort of dovetailing and informing each other.
Well, that's a good question. I haven't… Thought about it very much. It seems like we're in, um, you know, in survivor territory.
And sort of just hang on, you know, to what we have, but that's, you know, not very healthy and.
I really worry about our universities, you know, being attacked, colleges, universities, um… And in general, this attack on education, which really.
Um, predates… Trump, you know, it's kind of, you know, what do you do with an education? You know, you don't make… can't get a job, you go, you know, work at Starbucks.
Um, with that degree, you know, do engineering, do, uh… computer, uh, stuff, and… Um, you know, but requiring… I… we… the university I taught at for 40… 40 years, um, the California State University.
Um, Hayward was, you know, located right across the.
Uh… right across from the peninsula with a bridge, you know, the bay.
to Silicon Valley. And so, um… It was, you know, there was a whole… very well-funded, um… Department of… Uh, computer science is what they called it then.
And, um, of course, I got a lot of their students because they had to take certain courses.
Uh, you know, they didn't want to, they just wanted to learn to run computers and not have to pay very much for it, because tuition.
Almost didn't exist at that time. And, um, they, you know, they really.
I had so much money in them that the students were.
inclined to, you know, take that because they could get a good job, but they had to take our courses, they had to take English, they had to take history, they had to take political science.
And we made them, you know, so that they had to take women's studies, and they had to take ethnic studies.
And I love teaching those students, because they didn't want to be there.
You know, and… And it was a challenge, you know, and I got a lot of them to change their majors.
You know, or to have a sub… Uh, a minor, you know, in the… In either our departments or the history department, you know, whatever interested them, and.
It, um… but they've really taken over, you know, universities. The money all goes into engineering, mainly computer engineering.
And, uh, they're just closing down, you know, um.
History departments and, uh, um… And… or shrinking them so that you can't have.
Many different majors and. It's… it's a fight, I think, that is important to, um, pay attention to, and.
And to do, um… That's not happening in other parts of the world.
Uh… it is… I think it is unique to the United States and the kind of, um… Something, you know, being a historian and looking at.
the founding of the United States, there where you are.
From the very beginning, being a rogue. entity, there's still this rogue, um… Is that still a word you all understand what rogue is? It's kind of… An old-fashioned word, evil, you know.
But it was.
Um, of, you know, people taking other people's land, you know, 100 years.
from the Mississippi of killing off, you know, so many people.
And taking the land and, um… Such a horrible, horrible history that is just not taught well enough, you know, that it's.
Genocide studies, it should be called genocide studies. Uh, the history of the United States, and… So that, you know, it's, um… It's… there's this… it seemed to me that… that we made great progress.
And something happened in 1975. That… I've traced it, you know, in the books I've written, if you've read Indigenous people's History of the United States, that.
That there was this right-wing takeover. I mean, it had been building up, there had been Barry Goldwater, there had been, you know, these, uh… Right-wing places and different organizations and all.
And, uh, there's just this moment when you see this change, and it… Also had to do with the end of the Vietnam War and the, you know, the… The… the debt.
That was included from that, you know, 15-year war.
That, uh, it was… It was a very, very rough time, um.
And for universities at that time. So ever since then, I think there's been an attack on.
Uh, liberal studies… Uh, universities… Um, and uh… And also, you know, just uprising the phone.
Of violence and. The necessity for, well, you know, first of all, Black.
civil rights, uh… Became a, you know, really.
so important, and 70, I count, you know, 75 is when we reach that apex, you know, of, um.
of equality, of, you know, of actually laws and rules, you know, to.
have Black, um… Uh, and other minority and women, uh… Um… entrance into universities, and.
Those are still in place, and I heard. Trump raving against them, that they need to be done away with. They should be.
Just take a test, and whoever gets in, you know.
And, um… So that's something I fought very hard for myself, um… Uh, as, you know, in my… Activists, um… Uh… University work, um… And not just at my university, but, you know, with other people and.
And getting these things, and these things can be lost, they're not forever, you know, I mean, they have to be… Nourished. So, um.
Things like what you're doing here, uh, is going on all over the country, I think, and.
And I really, um… I hope you keep it up.
Thank you, Roxanne. Um… I want to just make one call for final question before we… Wrap up, Colin?
Can I ask for some… for someone to ask the question?
Okay, ask a question about the book, Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States.
Lots of pressure. I already grab the microphone right as he said that, so… Um, the, uh… Yeah, let me… let me say this. Actually, first of all, thank you for… for joining us.
Um, and I'm sorry for giving y'all my back, I hate doing that.
Um, my question is this, I… You spoke just a little bit about.
The formation of American colonialism. I was listening to Greg Grandin.
Uh, speak about the different, um. I guess, if you want to call it that, philosophy is when, um.
You know, the conquest into… of the Spanish conquest versus how America was formed.
And it does, as you say, there's a philosophy of Americans of, you know, it's a.
Uh, I guess, uh… individualism that was different, um, in some of the other places, and that's one difference. The other differences were, um.
How… their experiment, how they were going to treat the native folks that they.
Knew they were going to encounter. Um… But when I think… so it makes me think imperialism is an old-ism, but keeps on coming back, brand new, fresh, and so clean.
And… it… You might not have to accept this premise, but I feel as if there's something about imperialism that draws.
Um, people to it, um, that enamerates people to it.
Um, so when I think about colonialism, there's this narrative as paralleling it that is resistance.
Um, and… I'm very interested about resistance movements when I hear about colonialism.
And I hope that you can speak to it a little bit, and in this context.
Um, I wonder, uh, how… especially in this time, um… What lessons of resistance that we can draw from some of the Indigenous peoples, um.
That might… that might give us the weapons we need to resist against.
imperialism, a bet. I guess maybe our natural inclination to.
Um, extent of imperialism, um, as we see it in these new forms.
Yeah, well, I'm glad you mentioned Grannins. new book and all of his work, uh, his.
I think he's the best historian working today, and.
And this… doing the whole hemisphere, you know, that hasn't been done for a long time, so it's very important.
Work and, um… Yeah, how do we, um… Uh, really, how do we fight back, uh, the defunding of universities, uh.
And colleges and, um. is… is, um… Something… it's… I think, you know, one thing that happened, uh, I know in the University of California system.
Here, is it became a, um… corporatized, or, you know, our, uh… Our university became corporatized, and being corporatized.
They became expensive and exclusive and, you know, student debt and all that.
Um… The most places in the world do not have… universities do not have tuition.
Believe it or not, Slovenia. Um… very poor country. No tuition, great universities, no tuition.
Um, so it's almost impossible to, um… Get an education here, and I think it's intentional for people not to be educated.
That, um… because then they don't know their rights.
You know, they don't know. Um, that they can fight back and.
We've… we really, um… We've had these, um… Ups and downs, you know, of militant.
Militarism. Um, that really is, you know.
Good, sir. I see it almost like a river that has never stopped of, um… Uh… Black liberation.
And, um, from, you know, totalitarian system of slavery.
Uh, so we have that, you know, we have that history.
Of, um, of resistance. And then, of course, the Native people.
Fighting, uh, across the, uh… Never losing a battle, never losing a battle, just, um… uh, genocide.
Okay.
And, um… is such an ugly history, and I think.
It almost isn't allowed to be taught now without getting fired.
Um, at least in the public universe. Well, you know, and it's happening all over, and.
Um, I, um… I think Salem, you know, is probably… Hess, or in New England, you have more support, but it's… Um… How do we organize to fight.
To raise the kind of, um… Resistance that we saw in the civil rights movement.
Of just not stopping, you know, daily, every day, um.
a sit-in started with sit-ins, uh. Uh, takeovers… Of, uh, departments, you know, I remember at this Ivy Leagues, the Black… the few black.
Students who were allowed in, they. took over.
these Ivy League schools, you know. And I think we need to record that history more, you know, that it be sort of suppressed, that.
I just knew it in real time, what was going on, but.
Um, you know, students don't… unless they're taught or guided to.
Books or have, you know, someone in their family or, you know, that, that… have told them the stories of it.
Um, that's a lot of people, they… They just don't know, you know, that there has been resistance, and.
It can change things.
My alarm just went off as I… should I stop speaking?
Thank you for honoring the time, Roxanne. Um, we are at time.
But before folks head out, I do want to let folks know that we will give away.
Books, um, but just want to thank you, Roxanne, for your time.
Well, thank you, and I, um, you know, I said I wanted to ask a question about my Indigenous people's history, and it's iterations.
Yeah.
Um, I just found out from my, um… My publisher… That my book has… you know, it was published 11 years ago, the original one.
In 2014. And that it is the best-selling book that Beacon Press has ever published.
And it has never, ever… I'm so shocked when I get royalty.
You know, I published a whole bunch of books and never got.
You know, maybe $150 a year of royalty. And, you know, big royalties, and it's a best-selling book.
in all its iterations, and the most recent being the wonderful.
Uh, comic, a book that Paul… Historian Paul Buell.
insisted on producing, I thought, oh God, a comic book about my book, how can you do that? This is a sad story.
But they did it, and I see it, you know, that you all are… using it, and I thank you.
Thank you. Um, thank you so much, Doctor, for joining us.
Um, for sharing your experiences, your stories, perspectives. We also want to take some time to thank our students.
panel. For the PrEP.
Um, and also, too, for making our event, uh, such a quality program and for your.
Inspiration and really just bringing, um… this Indigenous history, People's Month.
programming together, lots of words. So, um, before we do our… Um, breath or I don't call it a bramble, or giveaway.
Um, do want to have folks… Save the date for our, um… Philosophy Matters Speaker Series.
Um, we are launching our… our… kicking off our.
theories with Indigenous lifeways and approaches. On December 4, from 12 to 1.30 in Charlotte Forton Hall. So, Charlotte Fortin Hall.
Room 1, 2, 3, right behind Starbucks, um, we'll also have lunch, and we'll also be able to.
Uh, you'll be able to join us on Zoom as well.
So, for our giveaway, first want to… Congratulate Amelia again for winning a copy of the book.
Um, at our, uh, cabinet, uh, meeting, uh. Kahoot. So, Amelia… You have all comes to grab a book.
From a table. Um, and it can be, uh… Rossian's book, or you can also grab our 500 Years of Indigenous.
A resistance comic book, or, um, there is one copy of the city of.
The founding of Salem City of Prince available as well at the table.
Now, for our other copies. I am inviting students, undergraduate students in the audience to stay ahead of time.
If you are a student and you're interested in a book.
If you are able, please stand. Thank you. Now, I want you to close your eyes.
And think of a number. Think of a number between 1 and 100.
And we are going to get the student closest to the number, so… I want you to shout your number out.
84? 53. 37?
Our masters didn't want to play. Uh, 21.
Let's see… 15? I'm so sorry, because I just made them stand up, but Terrence is the closest number is 20.
20. Please stay standing, everybody please stand again. So sorry for making you stand.
Everyone except for Terrence, please sit down, Terrence. But Terrence, please grab a coffee. So, I want you to think of another number.
This time between 0 and 50. Whenever you're ready.
34? 34, 27… Between 1 and 50? 50, yes.
Uh… 32. Repeat again, 27.
34. What is yours? 32. 32.
So you are the closest. Thank you. It's 12.
All right, so, our staff in the audience, we've grabbed.
Please stand as you are able. Back in the audience that would like a copy of the book.
I apologize for making you look at, I do.
Okay, this time you are going to think of a number between 10 and 50.
and 50. 32 feet.
Every two years of 24. 24. 16.
3. 11.
17. 50.
13. Anyone else? Sean, are you… no? Okay. The number is 13, so congratulations. Please drop a book.
R11 was close to, so apologies on that. Um, faculty in the room, faculty in the room.
And that would include our librarians as well, so please stand if you would like a copy of the book.
And I will turn it over to whoever is ready.
Oh, one, we're doing zero… and 100 this time. 75.
The two? 75 and 20? Okay, folks, the number is 56, so 75 is closer. Congratulations!
Now, I think that might be all copies. Can someone confirm?
I think I have one more coffee. Oh, two, we have two more copies.
So students in the room. Students in the room, if you would like to participate, please stand.
Did not receive a book.
I found giving up. She's back here. Okay, okay, first one.
Go ahead. Number between… All right. 50 and 100.
30 and 100. 81? 81?
73. 35.
Is that it? Congratulations, the number is 94. Congratulations.
Last book, um… He's a horse student.
Awesome, you are more than welcome to exit if you would like to. If you want to stick around, you're welcome to.
Um, but please feel free to exit as you would prefer.
I'm not sorry. Thank you. Okay, last copy.
We'll do, too, uh, to another student. Not receivable, is it just you, Shane?
Uh, the gentleman right here. Yeah. Um… So, we're just gonna leave Shade out. Shane, we'll get you a copy, but you are welcome to grab this copy.
And it's the 500 years of Indigenous resistance by George Hill, also to want to let folks know that the Against Erasure Indigenous Peoples History Month.
Exhibit is at the library until the end of next week, so please take some time to check it out.
Um, and we look forward to you joining us on December 4th.
Thank you all again. Please finish off the food, please.
Finish off the food if you're able to, and we invite you to join us again on December 4. Have a good one, everybody.
Bye, thank you all!
I could not hear me.
Thank you. Perfect.