San Diego State University American Indian History Discussion & Responses

For this week’s discussion blog, please answer the following questions:

1. In our textbook, what happens in the chapter, “US Triumphalism and Peacetime Colonialism”? What quote/section stood out to you most, and what connections did you notice to our course materials so far?

2. In our textbook, what is Dunbar-Ortiz referring to with the “Ghost Dance Prophecy”? Please include specifics from the chapter, and explain how it connects to the Occupation of Alcatraz.

3. What did the “Indian New Deal” entail, and how did it relate to previous US-Indian relations? 

https://livingnewdeal.org/what-was-the-new-deal/ne…

4. According to Prof. Mayfield’s lecture, what did tribal termination policies entail? What did the relocation policies entail?

5. According to the readings and Prof. Mayfield’s lecture, how did the American Indian Civil Rights movement emerge?

6. Describe the goals and significance of the Occupation of Alcatraz based on this week’s readings and documentary. What scenes from the documentary stood out to you most, and why? 

https://www.foundsf.org/index.php?title=ALCATRAZ_P…

https://www.nps.gov/alca/learn/historyculture/we-h…

please respond to this student discussion with 200 words,

1. In our textbook, “US Triumphalism and Peacetime Colonialism” in the chapter, Dunbar Ortiz focuses on the CIA in the mid to late 20th century and how they exploit citizens through surveillance and starvation. The chapter explains many organizations that attempt to overthrow government officials. The quote that stood out to me is, “the soldiers are very drunk and come to our place-they have arms and guns; thye run after our women and fire into our houses and lodges” This shows the bad things that the American soldiers were thinking they could do to other peoples whenever they wanted. The connections I see so far to our work as we have been studying how America has pushed Native peoples off their lands.
2. In our textbook, Dunbar-Ortiz is referring to the “Ghost Dance Prophecy” which is a dance that spread to a holy man named Wokoka. This dance was performed by the ingenious people, who promised to restore the Indigenous world as it was before colonialism, making the invaders disappear and the buffalo return” (pp 153). This quote connects to the prophecy to restore their identity and resist assimilation. It connects to the occupation of Alcatraz because it is what they were doing by taking back land and fighting assimilation. It was the ghost dance prophecy.
3. The “Indian New Deal” entails the change in the treatment of Native Americans. The law was created to give back land, and promote education, farms, and self-government. It relates to previous US-Indian relations because Indians didn’t get any rights and they were not treated well, they were treated poorly.
4. According to Prof. Mayfield’s lecture, the tribal termination policies entail the termination of many tribes and they are no longer accepted, and the lands owned by the tribes are sold by the government. The Relocation policies entail moving the tribe members who were isolated from their communities. This offered low paying jobs, many also faced discrimination.
5. According to the readings and Prof. In Mayfield’s lecture, the American Indian Civil Rights movement emerged in 1968 after WW2. They emerged by the Indian New Deal because many natives served in the war and the government gave them land to live on as a thank you and also given citizenship.
6. The goals and significance of the Occupation of Alcatraz based on this week’s readings and the documentary was about indigenous people’s abuse, having the natives being kicked off their lands, and making them start all over again. What stood out to me was, “used as a place of isolation or ostracization for tribal members who had violated a tribal law or taboo, as a camping spot, an area for gathering foods, especially bird eggs and sea-life” It’s just sad to see how these people were treated
7. The Alcatraz Proclamation was for the Native Americans to take back their lands, it shows how they were treated for many years. The tone was natural, the historical illusions show that they were saying they would buy the land for “24 dollars in glass beads and red cloth, a precedent set by the white man’s purchase of a similar island about 300 years ago.” The intended audience was the American people because of how they were being treated.