An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States: Chapter 10–Conclusion

by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
This award-winning book traces the history of indigenous peoples before, during, and after the founding of the United States of America.

Here are links to our lists for the book: Introduction–Chapter 1, Chapters 2–3, Chapters 4–5, Chapters 6–7, Chapters 8–9, Chapter 10–Conclusion
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. upheaval
    disturbance usually in protest
    You may have read in history classes about the political and social upheavals of the 1960s.
  2. expedient
    appropriate to a purpose
    At this time in the history of the American Indian, we, the younger generation, find it expedient to band together on a national scale in meeting the challenges facing Indian people.
  3. inherent
    existing as an essential constituent or characteristic
    We further recognize the inherent strength of the American Indian heritage that will be enhanced by a national Indian organization.
  4. blatant
    without any attempt at concealment; completely obvious
    Two Ojibwe men, Dennis Banks and Clyde Bellecourt, organized informal patrols to escort Native people in areas where the harassment was especially blatant.
  5. regalia
    especially fine or decorative clothing
    On March 8, 1964, a group that included several members of the Sioux Club dressed in powwow regalia took a boat to Alcatraz.
  6. solidarity
    a union of interests or purposes among members of a group
    The occupiers’ “Proclamation of the Indians of All Tribes” expressed Indigenous solidarity, sarcasm, and good humor:
    We, the Native Americans, reclaim the land known as Alcatraz Island in the name of all American Indians by right of discovery.
  7. perpetuity
    the property of being seemingly ceaseless
    We will give to the inhabitants of this island a portion of the land for their own to be held in trust by the American Indians Government and by the bureau of Caucasian Affairs to hold in perpetuity—for as long as the sun shall rise and the rivers go down to the sea.
  8. audacious
    invulnerable to fear or intimidation
    The audacious occupation of the BIA got a great deal of media attention.
  9. misdeed
    improper or wicked or immoral behavior
    The meeting ended with a decision to lead a caravan to the tiny town of Wounded Knee to protest the chairman’s misdeeds and the violence of his GOONs.
  10. impetus
    a force that makes something happen
    The law gave many Native nations the impetus to develop strong political systems and community services, including health care, education support, economic development programs, and police and fire protection for their citizens.
  11. cajole
    influence or urge by gentle urging, caressing, or flattering
    Welfare workers and social workers who are handling child welfare caseloads use any means available, whether legal or illegal, coercive or cajoling or whatever, to get the children away from mothers they think are not fit.
  12. per capita
    relating to each person individually
    In some nations, tribal citizens receive a per capita payment, like what shareholders in big corporations get.
  13. coffer
    the funds of a government, institution, or individual
    Unhappy with the ruling, several states successfully lobbied Congress to get some of the tribal gaming revenues for state coffers.
  14. repatriation
    the act of returning to one's country of origin
    After decades of pressure from tribal governments and individuals, Congress passed the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act of 1990 (NAGPRA).
  15. galvanize
    stimulate to action
    The persistence of the elders and the rising generation raised awareness of Indigenous peoples’ concerns at many levels of US society and led to the passage of laws that continue to galvanize and influence the work of Indigenous peoples today.
  16. steadfast
    marked by firm determination or resolution; not shakable
    Native peoples steadfastly asserted their sovereignty and their rights to their homelands and the resources there.
  17. plaintiff
    a person who brings an action in a court of law
    The largest and best known is the Cobell v. Salazar class-action suit. It was initially filed in 1996 by plaintiffs from many Indigenous nations.
  18. squander
    spend thoughtlessly; throw away
    The government agencies then lost, squandered, stole, and otherwise wasted the money.
  19. dredge
    search the bottom of a body of water for something valuable
    But, Allard says, “the stones are not created anymore, ever since the US Army Corps of Engineers dredged the mouth of the Cannonball River and flooded the area in the late 1950s as they finished the Oahe dam. They killed a portion of our sacred river.”
  20. injunction
    a judicial remedy to prohibit a party from doing something
    Two days later the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe filed an injunction, and the oil company sued the chairman for blocking construction.
  21. disparaging
    expressive of low opinion
    On social media and in some newspaper comment sections, they used disparaging and stereotypical ways of talking about Indigenous peoples in the camps.
  22. ideological
    relating to the characteristic thinking of a group
    On one side, the descendants both genealogically and ideologically of General Custer and on the other side, Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse, and Wounded Knee.
  23. easement
    the legal privilege of using something that is not your own
    Shortly after the events at Backwater Bridge, the tribe called on President Obama to deny the pipeline company the easement it needed and to protect tribal sovereignty.
  24. provocative
    serving or tending to excite or stimulate
    That occurred at Standing Rock when a group of non-Native clergy denounced the Doctrine of Discovery and took the provocative step of burning copies of it to demonstrate their understanding of its harm.
  25. extraction
    taking out something
    Tribal representatives were invited to testify at the commission’s hearings on the impact of extraction industry projects such as mining and pipeline construction on Indigenous peoples’ human rights.
Created on Tue Oct 20 22:03:13 EDT 2020 (updated Fri Nov 06 09:18:18 EST 2020)

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