When we think about social justice and activism in the twentieth century, I doubt that Native American activism would be the first thing to pop up in anyone’s mind. If someone were to ask me to give examples of activism and social justice in the twentieth century, the Women’s Suffrage Movement and the Civil Rights Movement come to mind much more easily. While both women and African Americans have faced horrible injustices in the United States, neither group has been subjugated to as much abuse as the Native Americans. Native Americans were facing horrible injustices before the United States even came to be, and the article on Native American activism outlines Native American’s efforts to find justice in the United States.
I had known about almost none of the events highlighted in the article. When I learned about activism and social justice when I was in school, though, I was taught about countless different events that shaped both the movement and the United States as a whole (i.e., The Seneca Falls Convention, “I Have a Dream,” Rosa Parks). When it comes to Native Americans and the struggles that that group of Americans has had to endure, I cannot remember a single event that I learned about in school regarding their path to social justice. I think that this says a lot about the ways in which Native Americans and their history are treated in today’s culture. These people have faced countless instances of appropriation and people trying to erase their history. After reading this article, I have learned just how relevant and important they are in conversations about activism and social justice.
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