Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. Native American history has not been taught equally alongside United States history. What have you learned about Indigenous peoples in school? What key events or people come to mind?

Teaching Suggestion: This Short Answer prompt introduces students to the theme of Perseverance of Indigenous Resistance and Sovereignty as Survival. It also speaks to Dunbar-Ortiz’s mission to expose students to a broader American history. Many students may relay experiences of learning about colonial history, which may present an opportunity to emphasize that Native people continue to exist. To encourage student discussion, consider allowing students to brainstorm their responses in pairs. You might also ask them to create a rough timeline of the historical events they have learned about in school.

• This TIME article by Ned Blackhawk emphasizes the centrality of Indigenous history to the history of the United States.
• This podcast episode from Ohio State University explores the ways in which Native history is erased from historical narratives.

Short Activity

There are many ways to learn about history.