Compare and contrast the development of civilizations in the Western Hemisphere and in Europe before they met. What are their differences when it comes to treaties, warfare, and land?

Choose one of the Indigenous nations that Dunbar-Ortiz covers and explain their experiences with European settlers. What factors influenced their decisions regarding warfare and territory? How are their descendants addressing past problems today?

Define American exceptionalism and explain its connections to the beliefs of the pilgrims and Puritans. How does this covenant influence important laws and speeches?

What are the Founding Fathers’ and early presidents’ views of Indigenous peoples? Explain what military and diplomatic tools they used to take Indigenous land and whether they fit the modern definition of genocide. Why is it important to criticize the reasoning and motives of major historical figures?

Indigenous peoples often face the choice of cooperating with their subjugators or struggling against them. Using examples from the book, explain the reasoning from each side. How did European settlers take advantage of these divisions?

Analyze the role of literature, newspapers, and educational theories in promoting Manifest Destiny. How does the depiction of Indigenous peoples influence the public’s perception of them? Why do prominent civil rights advocates have a blind spot regarding these groups?

How do federal policies such as boarding schools, allotment, relocation, and termination harm the prospects of Indigenous peoples in the 1900s? Describe what forms of legal and nonviolent resistance they took to address these problems.

What are the origins and goals of the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation’s protest of the Dakota Access Pipeline? How does it use demonstrations, lawsuits, and social media to advance its cause?