I. What is an “origin story”?noun. 1. A backstory, or established background narrative, that informs the identity and•motivations of heroes and villains in a comic book or similar fictional work2. An account revealing how a character or group of people became a protagonistor antagonist, and it adds to the overall interest and complexity of a narrative, often givingreasons for their intentions.II. Historical perspectiverefers to both the worldviews of the historical actors we study as well as the worldviews•we as students of history bring to analyzing the past. Understanding perspectives helps usbetter appreciate different points of view and howsome stories become dominant historicalnarratives and others are erased.[For example] The Bering Land Bridge◦Theory and Western PerspectiveDominant historical and archaeological‣theories argue that North America waspopulated by a massive migration ofpeople from Asia who walked across aBering Land Bridge that connectedSiberia (current day Russia) to Alaska.Turtle Island and Indigenous Perspective◦Native narratives argue that the people of‣North America are not migrants, butindigenous of the land.According to the Ojibwe origin story, a‣KEY UNDERSTANDINGS- Indigenous societies were complex anddiverse (ethically, linguistically, culturally,socially, geographically)- Indigenous societies resisted Europeanconquest, conversion, and colonization.KEY QUESTIONHow do the people we are going tolook at today and in this unit, seethemselves and their world?Introduction to Indigenous AmericaWhat do origin stories tellus about perspective? great turtle sacrificed its life to support theweight of the earth. This story illustratesthe great significance that land and theenvironment command for native people.This perspective often contradicts westernperspectives of colonialism thatemphasize conquest.The role of geography•Geography played a key role in shaping the diversity of indigenous nations.◦It explains why different societies were nomadic or settled◦Land is central to the experience of indigeneity; native people are OF the land◦How did geography shape native ways of existence and survival?◦The Nations of the Plains‣The Plains Indians (Sioux, Comanche, Wichita) lived on flat lands in and•around the Dakotas, Wyoming, etc. not conducive to large-scale farming.Engaged in hunting and led migratory lives•More migratory nations = more susceptible to settler conquest◦The Nations of New York‣The Iroquois Nation, in and around the Great Lakes, lived in areas conducive•to farming, hunting, and gathering. Their longhouses ( a large communalvillage house) served as family and communal dwellings which representedthe non-nomadic, settled way of life.The Nations of Southern California‣A temperate climate lent itself to hunting, gathering, and some agricultural•practices.Tribes included the Tongva, Chumash, Agua Caliete, and others.•LA is the home to thousands of other native people from the Pacific and Latin•America.◦Connection with Indigenous people and the Land Bridge•That indigenous people descend from people from the The Bering Land Bridge; it’s◦important to acknowledge them as native people of the land b/c 1. That’s what theyprefer, so out of respect that is what we should acknowledge them as and 2. Itacknowledges that they have rights to this land instead of people who are migratingor “passing through”; this stops the continuous thinking and actions of colonization.The first wave of the destruction of Native California was the Mission System:•How were indigenoussocieties complex anddiverse? There were a total of 21 missions built, started by Junipero Serra, and they were built◦as an extension of Spain. It was an enslavement of California Natives where murderand sexual assault took place. The Spanish army displayed control and violencethroughout the missions.The second wave of the destruction of Native California was the Gold Rush:•It came and changed lives at a rapid rate in a short amount of time. It caused◦environmental desecration and was the permitted driving force behind the massgenocide (80% of the Cali. Indian population lost) of the California Indians.The third wave of the destruction of Native California was forced assimilation and the•boarding schools:Many children were taken away from their homes and forced to go to boarding school◦to only be given a moderate education and taught “the white man’s religion”. Thisstripped them of success and caused them to be socially and emotionally isolatedfrom their culture.God, Glory, Gold•Spain was the first European power to begin wide-scale conquest and colonization of◦the Americas; Spanish conquistadors were motivated by:God— The desire to spread Catholicism‣Glory— The desire to build the power and prestige of the Spanish Empire through‣global conquestGold— The desire to extract mineral and natural wealth and other natural‣resources from the Americas for trade and wealthEQ: “How do we justify things?” They justified their conquest through the Doctrine of◦DiscoveryResistance to Conquest and Conversion•Indigenous people fought back in various ways:•Maintaining cultural and spiritual practices, often hidden from Spanish conquistadores◦and missionariesMigrating inland to escape European incursion◦Outright warfare, such as the Pueblo◦Revolt of 1680The Spanish subdued many native nations by•the 18th century due to factors, such as:The decimation of Natives due to◦European diseasesEuropean weaponry◦Disunity and infighting between native◦nationsHow did indigenous peopleresist colonization?
