""All the Real Indians Died Off"": And 20 Other Myths about Native Americans

Unpacks the twenty-one most common myths and misconceptions about Native Americans In this enlightening book, scholars and activists Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz and Dina Gilio-Whitaker tackle a wide range of myths about Native American culture and history that have misinformed generations. Tracing how these ideas evolved, and drawing from history, the authors disrupt long-held and enduring myths such as: Columbus Discovered AmericaThanksgiving Proves the Indians Welcomed PilgrimsIndians Were Savage and WarlikeEuropeans Brought Civilization to Backward IndiansThe United States Did Not Have a Policy of GenocideSports Mascots Honor Native AmericansMost Indians Are on Government WelfareIndian Casinos Make Them All RichIndians Are Naturally Predisposed to Alcohol Each chapter deftly shows how these myths are rooted in the fears and prejudice of European settlers and in the larger political agendas of a settler state aimed at acquiring Indigenous land and tied to narratives of erasure and disappearance. Accessibly written and revelatory, All the Real Indians Died Off challenges readers to rethink what they have been taught about Native Americans and history.