Democracy Now!
On Retelling the History of “Indian Life Rather Than Indian Death”
“President Trump is under fire for appearing to joke about the genocide of indigenous people as part of a racist attack on Sen. Elizabeth Warren. After Warren formally entered the 2020 presidential race, Trump tweeted, “Today Elizabeth Warren, sometimes referred to by me as Pocahontas, joined the race for President. Will she run as our first Native American presidential candidate, or has she decided that after 32 years, this is not playing so well anymore? See you on the campaign TRAIL, Liz!” Trump appeared to reference the Trail of Tears, the forced relocation in the 1830s of indigenous people from the Southeast, which killed thousands. We continue our discussion with David Treuer, author of the stunning new book, “The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee,” an examination of Native America from 1890 to the present day. The book takes its name from the 1970 classic by Dee Brown, “Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee,” which tells the story of the Wounded Knee massacre. Treuer’s powerful mix of memoir, extensive interview and storytelling presents decades of indigenous history that have been sidelined by the mainstream. David Treuer is Ojibwe from the Leech Lake Reservation in northern Minnesota. He teaches literature and creative writing at the University of Southern California.”
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