Were Native Americans the Victims of Genocide?

March 1, 2018
Grades 8-11 Haugen begins his exploration into this harrowing topic bluntly, by laying out how many Americans are deeply disconnected, and at times willfully ignorant, of the destruction of Native people that accompanied the settling, founding, and building of the nation. After defining the origins and uses of the word genocide, Haugen then helps readers learn about the different opposing arguments of historians who contentiously debate that Native Americans were not, in fact, victims of such. From there, readers set out along a historical time line tracing the arrival of European settlers to North America and their subsequent actions of colonizing America and assaulting Native American culture. Haugen uses primary source material: literature, government document of treaties that were often not honored, and anecdotal accounts, all in order to circle back to clarifying the book's initial question. Historical illustrations and a tidy, organized layout including maps assist in the book's purpose.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)