The other day while browsing Facebook I came across a 2006 piece from the Atlantic titled, “The 100 Most Influential Figures in American History.” It was being promoted by the magazine with a Facebook ad buy.
I clicked on the post and found that the Atlantic asked ten “eminent historians” (their words, not mine) to select 100 of the most influential people to shape American history. As I clicked through the list I realized that there was not a single Native American mentioned.
In the spirit of full disclosure, I am a reservation-raised, fully enrolled, card-carrying Native American (yes, we have cards, they are called Certificates of Indian Blood or CIB).
I am also an attorney, husband and father of young children. Like most parents, I am concerned about the world my children will grow up in. I pay attention to things that have the power to influence their lives. I notice when Native Americans make appearances in books, news stories and film. I also notice when we are omitted, ignored or forgotten about completely, which was the case for The Atlantic’s piece on the 100 most influential people in American history.
When you only ask people from a certain demographic to weigh in on an issue, you get biased results that reflect a limited point of view. American history is considerably more than what white people think.
So who cares right? It’s a stupid list, my children will probably never see it and no one really thinks about posts like these longer than five minutes, right? Wrong. I scrolled away and moved on, or at least tried.
In my attempt to move forward, a flurry of questions kept bringing me back to this list. “Where was Sitting Bull? Crazy Horse? Jim Thorpe? Why did PT Barnum, the circus guy make the list and not Chief Joseph or Tecumseh?”
To be sure, I re-read the list a few more times and noted how many were male and female and noted the race of each person mentioned.
Here is the count for those keeping score: 90 = male, 10 = female, 92 = White/Caucasian, 8 = Black/African, 0 = Latino, 0 = Asian and 0 = Native American.
Maybe I am sensitive to this topic because I am Native American. I definitely can’t change what I am. But I have the power to change the way I think and try to open my mind to new viewpoints. We all have that power. The Atlantic does too, and yet for this list they chose not to. In concocting this list and selecting their panel of historians The Atlantic only petitioned white people.
I am not saying that as a negative thing. It’s just a fact. I looked them all up, read their bios and saw their pictures. All very smart and very accomplished, all very white, and in the “whiteness” of these experts lies the problem. When you only ask people from a certain demographic to weigh in on an issue, you get biased results that reflect a limited point of view. American history is considerably more than what white people think.
You can’t tell me that PT Barnum, Stephen Foster or Joseph Smith are more influential in American History than literally every Native American to have ever lived. What about leaders of the Lakota, Dakota, Oglala and others who fought against Manifest Destiny and American expansion and whose resistance and treaties influenced present day American borders?
Come on, this dude can’t be more important than every Native American ever. Photo Credit: Tom/ Flickr (CC By 2.0)
What about the Natives who fought along side George Washington during the American Revolution? Surely they had more of a hand in America’s fate and legacy than the writer of “My Old Kentucky Home” or the circus guy. When was the last time you went to a circus? Heck, when was the last time you thought about a circus?
What about Sacagawea who accompanied Lewis and Clark (they made the list) along their expedition? What about Black Elk, Red Cloud or the Code Talkers who helped defeat the Japanese in the Pacific theatre of WWII?
Genocidal Andrew Jackson made the list. I guess you can influence American history by killing Native Americans, but not if you are one.
Part of me wants to forget this stupid list altogether. Part of me wants to argue till I am blue in the face. Instead I will settle to make this one point: Do not forget about us. American historians have an ugly habit of omitting important people and events from its official narrative.
This list is just another in a long line of lists, documents and textbooks that do not acknowledge or accurately teach about the contribution of other ethnic and social groups to American history. We’ve all heard the saying, “history is written by the winners,” and that may be the case, but we should know better.
The Atlantic should know better. The history of America is not monochromatic, nor are the individuals who shaped it.
Cover Photo Credit: U.S. Department of Agriculture/ Flickr (CC By 2.0)
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Russia Is About To Beef Up Its Military In A Big Way
The Kremlin announced Monday it would purchase 200 planes and helicopters as well as up to 30 ships and submarines annually to modernize its armed forces, amid high tensions between Ankara and Moscow following a Russian destroyer firing warning shots at a Turkish ship in the Aegean Sea over the weekend. The announcement comes as Russia’s… Read More
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Petition Campaign Wants Publix To Ban Florida Crystals And Domino Sugar After Toxic Algae Starts Washing Up On Beaches
An online petition campaign has garnered nearly 8,000 signatures in an effort to get Publix supermarkets to ban “big sugar” companies from its stores.
The campaign comes in the aftermath of an unusual outbreak of toxic blue-green algae that has washed up on the shores of beaches in Palm Beach and Martin counties in Florida.
The petition was launched by Ohana Surf Shop, a small business in Martin, FL and it hopes to make a big change.
From the Change.org petition:
“We are asking Publix Supermarkets to please stop carrying products from Florida Crystals, Domino Sugar and all of their subsidiaries. Florida Sugar is responsible for the largest eco-disaster this state has ever seen. Our beaches are closed due to toxic algae as a direct result of Florida Sugar’s blatant disregard for any and all EPA regulations. The releases of Lake Okeechobee fresh water is killing our estuaries, wild life and causing sickness and 2 deaths, directly related to the discharges. They are killing our economy and our way of life. Small family businesses are in distress and closing down daily. Being a Florida company, we hope that Publix will do the right thing and get their sugar from other sources.”
Ohana Surf Shop has also called for the impeachment of Florida Gov. Rick Scott over the lack of government action in handling the algae bloom problem, which many believe is caused by the release of high levels of nitrates, often found in farming (sugar and other crops).
Tourism could be affected by the algae blooms.
Nerissa Okiye, who is the Marketing and Tourism Director for Martin County, told WPTV that she has been fielding questions from people who had placed trips to Martin County before the algae blooms began.
She told WPTV that “When they’re seeing this, it puts a hesitancy. Do I want to go there?”
As we’ve previously reported, the algae has been known to cause rashes and hay fever like symptoms in people that it has come in contact with, and nausea and vomiting in people who ingest it.
According to the Ohana Surf Shop Facebook page, there is a planned protest for this Saturday (July 2) at 10 AM at Stuart Public Beach.
This is a developing story. Stay with RISE NEWS.
WATCH: Ohana Surf Shop owner confronts local leaders on algae blooms
RISE NEWS is a grassroots journalism news organization that is working to change the way young people become informed and engaged in public affairs. You can write for us.
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Is Video Game Addiction A Real Thing?
Much like gamers themselves, instances of gaming addiction are often stigmatized.
While stories of deaths stemming from three-day gaming binges in internet cafes are hyped in media coverage, gaming addiction in the United States is more often characterized by someone sacrificing their work, school and social life in order to progress in the digital space.
Psychologists such as Douglas Gentile at Iowa State University have studied video game addiction for decades and asserts that our access to broadband internet and the spread of technology have only increased addiction numbers.
Gentile believes that the global gaming addiction rate falls somewhere between 4 and 10 percent of gamers.
Who is and isn’t addicted is often hard to determine, as researchers offer contrasting definitions of what constitutes addiction.
In an interview with CNN, Gentile says games become compelling because they satiate our basic human needs for autonomy, belonging and competence.
Games put you in control, they can offer a sense of community and most games have skill curves that allow players to feel successful while playing.
Recent additions to modern games include systems designed to keep the player engaged through unpredictable reward systems.
Games such as Destiny have been called out for their random number generator (RNG) loot systems that randomize the rewards dropped for players after completing a mission or objective.
Photo Credit: patrick janicek/ Flickr (CC By 2.0)
Titles boasting millions of players such as Counter Strike: Global Offensive, Rocket League and Overwatch feature cosmetic items that are unlocked through a system that most closely resembles a slot machine.
In Call of Duty, items that bear a significant impact on gameplay are obtained through this same RNG system, giving an edge to players able to obtain higher-tier items.
Those unable to secure the best rewards are encouraged to keep playing or spend even more money on a micro-transaction system to gain an edge over others or secure coveted in-game items that hold little to no value outside of the digital game space.
Through these examples, one can assume that not only are modern games hooking players with feelings of empowerment and belonging, but the addition of systems that closely mirrors gambling has created a dual threat of addiction for gamers young and old.
But statistics and insights from psychologists only go so far in explaining the real-world impact gaming addiction can have on an individual.
Speaking from personal experience, I can recall how detrimental my teenage gaming binges were when I would sometimes spend more than 24 hours at a time playing a single game.
I would ignore school work, reject spending time with family and not leave my house for days.
The concept of these marathon sessions weren’t taboo in my friends group.
We would boast about having more than 1,000 hours logged in a game.
It wasn’t uncommon for us to lose literal days of our lives to these online experiences.
I’ve met people well into college with close to 3,000 hours played in an online multiplayer game.
They commonly have the propensity to brush off criticism about their time invested with explanations like “It’s the only game I play,” and “I still get my work done”.
But life isn’t a game, and too much time spent in the digital world can be detrimental to your health, work and social life.
This is all coming from someone who runs his own gaming website, who hosts a gaming and tech talk show at his college and has poured months, if not years of his life into video games and the culture encompassing them.
I’ve seen how gaming can foster creativity, establish connections between generations and empower the physically disabled.
But I’ve also witnessed the impact being too deeply enveloped in a particular game can have on a person.
I’ve seen friends fail classes, fracture relationships and miss out on amazing opportunities, all because they couldn’t pull themselves away from the TV or computer screen.
Although gaming addiction has no fixed definition, its credibility as a real issue in the present day should be undisputed.
The complications gaming addiction creates may originate from time spent in a digital space, but the effects are tangibly existent in reality.
There’s no reset button for the real world.
RISE NEWS is a grassroots journalism news organization that is working to change the way young people become informed and engaged in the world. You can write for us.
Cover Photo Credit: COD Newsroom/ Flickr (CC By 2.0)
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7 comments on Atlantic Magazine Listed The “100 Most Influential Figures In American History” And Didn’t Put A Single Native American On The List
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Mr. Crowfoot, you makes a pretty good argument (especially about PT Barnum). However, I politely disagree in regards to the portion about Joseph Smith. Smith and the pioneers were the first to settle much of the west and make it inhabitable, expanding American populations. In part, he sent missionaries throughout the world whose converts immigrated to the United States. The Mormon Battalion dug wells and built inhabitations throughout the west as they moved to the Pacific coast. Smith also organized the largest religion to ever form in the Americas and produced the most popular book of scripture regarding the Americas ever released. And he was more progressive than most if not all of the country on topics including slavery, harmful effects of tobacco, religious liberty, building the west, etc. His messages reached throughout the United States when he ran for president and by the missionary work which he organized which still reaches throughout the United States. Today, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is one of the largest religions in the Americas with millions of members. In the annals of American history, I think it would be very difficult to find a more significant figure in American history amongst almost any American population than Joseph Smith.
I didn’t know the West needed settling. People were already living in the West just fine prior to the LDS church getting there. Your comment only reinforces Crow
I didn’t know the West needed settling. People were already living in the West prior to the LDS church moving in. Your comment only reinforces Crowfoot’s argument that it’s hard to get an accurate accounting of the nation’s most influential when only one demographic is given the opportunity to make the nominations.
Joseph is referring that there was no official or recognizable White settles in the west. There is documentation that there were mountain men in the west. Definitely there were Indian tribal settlements throughout the west. Most mountain men deterred settlements in the west because it would impact their economic interest in fur trade. For example, mountain men did not want Mormons to settle in the west and particularly the salt lake valley and the vicinity.
Sounds like a bit of proseletyzing! Perhaps fair enough, but Crowfoot’s points are still very good ones. Your views don’t in any way convince me he’s wrong!
@JM I didn’t realize the West needed settling prior to the arrival of the fur trappers and LDS church that soon followed. The West was already well inhabited prior to that. Your comment only reinforces Crowfoot’s argument that the nominated people to be considered the 100 most influential can not be the most accurate when only one demographic is asked.
Mr. Crowfoot has some really good points. There is no place for racism or the narrow-minded in this century! If I were the Atlantic Magazine, I would revamp my list. Mr. Crowfoot has blasted the Atlantic Magazine on Facebook!