Oli Sakadinsky

Humanities 11

Individual Seminar Prep

History:
1. Three thought-provoking seminar questions:
- If we could go back in time and change the events ensued by Columbus, do you think
we as a society would?
- Do you think the outcome of the expansion and the repercussions afterwards couldve
changed if Columbus had originally greeted the native tribes with warmth and politeness instead
of aggression?
- What do you think the U.S. would be like today if we didnt focus so much on
progress?
2. Three most important lessons we should take away from Zinns telling European conquest
and westward expansion:
- Columbus and the U.S. government never aimed for peace between them and the
Native Americans (Evidence: Columbus description of how they would make perfect servants
and governments constant violation of treaties).
- We shouldnt look back on Columbus as a hero because he was actually terrible
(Evidence: accounts of Columbus greed).
- Native Americans land was crucial to their cultural identity, and it wasnt right to take
that away from them/move them to the desert (Evidence: old land vs. new land).

Modern Day (The Media and Native American Identity):

1. Ways the media shapes Native American identities today:
- Reel Injun: stereotype of stoic, spiritual Indian evolving to savages evolving to drunk
impoverished people
- Alexies stories focus on drinking (how intertwined it has become with representation of
Native Americans)
- Perpetuate stereotypes coach not wanting Bennet near the alcohol
2. How learning the history we studied throughout this project helped me better understand the
modern day readings and/or the real world around us:
- helped me understand why Native Americans are so much worse off than everyone
else and the huge disadvantage they were put at: land taken away, people/culture wiped out,
foreign diseases, alcoholism, racism, etc.

- before, all I really knew was that Columbus discovered America. Readings helped me
understand the atrocities he committed, and how he was more a conqueror than an explorer.
- manifest destiny during Mexican-American war compared to manifest destiny during
westward expansion both times ended in a lot of deaths. Since its repeated itself, my
understanding is that manifest destiny is ingrained in us.
3. Three thought-provoking seminar questions:
- Why do you think Columbus is still celebrated by many Americans?
- Do you think America still could have evolved into the global superpower it is today
without the land and resources taken from Native Americans?
- Do you think, despite their opposing ideologies, that Western culture and Native culture
could have more equally coexisted without the intervention of manifest destiny?