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The image “Homeland Security: Fighting Terrorism Since 1492” strongly relates to the themes presented in Chapter 6 of Racial and Ethnic Groups by Richard T. Schaefer. This chapter outlines the long history of colonization, systemic violence, and cultural genocide experienced by Native Americans since the arrival of Europeans in 1492. The phrase in the image critiques how Indigenous resistance has historically been portrayed as a threat. In reality, Native people have been fighting for their survival, land, and sovereignty.

As Schaefer explains, the U.S. government implemented forced removal policies, such as the Indian Removal Act of 1830, which led to the Trail of Tears—an example of ethnic cleansing. Later, assimilation efforts like the boarding school system aimed to erase Native identity. The image reflects how Indigenous people have been criminalized for resisting this oppression. Even today, Native communities face surveillance and militarized policing when they protest land exploitation, such as during the Standing Rock movement.

The term “internal colonialism” from the chapter also fits—describing how the U.S. continues to control and exploit Native lands and peoples within its borders. The image reframes the concept of "Homeland Security," reminding us that the original inhabitants of this land have long been defending their homelands—not threatening them. This historical and ongoing resistance is too often misrepresented in mainstream narratives.

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Chapter 6 gives us a look into the fascinating origins of Native Americans and how they have continued to struggle with identity for just existing in a world that has tried to erase who they were which brings into focus who they are now?  According to the reading assigned, “Christopher Columbus called these Native Americans” people of India”. (Schaefer,134).  By these European colonizers incorrectly labeling the native people of these lands, this can only be an ongoing issue with cultural recognition, respect and understanding.  Even while labeling this entire group Native Americans, we do not stop to realize there were a multitude of different cultures, languages, religions, and many things that separated these amazing people from one another. Looking at the photo invokes a couple different feelings. At first glance it seems to be Native American men fighting for their land. However, it was so much more than that. They are not just fighting for their land. They have persistently worked to maintain their sovereignty amid colonization,displacement, and cultural suppression. They have organized political movements and legal battles to be able to have control over their lands and their resources. They have survived the removal act of 1830 where the colonizers had to be moved them from the east to the west with no consideration that some of these tribes did not get along but they were forced to cohabitate. While looking at this picture, I also feel there is a hidden strength amongst these Americans. It was a small race of people fighting an entire conglomerate. This was definitely a David and Goliath story that still persists to this very day.

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Wenael Jean-Baptiste

After reading Chapter 6, I cannot lie, I'm irate to have seen this picture. I cannot believe they had the right to call these Americans "terrorists" when they were the ones doing the terrorizing. We know the history of Christopher Columbus and his misnaming of the Native Americans because he thought he was in India, but more than that, the disease and the conquest.

I knew the Native Americans' land was taken and the atrocities they went through, but to be able to see how they did it, the systems and policies utilized against them, is shocking. To have a name for the things that were done to them, to see the structure of it, and to be able to correlate it to the things going on today is very eye-opening. Take the Indian Removal Act, they forced these tribes off their native ancestral lands to make room for colonization and settlement. But they came up with policies and forced these policies on a people who had no understanding of European ways, simply because Europeans were the dominant group.

I mean, every law and policy they passed had the appearance of helping the Indians, the chapter said, but I can clearly see that that was not the case from an outside perspective. “The Indian Reorganization Act did facilitate tribal dealings with government agencies, but the dictation to Native Americans of certain procedures common to white society and alien to the tribes was another sign of forced assimilation.” (Schaefer, p. 137)

First, they kicked them off the land using European laws, as if that meant anything to the Natives; and then they tried to have them assimilate. I also see a correlation between the laws passed against African Americans and the policies enacted against Native Americans. The thing that baffles me is that they're still fighting today for land and rights. Like, I read that many sports fans and college alumni find it difficult to understand why Native Americans take offense to the use of derogatory names, and I think, did you not go to college and read your history? And it brings me right back to that picture, and I’m irate and I'm amazed.

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Alan-Michael Caswell Chapter 6 Discussion

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Alan-Michael Caswell Chapter 6 Discussion

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Chapter 6 not only give use an idea of what Native American had to struggle with while early foreigners annexed their lands during the Indian removal act leading to the trail of tears. It also gave us the perspective in the opening page that tells of the dying heritage and the struggle to keep their culture and language alive. While the early European Americans wanted to come to a peaceful resolution with treaties and federal laws that was fair for both groups. It in the end, was the needs of the settlers that pushed for the colonization, warfare violence, cultural geocide for the Native people.

This assignment and image hit a little close to home as my wife, and her family are Native American.  The Native people in this image show what real Niitsitapi (the real people) fighting for their home look like. The Native people being told to leave from Indian removal act and then being told to assimilate into White Society with false promises to share and equalize the land. It's no wonder why was see the Native people in the image using guns and not bows as they adapted their warfare to match the terroristic enemy that was the early settlers.

I remember when I first went to see my wife before we got married on the reservation that she lived on I was treated with hostility among some members of the tribe. However, there are some that accepted me into their family. It almost felt like I was being watched with the same intention as the image.

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This picture represents the plight of Native Americans in this country and throughout the Western Hemisphere from their first contact with Europeans since 1492.  Their lands were stolen and many of them were killed by disease and warfare.  They were also forced off their lands and removed to other areas.  Their children were taken from them and forced to attend boarding schools to assimilate into White society.  The Indian Allotment Act of 1887, divided tribal reservation lands into individual, privately owned plots.  This was done to encourage assimilation into mainstream society and encourage farming.  Many Native Americans did not have the skills to farm this land and much of the land was sold off and it ended up driving many Native Americans into poverty.  This resulted in a massive loss of Native American land.  The Indian Reorganization Act of 1934 was created to undo a lot of the damage done from the Allotment Act.  It encouraged tribal self-governance and self-determination.  However, so much damage had been done to the Native American communities that there was no way to recover from the losses that they had suffered throughout European-American rule.  We are still seeing the effects within their communities of the centuries of mistreatment, treaties and broken promises.

Melissa Hirst

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In chapter 6, we learn of the struggles Native Americans have faced throughout the years, starting with the “founding” of America by Christopher Columbus.  The picture above shows Native Americans with the saying, Fighting terrorism since 1492 which is quite honestly what they have been doing since America was founded.  America was once mainly controlled by Native Americans. Through various policies over the years, Native Americans have been limited to small areas around the country.  In the past and still in the present, Whites have mainly controlled the Native tribes.  Those who lived here first and worked towards all they have back then and today have constantly had to fight to keep their Native history, culture, and traditions alive.  While Native’s have fought not only for their land but to keep their tribe alive, Whites have consistently given them less than they deserve.  Natives have fought throughout history to keep their place in a country that was rightfully theirs first.

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While reading Chapter Six, we learn about the various struggles that Native Americans endured over many years. The Native Americans' struggles began when Christopher Columbus invaded their country in 1492, claiming to have discovered these lands.

The picture above, titled "Homeland Security: Fighting Terrorism since 1492", makes it seem like what Christopher Columbus did to the Native Americans is similar to what terrorists do today. Many Native Americans were removed from their homes and forced to move west. This was a part of the Indian Removal Act of 1830. Native Americans were forced during this time to abandon their lands that they had worked for many years and move. They were promised the opportunity to share the lands as long as they adopted white culture.

These many acts forced the first Natives to the land to very sections within the land. Many Native Americans were forced out of their culture and forced to practice white American culture. Many Native American tribes are still fighting to take back their land within the United States, as it has been a constant fight to take back what was rightfully theirs in the first place.

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Defending Homeland Security: Native Resistance Since 1492

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Defending Homeland Security: Native Resistance Since 1492

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Kayla Norrbom

The image, “Homeland Security: Fighting Terrorism Since 1492,” powerfully connects to Chapter 6’s discussion of Native American history. It highlights how European colonisers framed Native resistance as “savage” or threatening, even though Native Americans were defending their own homelands. Chapter 6 explains how policies such as the Indian Removal Act of 1830 and the Allotment Act of 1887 displaced tribes, destroyed cultures, and undermined sovereignty.

These forced removals and cultural suppression were justified by portraying Native peoples as obstacles to “progress,” similar to how the image ironically labels them as “terrorists.” The chapter also illustrates how this legacy persists today in systemic poverty, struggles for healthcare, and conflicts over land and environmental rights.

In this way, the image captures both past and present realities: Native Americans were criminalised for protecting their homes, and they continue to face discrimination while asserting sovereignty and identity. It challenges us to reconsider whose security was truly threatened.

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Meaghan Humble

The image of "Homeland Security Fighting Terrorism Since 1492" relates to the themes in chapter 6 of the historical injustices and ongoing struggles faced by Native Americans, as well as the impact of colonization, cultural preservation, identity, socioeconomic status and political activism.

Homeland security, as a concept, often focuses on protecting the nation from threats, both foreign and domestic. However, for Native American communities, this can be this can be a sensitive issue due to the history of colonization, displacement, and broken treaties. Some Native Americans view the U.S government's actions, historically and currently, as a form of intrusion on their sovereignty and way of life. Additionally, many Native American reservations face unique security challenges, such as jurisdictional complexities, resource scarcity, and high rates of crime. These issues can be exacerbated by a lack of adequate resources and support from federal and state agencies, further complicating the relationship between Native American tribes and homeland security efforts.

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In the image “Homeland Security: Fighting Terrorism Since 1492”, I saw correlation directly to Chapter 6 of Richard T. Schaefer’s Racial and Ethnic Groups, which examines the long history of colonization, systemic violence, and cultural oppression faced by Native Americans since the European came across the seas. The phrase shows me and comments on how Indigenous resistance has been framed as a threat, when it has always been about protecting land, culture, and their own freedoms.

Schaefer mentions the Indian Removal Act of 1830, which forced the displacement of Native nations and led to the Trail of Tears. Later, the boarding school system tried to erase indigenous identity by banning languages and cultural practices. The image highlights how Native peoples were often criminalized for resisting these injustices. This misrepresentation persists today, as seen during the Standing Rock protests, where the Indigenous are watched and face their own battles with police brutality. defending sacred land from exploitation.

As the United States continues to exert control over Native lands and peoples. The image reframes “Homeland Security” by emphasizing that Native communities have always defended their homelands, while dominant narratives have distorted their resistance.

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Kandace Frye

The picture shows Native Americans with weapons under the words “Homeland Security: Fighting Terrorism Since 1492.” This connects to Chapter 6 because the chapter talks about how Native Americans were treated after Europeans arrived. Schaefer explains that colonization, westward expansion, and U.S. government policies forced Native people off their land, broke up their communities, and tried to erase their culture. For example, he describes how policies like the Indian Removal Act and the reservation system were designed to control Native peoples and take their land. What settlers called “progress” often meant violence and destruction for Native communities. Schaefer also notes how Native resistance was labeled as “savage” or “uncivilized,” even though they were simply defending their homelands and families. From the point of view of Native Americans, the Europeans were the real “terrorists” because they brought violence, disease, and destruction. The U.S. often labeled Native resistance as “savage” or dangerous, but in reality, they were just protecting their homes and families. By calling this “homeland security,” the image shows that Native people were the first defenders of the land we now call America. It reminds us that their fight was about survival and protecting their way of life.

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When it comes to the image shown it is a piece of a social narration that depicts Native Americans. In this image it connects directly to what is described in chapter 6 of Racial and Ethnic Groups because it describes and discuss Native Americans as a found minority group and the long history of banishment and exclusion they were experiencing. The expression "Fighting Terrorism Since 1492" shows the point of when the Europeans arrived, they took over the Native Land, forcibly taking resources, as well as violently threw into disorder of the original ways of life. As far as the Native view, the ideal "terrorism" was the genocides, assimilation and policies that occurred and the forcible removals.

Reading Schafer it explains that Native Americans encountered settlement in ways that were different from immigrant groups, because they were defeated as well as confined to doubt through strategy such as the Indian Removal Act and well later the adoption efforts. Even as far as today, Native populations systemic inequalities in legacies of the colonization within, health, economic opportunity and health. The image reframes "homeland security" not as a present-time agency but as the loss of self respect struggle to protect their sovereignty, culture against decades of oppression and land.

In summary this just shows how prior unfairness still connect to current treatment, still allowing is to remember that issues like inequalities and sovereignty continuously impact Native society today.

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The image with the phrase “Homeland Security: Fighting Terrorism Since 1492” ties directly to the experiences of Native Americans described in Chapter 6. It reinterprets homeland security to show that Indigenous people have defended their land and communities since European colonization, resisting violence and forced removal.

For instance, the chapter covers the Indian Removal Act of 1830, which forced tribes like the Cherokee and Choctaw from their homelands, resulting in the Trail of Tears where thousands died. The image symbolizes Native resistance to such injustices. The 1890 Battle of Wounded Knee, where U.S. troops massacred hundreds of Lakota Sioux, further shows how Native resistance was met with violence, as reflected by Indigenous men holding rifles in the image.

The chapter also discusses ongoing struggles for tribal sovereignty and rights, emphasizing that Native nations continue to fight for control over their land, resources, and identity. Despite many challenges, including poverty and limited resources, Native Americans persist in organizing and advocating for justice—continuing the resistance shown since 1492.

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In chapter 6 we learned more in depth into the world of native Americans, the lives they lived and what became of them due to European settlers and also what we now know as the United States of America . The Europeans brought famine , death and disease with them to eliminate more than a third the of their population . Which in tern was reduced even further due to being removed and pushed to the west . With this and what they are subjected to in today’s world . They have to either assimilate in the culture of the America of today while still holding on to the identity, which can be a difficult task . As it correlates to the picture above it is a never ending for the respect and honor as it relates to true native Marxism history and preserving that for further generations . Even with the passing of the Allotment act and the passing of The Indian Reorganization Act , has there truly been progress as it pertain to maintaining true Native American identity . This is the never ending fight for keeping the culture alive for all .

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After reading Chapter 6, what stood out to me most was how the treatment of Native Americans during the early colonization period connects to the image “Homeland Security: Fighting Terrorism Since 1492.” The chapter explained how European settlers labeled Indigenous people as savages and threats to justify violence, land theft and forced displacement. The term terrorism in the image flips that history by showing who was really under attack and the Native people who were defending their homeland. It also reminded me of how the US government used policies like forced relocation and the reservation system to control Native populations.

Even today, these same ideas about security and control still affect Indigenous communities through land disputes, environmental injustice and underrepresentation in government decisions. The image is powerful because it exposes how the language of “protection” was used to excuse oppression. Chapter 6 made me realize that this pattern didn’t end in 1492 but it just changed form.

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Valentina Montanez - Ch. 6 discussion post

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Valentina Montanez - Ch. 6 discussion post

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After reading chapter six, this image saying "Homeland security: fighting terrorism since 1492" made me think about how history is told and who gets labeled as the "enemy." The chapter explains how Native Americans were the first people on this land yet once Europeans arrived, they were treated as obstacles instead of human beings with their own nations and traditions. The message in the image turns that around; it shows Native Americans as the real defenders of their homeland, protecting their people from invasion and violence that came with colonization. Chapter six also talks about ow early treaties and government acts constantly pushed Native people off their land, taking away their rights and culture piece by piece. What stands out to me is that their fight to survive didnt end in the 1400's as it continues today through ongoing issues like poverty, discrimination and struggles over land and resources. This image sums that up in a powerful way; reminding us that Native Americans have been protecting whats theirs long before the US even existed.

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Damaris Durden Chapter 6 Discussion Post 

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Damaris Durden Chapter 6 Discussion Post 

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The photo and chapter 6 highlight indigenous people's historical and contemporary struggles in the context of systematic oppression. It illustrates how policies have labeled their resistance as a threat to national security, which has led to violence and land losses. This aligns with the message emphasized in the photo because it demonstrates how indigenous people were criminalized and seen as problematic for defending themselves and their culture. The chapter also discusses how past injustices, such as broken treaties and unjust laws, still impact Native Americans today. -- Drawing parallels to modern issues like racial profiling and police violence against minorities, which shows that these patterns of unfair treatment have continued. Understanding this history is crucial for addressing the ongoing historical injustices that persist today. By acknowledging the challenges faced by American minorities, we can strive towards a more equitable society that values the rights of all people, regardless of social constructs that divide us.

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Chapter 6 and the photo shown above show the struggles that Indigenous people have faced in the past and still face today. They explain how the government saw Indigenous resistance as a threat, which led to violence, loss of land, and unfair treatment. The photo connects to this idea because it shows how Indigenous people were punished for standing up for themselves and their culture. The chapter also talks about how old problems, like broken promises and unfair laws, still affect Native Americans now. This connects to today’s issues, like racial profiling and police violence, showing that unfair treatment of minorities still happens. Learning about this history helps us understand why these problems continue and reminds us to work toward a fairer society where everyone is treated equally.

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Chapter 6 explains the history of how American colonizer have many times in the past and still to this day devalue the promise made during Columbus's discovery and colonialization of the America's in 1492. The image presented either projects the idea that Americans have had to defend themselves from the American Natives; or that the Native Americans have been in a battle, more so civil, for the rights promised to of their lands since the American establishment of Christopher Columbus.

The first is not truthful as the American's would, in every case fit the role of the terrorist when referring to the land natives; the second option, sound more like it, as they have had to deal with so much oppression and inhumane action directed to their groups; such as the Indian Removal Act that was declared in 1830. This Act pushed the Natives further West on the opposite end of the Mississippi; taking their home land. The American Government attempted to rectify these actions in 1934, with the Indian Reorganization Act, which ended allotting tribal lands, and attempted to preserve what was left of Native Americans cultural reservations; but also required tribes to develop "election-based governments and leaders" (pg 136).

Though there are other policies that attempted to work in favor of the Native Americans, I think being able to self govern their own life's how the pleased before their land was invaded, would be how their favored approach. Either way the photo is meant to represent, its upsetting that anything initial event took place to begin with that would be the inspiration for photos like these to hold truth; but, we do not live in a perfect world.

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The image, "Homeland Security: Fighting Terrorism Since 1492," provides an effective statement that strongly connects to the historical trauma and mistreatment of Native Americans. In 1492, this marked the arrival of Christopher Columbus, who started the European colonization that contributed to the many years of land seizures, violence, and cultural loss. In Chapter 6, the textbook mentions, "The number of Native Americans north of the Rio Grande, estimated at about 10 million in 1500, gradually decreased as their food sources disappeared and they fell victim to disease, such as measles, smallpox, and influenza, brought by European settlers." (Shaefer p. 135) In my opinion, the image above represents the privilege of being resistant towards the Native Americans afterward, who fought to protect the land, families, and heritage. I strongly believe that the message in the photo above applies to the present day, as these Native Americans still face major challenges in the United States of America as which has restricted their rights with environmental racism. It was very interesting to note that in the textbook of Chapter 6, it mentions, "The United States has taken most of the land originally occupied by or deeded to Native Americans, restricted their movement, unilaterally severed agreements, created a special legal status for them, and, after World War II, attempted to move them again." (Shaefer p. 148)

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Having read Chapter 6, this photograph titled "Homeland Security: Fighting Terrorism Since 1492" touched me deeply with the key messages of the chapter. This picture features a group of Native men, likely Apache warriors, armed and standing tall, strengthening the fact that Native people were the original defenders of the land we now call the United States. The word flips the script: instead of viewing Native resistance as "hostile," it is relocated to a defense of their homeland against European invaders — the real "terrorists" in their eyes.

Chapter 6 focuses on the history of colonization starting in 1492, when Columbus arrived and began centuries of genocide, forced relocation, broken treaties, and systemic oppression against Native nations. This chapter describes the concept of settler colonialism — a structure that not only aims to remove Indigenous people from their locations but eliminate their existence altogether. The photograph confronts this history head-on, invoking that Indigenous peoples have been resisting this erasure for over 500 years.

The chapter also explores how colonial violence is not only historical but ongoing, in the forms of militarized repression of Indigenous protests (e.g., Standing Rock in 2016). Indigenous peoples pushing back at water and sacred sites are met with police brutality, surveillance, and criminalization on a routine basis — tactics that are remarkably similar to those used by the Department of Homeland Security today. The photo calls out this hypocrisy and indicates that Indigenous resistance remains ongoing and necessary.

In short, this picture and Chapter 6 both point out that Native people have always fought to protect their homelands. What outside forces had labeled as "terrorism" was — and still is — a display of sovereignty and survival. It compels us to rethink whom we define as threats, and whom we embrace as heroes.

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After reading Chapter 6, I couldn't help but think about the image above. In Chapter 6, there's an explanation of how Indigenous people were not just conquered and pushed away, but also had attempts made to assimilate them as part of their Canadian and American existence. The boarding school system was created because the government thought that in order to “civilize” young Native people, they needed to remove them from their languages, cultures and identity. This is one and the same with the sentiment “Kill the Indian, save the man”, because this image encompasses how culture and humanity was lost through these institutions the image of children taken away from their parents, outfitted in uniforms, with their hair cut and being beaten for speaking their language instead of for trying to adapt to a system that they were told would better their lives.

This was not just a thing of history. Chapter 6 goes on to suggest that to this day, many Native people suffer from higher rates of substance abuse, suicide and tendencies to shy away from governmental offerings out of distrust due to the actions that these people took against their people and all because they never thought someone else could be better at making the lives of Natives better than Natives themselves. The historical legacy is rampant in the present day as well with institutions like schools and health facilities ignoring Native point of views.