I read your article — “The White Sands discovery only confirms what Indigenous people have said all along” (November 2021) — and thought about a conversation I had with my 16-year-old daughter. She was livid and outraged about her American history class, because she wasn’t satisfied with what she’s being taught. She told me, “Native Americans had their ways for thousands of years, and the Europeans came and took it because they could, then tried to make it their own.”
Those of us who understand our histories as people of color (my daughter and I are African Americans) know that our stories will never be told right. Our accomplishments are diminished, our history and legacies whitewashed, our pains and struggles erased. Those in the scientific community are unwilling to acknowledge the global footprint of Native Americans and other civilizations, as they stand to benefit (and perpetuate from) whiteness.
Thank you for such a well-written, truth-filled article.
Misty Aoudia
Edina, Minnesota
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline Letter: White Sands discovery.
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