Native Peoples of North America

De: Daniel M. Cobb, The Great Courses

Narrado por: Daniel M. Cobb

History, for all its facts and figures, names and dates, is ultimately subjective. You learn the points of view your teachers provide, the perspectives that books offer, and the conclusions you draw yourself based on the facts you were given. Hearing different angles on historical events gives you a more insightful, accurate, and rewarding understanding of events - especially when a new viewpoint challenges the story you thought you knew.

Now the Great Courses has partnered with Smithsonian to bring you a course that will greatly expand your understanding of American history. This course, Native Peoples of North America, pairs the unmatched resources and expertise of the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian with the unparalleled knowledge of Professor Daniel M. Cobb of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to provide a multidisciplinary view of American history, revealing new perspectives on the historical and contemporary experiences of indigenous peoples and their impact on the history of our country.

This insightful and unique 24-lecture course helps disprove myths and stereotypes that many people take as fact. Professor Cobb presents a different account of the Seven Years' War, the American Revolution, the War of 1812, the Civil War, the Gold Rush, the Transcontinental Railroad, and beyond, providing the stories of the American Indian people who fought and negotiated to preserve their ancestral lands.

Native Peoples of North America recounts an epic story of resistance and accommodation, persistence and adaption, extraordinary hardship and survival across more than 500 years of colonial encounter. As the Smithsonian curators stated, "The past never changes. But the way we understand it, learn about it, and know about it changes all the time." Be prepared - this course is going to change how you understand American history. And no matter how much you know about this subject, you will be surprised.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©2016 The Great Courses (P)2016 The Teaching Company, LLC

Worthwhile, but frustrating

Any additional comments?
The last half of the course is much better than the first since it recounts more recent history and Native Americans are allowed to speak for themselves through their writings. In the first half, Prof. Cobb too frequently ascribes thoughts, feelings and intentions to Native historical figures who left no records on which to base such conclusions. In Lecture 4, for example, he somehow intuits Matoaka’s motives in assisting the Virginia colony and divines that her actions were orchestrated by her father, Powhatan. No evidence is cited to support this interpretation of events, and the PDF Course Guide contains no documentation other than a thin suggested reading list. Prof. Cobb may be right, but it would be nice if listeners could somehow follow the path which led him to his often revisionist view of history.

I learned so much

This gives a very different understanding of Native Americans and their contributions to our country, while showing how poorly they have been treated. So glad I invested the time in listening.

I Love The Positive Perspective

Regardless of how disheartening the information provide was Daniel kept to his theme of not playing the victim. Although many of the most courageous people lost their lives in the battle for sovereignty and although there are many disparities plaguing the community they have and continue to survive.

Native lectures

Very informative Helpful in expanding my perspectives. Thank you for this growth in diversity understanding

very humbling.

Having been raised in the Southwest I always thought I knew the story of the native Americans. This book proved to me how wrong and misguided I was. Excellent material this should be mandatory learning in high schools.

Broader understanding of American Native Indiians

Developed a deeper appreciation for the American Native Indjian people and their history i.n conjunction with the establishment of the USA.

OK, but misleading title

The author apparently doesn't know what North America is. But the book is not bad overall.

SUBJECT: It focuses quite a bit on government relations with tribes, including various legal and diplomatic issues. Art, culture, music, language, etc are mentioned, but if these are your main interest, this is not the book for you.

TIME: The time span is essentially European contact through the present. There is not much about pre-contact life on the front end. And on the back end, whereas some books on this topic might choose to end with 1890, in this book 1890 is about the midpoint. There is significant focus on more recent history.

PLACE: Despite the title, it is exclusively about the USA (and predecessor colonies), mentioning Canada and Mexico only when events overlap the border. It is mostly about the lower 48 states of the USA, with some mentions of Alaska, and perhaps one passing mention of Hawaii.

NARRATOR: The narrator is good enough. I lost focus and had to back up a few times, but probably due to the dry subject, not specifically the narrator's style.

SUMMARY: Overall I am glad I chose it, but I can't give it a 5 star rave review.

Good information, but hateful undertones

To date, I have yet to listen to anything from the great courses that have been decent, and this is about the same quality as the bible lady I heard. I hear these words, "invasion", "slaughtered". From the way, he is talking it sounds like the Europeans planned to kill all the natives, and I never agreed with that. Small Pox killed 90% of the Native population. Even if the Europeans hadn't colonized the west, the Natives wouldn't have survived with so many dead. And that wasn't done on purpose, that was just life. Disease happens. When the fur trade started, and the west wanted furs, they gave guns to the natives and agreed to pay a LOT for furs. The natives went and got the furs. When they ran out of furs they started killing themselves to get the furs. That isn't racist to say, that is just the truth. The natives weren't perfect people that lived a perfect life and never sinned. And the Europeans weren't evil terrible people with a plan to kill innocent people because they could. And to draw such a black and white line is to MASSIVELY oversimplify history.

I have been looking for this kind of "information"

Excellent. Much much more than I could have hoped for. Have gained many new perspectives, and yes, I will be spending more time learning. I will return to listen to these lectures again and will share them with my friends. Thank You.

One of the best lessons in North American Indigenous History. Highly recommended for anyone seeking better understanding of the rich history and cultures of Native Peoples.