Being an American can mean different things to different people. America is a melting pot of various cultures, religions, and ethnicities. Thus, identifying what it means to be American can be challenging. Nonetheless, there are a few defining qualities that most Americans agree on. The United States of America is a nation that prides itself on diversity, inclusivity, and the pursuit of the American Dream. However, historically speaking, the foundation of the country was built upon the displacement and mistreatment of Native Americans. In order to truly understand what it means to be an American, we must look beyond our textbooks and acknowledge the Native American experience.
The Native American story is not a new one, and it is often overlooked in American history. They were the first people to inhabit the land that we now call the United States, and their cultures and traditions are an integral part of the nation's history. Native Americans have been subjected to years of discrimination and forced assimilation at the hands of Europeans, leading to the loss of their lands and traditional ways of life. This shows what it means to be American by not only stating facts but allowing us to feel for them.
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In 1838, the U.S. government forcibly removed thousands of Cherokee people from their ancestral lands in Georgia and relocated them to Indian Territory (present-day Oklahoma) - a journey that resulted in the tragic loss of life for many. This event serves as a reminder of the atrocities committed against Native Americans in the name of