Tag Archives: cass

A reverse land acknowledgment: Place names honor ethnic cleansing and slavery

I live in Port Townsend, Jefferson County, Washington. It was originally called qatáy by the S’Klallam, a place with a small lagoon and a series of freshwater ponds that allowed for kayak portages from Puget Sound to the Strait of Juan … Continue reading

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How Andrew Jackson used the smallpox vaccine against Native Americans: A cautionary tale of politics and disease

In 1832, smallpox raged along the Mississippi River. After years of bitter debate, the Indian Removal Act had just been signed by President Andrew Jackson. A sharply divided white nation prepared for widespread Indian removal to west of the river; … Continue reading

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