A Cal State Sacramento University professor who allegedly told his United States History class he did not like the term ‘genocide’ in relation to Native Americans in history, told a Native American student who disagreed with him that she was disenrolled and expelled from his course.
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The account is according to Native university student, Chiitaanibah Johnson (Navajo/Maidu) a 19-year-old sophomore student at Cal State Sacramento University.
Johnson says when she told her U.S. History Professor Maury Wiseman that she disagreed with his assessment that Native Americans did not face genocide, the professor said she was hijacking his class, and that she was accusing him of bigotry and racism.
The professor then dismissed the class early, apologized for Johnson’s disruptions and told her she was disenrolled at the end of the class on Friday.
I'm thinking she was the correct one, but it's hard to challenge authority without one side or the other losing face. The prof should have delved deeper into the definition of genocide, but if it's a survey course maybe there's no time. And the students may not have been ready for a challenge
I don't think anyone has to be reprimanded or expelled. Genocide is a post WWII term that at first was used to describe modern slaughters where modern communications like radio was used to incite the populace. By that definition, genocide was not practiced against Native Americans. Other scholars say this is much too narrow and should include newspaper incitement. Others say this is still too narrow and should include all kinds of slaughters where elimination was the goal.
They need to first figure out exactly what they're talking about. And everyone can go home happy they 'won' the argument.
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