ABSTRACT
The United States is often thought of as a liberal democracy, an open society or meritocracy, in which an individual is free to pursue his or her dream unfettered by artificial barriers or types of discrimination. As the “land of opportunity,” this society is viewed positively as one of the world’s greatest industrial democracies. As is well-known, North America was once the home of hundreds of Indian tribes with varying languages, cultures, and political systems. While some have become extinct, their total numbers continue to increase significantly, despite the harsh treatment they have experienced in the society. Their broad cultural variety has ensured their lack of political unity; nevertheless, they have all been subject to similarly negative and destructive treatment by the invading colonists. The United States clearly represents a colonial context in which the indigenous population was subordinated, stripped of most of its resources and power, and relegated to largely excluded regions of the country.
