This comprehensive documentary history examines the systematic destruction of Indigenous peoples in what is now the United States from 1492 to the 20th century. Through detailed regional analyses, population data, survivor testimony, and historical records, the document chronicles how an estimated 5-8 million Indigenous people were reduced to 250,000 by 1900—a 95-97% population decline.
Tag: reparations
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Palm Springs’ Blueprint for Urban Erasure
Section 14, located in the heart of Palm Springs, was a vital residential area for Black and Latino communities from the early 1900s to the mid-20th century. As Palm Springs grew into a tourist haven, Section 14 became one of the few places where non-white residents could live due to segregationist policies. This land, owned by the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, became a haven for working-class families who helped build the city's infrastructure. Despite its central location, Section 14 was excluded from the city's glamorous image, and its residents were subjected to substandard living conditions, ultimately leading to a brutal campaign of forced evictions and demolitions in the 1950s and 60s, erasing much of its community and history.