Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz

About the author

Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz is an Indigenous historian, writer, and activist of Cherokee-Scots ancestry. She holds a PhD in history from UCLA and has served as professor emeritus at California State University, East Bay. A leading scholar in Indigenous studies, Dunbar-Ortiz has dedicated her career to decolonizing American historical narratives. Her major works include *An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States* (2014) and *Red Dirt: Growing Up Okie* (2002). Her scholarship combines rigorous historical methodology with activist engagement, challenging dominant settler colonial narratives while centering Indigenous perspectives and experiences.

Dunbar-Ortiz's approach demonstrates a unique intersection of academic rigor and political commitment, positioning her work within the tradition of scholar-activists who refuse the artificial separation between intellectual inquiry and social justice. Her Cherokee-Scots ancestry provides her with both insider and outsider perspectives on American colonial relationships, enabling her to navigate complex questions of identity, belonging, and historical interpretation. Her scholarly methodology draws heavily from critical race theory and settler colonial studies, particularly engaging with theorists like Patrick Wolfe regarding the logic of elimination inherent in settler societies.