Native Americans, the National Parks, and the Concept of Historical Inevitability

In this article, the author talks about native Americans, the national parks and the concept of historical inevitability. The notion of historical inevitability, always a victor's argument, is as old as the stories of the ancient conquerors. It has permeated the history of Indian America, as told by white historians, and people are still today climbing out from under its noxious message. The author contends that the organizing concept of historical inevitability becomes the salve of a troubled national conscience. Today one can recognize that the argument of historical inevitability is a profoundly undemocratic notion. Nearly every teacher tells his or her students that their lives count, they can become an army of one, history does not have them by the throat, and they are the makers of tomorrow's history. That message flies in the face of the notion of historical inevitability. The author points out that human interaction with the environment, human action with other humans, the protection of natural and cultural resources, and sensitivity to Native American history in creating narratives for the consumption of visitors at multiple national parks is always contingent on human desires, human actions, and human decisions. The American Indian Studies Center at UCLA, one hopes, will be on the front lines as it moves toward its half-century anniversary. (Contains 9 notes.)