Retelling the American Story: Native Americans and the National Narrative
- Tuesday, February 10, 2026
- 1:00–2:00 p.m.
- This is a virtual event
Americans are currently embroiled in a vigorous debate about belonging and national identity. Is America, as Vice President J.D. Vance argues, “a particular place, with a particular people, and a particular set of beliefs and way of life”? Or is it a multicultural liberal democracy, a “melting pot,” or an “idea” built on the foundation of liberty and justice for all? Often sidelined in these debates are Native Americans. To fill this gap, historian Ned Blackhawk offers a powerful retelling of American history that places Native Americans at the center of the American story.
Join Professor Blackhawk in conversation with Kenji Yoshino, Chief Justice Earl Warren Professor of Constitutional Law and Director of the Meltzer Center for Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging, to discuss Professor Blackhawk’s acclaimed book The Rediscovery of America: Native Peoples and the Unmaking of U.S. History, which won the National Book Award for Nonfiction. As the United States prepares this year to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, now is the perfect time to reflect anew on how to build an inclusive national narrative.
This event is part of the Meltzer Center for Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging speaker series and is cosponsored by the Birnbaum Women’s Leadership Center. Visit our website for a list of our sponsors.
Note on Accessibility: This virtual event requires an Internet connection and computer or smartphone. Live captioning is available for this event. For any questions and/or requests for accommodations, please email Mindy.Darwish@nyu.edu 5-7 business days in advance of the event date. However, we will always do our best to meet an accommodation need when communicated.