Why do you think we began this week’s discussions by learning about Mesoamerican societies and their contributions?

For this week’s blog post, please answer the following questions in 350 words minimum (total). Remember, you’re always welcome to go over the word minimum requirement, just not under! Also, don’t forget to post a response of at least 150 words to a peer.

1. Why do you think we began this week’s discussions by learning about Mesoamerican societies and their contributions? How does this material make us think differently about mainstream U.S. history?
2. What were the main ideas from last week’s article “1491” by Charles C. Mann? How does the article connect with this week’s lecture?
3. Identify and describe a connection between this week’s lecture and at least 1 of our key terms from last week.
4. In this week’s documentary, “Our People, Our Culture, Our History,” how was the video organized and what were the main sections discussed? In other words, briefly describe an overview of the documentary.
5. According to the documentary, describe the Kumeyaay’s early ways of life and advancements. Next describe the Kumeyaay today.
6. According to the documentary, how has California history typically been taught?
7. According to the documentary, what does the term “sovereignty” mean, and why is it important to the Kumeyaay specifically?
8. Based on the article “Oral Traditions,” what exactly are “oral traditions,” and why are they important to indigenous peoples?
9. What connections did you notice between the article “Oral Traditions” and this week’s materials?
10.  Lastly, reflect on your overall thoughts to any part of this week’s materials. What did you learn that you hadn’t previously known or thought about? What was interesting to you, or what resonated with you personally?