The Last Human Zoo exhibition, Belgium (1958).

What Real American Looks Like... The genocide of Native American peoples stands as one of history’s darkest and most devastating chapters. For centuries, Indigenous nations endured conquest marked by extraordinary brutality. Communities were massacred, driven from their ancestral homelands at gunpoint, and forced to undertake devastating marches across unforgiving landscapes, where countless men, women, and children died from starvation, disease, and exhaustion. Entire villages were destroyed, food supplies deliberately targeted, and sacred lands seized in the relentless pursuit of territorial expansion and wealth. Treaties were repeatedly signed and later broken when they no longer served the interests of those seeking greater control over Indigenous lands. Promises of peace were often reduced to empty words, leaving Native nations to face continued displacement and violence. Children were also taken from their families and sent to boarding schools, where they were often punished for speaking their languages and practicing their traditions. These institutions sought to suppress Indigenous cultures and identities, causing deep and lasting harm to generations of Native families. This history was not simply about the seizure of land; it was also an assault on communities, cultures, identities, and futures. The suffering inflicted across generations represents a devastating human cost of colonial expansion, while the effects continue to be felt by many Indigenous communities today. Remembering this history is not about dwelling on the past—it is about confronting it honestly and recognizing the resilience of the people who survived and preserved their cultures despite immense injustice.