Mr. John Stankey

Stankey and Jautz, On April 23, 2021, in remarks given before the Young America Foundation, CNN senior commentator Rick Santorum denied the history of Native Americans on this continent and effaced their contributions to “American culture.” This speech betrayed his deep ignorance of both the historical and present-day realities of the Indigenous cultures of this nation. [...] It was born of the people who came here pursuing religious liberty to practice their faith, to live as they ought to live, and have the freedom to do so.” Every word in that statement concerning Native Americans is incorrect and spreads a false narrative about the history of the land area that became the United States. [...] Further, it was Native Americans who introduced the Europeans to many of the resources, such as tobacco and corn that would become the economic engines of the colonies and later, the United States. [...] Senate passed a resolution that recognized the influence of the Confederacy on our form of government: "The confederation of the original 13 colonies into one republic was influenced by the political system developed by the Iroquois Confederacy, as were many of the democratic principles which were incorporated into the constitution itself.” We believe that CNN, along with other prestigious journal. [...] For CNN to let this fraud go unchallenged is to further call into question the journalistic standards of the media, and risk exacerbating the anger and divisiveness that the nation is presently experiencing.