The Declaration of Independence isn’t just lofty rhetoric about liberty—it also calls Native peoples “the merciless Indian Savages.” In this 20‑minute deep dive, Dr. B rips the patriotic varnish off that line, tracing how a single slur—rooted in the Latin silvaticus (“of the forest”) and weaponized by church decrees, colonial propaganda, and Enlightenment pseudoscience—laid the legal and moral groundwork for two and a half centuries of land theft, forced removals, boarding‑school terror, and resource extraction.We start inside Independence Hall: Jefferson’s quill, the Committee of Five, the Dunlap broadside hot off the press, and the first public readings that sent the “savage” signal across the colonies. From there, the episode follows a five‑era timeline—Removal, Reservation Wars, Assimilation, Termination, Extraction—showing how each policy era recycled that founding slur to justify new violence. You’ll hear how Native diplomats, Loyalists, and frontier settlers reacted in 1776; why the “all men are created equal” clause came with a racial asterisk; and how the Doctrine of Discovery still echoes in Supreme Court rulings, school textbooks, and caricature mascots.But this isn’t just history class—it’s a call‑to‑action. Dr. B spotlights today’s Land Back campaigns, language‑revitalization schools, and MMIW organizers who flip the word “savage” on its head by surviving, resisting, and thriving. He challenges viewers to learn whose land they’re on, support Indigenous‑led organizations, and confront the myths your civics teacher skipped.Resources & LinksNative Land Digital Interactive Map – find the original Nations where you live: https://native-land.ca/Doctrine of Discovery primer (U‑N Permanent Forum): https://www.un.org/development/desa/indigenouspeoples/Key books• Roxanne Dunbar‑Ortiz – An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States• Ned Blackhawk – The Rediscovery of America• Philip J. Deloria – Playing Indian• Jean O’Brien – Firsting and LastingSupport Indigenous‑led work• NDN Collective (Land Back projects): https://ndncollective.org/• Sovereign Bodies Institute (MMIW research & support): https://www.sovereign-bodies.org/Take the Conversation FurtherAsk one friend if they knew the Declaration uses the term “merciless Indian Savages.” Record their reaction and tag @mercilesssavagez.Drop a comment below: How does this knowledge change the way you see July 4th?Share this video before the fireworks drown out the truth.Follow Dr. BTikTok: @mercilesssavagezInstagram: @7thgenpodcastPodcast: 7th Generation Podcast (all major platforms)Subscribe, hit the bell, and help rewrite the national narrative—because the descendants of those labeled “savages” are still here, sovereign and unapologetic.#IndigenousHistory #MercilessIndianSavages #LandBack #DecolonizeNow #HiddenHistory #DoctrineOfDiscovery #MMIW #Native #DrBTeaches #7thGenerationPodcast