Who is Dr. Melanie Yazzie? University of Minnesota professor sparks outrage over 'decolonize and dismantle' America remarks

Recently, University of Minnesota liberal arts professor Melanie Yazzie stirred controversy with her impassioned calls to "dismantle" and "decolonize" America.

It happened at a recent pro-Palestinian event organized by the anti-capitalist Native American advocacy group, the Red Nation. The event focused on discussing the Israel-Hamas conflict, but Yazzie's comments went beyond the immediate topic, touching on broader issues of colonialism and imperialism.

Yazzie began her address by asserting that everyone in the United States is indigenous, hailing from nations under occupation by the U.S. government. She drew parallels between U.S. actions and the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land, claiming they are interconnected.

Yazzie expressed a fervent belief that it is the responsibility of people within the United States to actively work towards decolonization, viewing the U.S. as the "greatest predator empire" ever known.

According to Yazzie, the goal is not only to remove the U.S. from places like Palestine but to dismantle the entire settler project, which is the United States.

She emphasized the importance of this for the freedom and future of all life on the planet. Yazzie also suggested a global shift after recent events in the Israel-Hamas conflict, asserting that "Palestine is the alternative path for native nations."

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Melanie Yazzie is a member of the Navajo Nation

Melanie K. Yazzie is a member of the Navajo Nation, known for her work in writing and teaching on various important topics. Her areas of expertise include Navajo/American Indian history, settler colonialism, Indigenous feminisms, social movements, and much more.

Dr. Yazzie has received several prestigious fellowships, such as the Katrin H. Lamon Residential Scholar at the School for Advanced Research and the University of California President's Postdoctoral Fellow.

In addition to her academic achievements, Dr. Yazzie is a prolific writer, with over a dozen articles and book reviews published in respected journals. She co-authored "Red Nation Rising: From Bordertown Violence to Native Liberation" and "The Red Deal: Indigenous Action to Save the Earth."

Beyond academia, she actively engages in public intellectualism and community organizing, co-hosting the podcast Red Power Hour and serving as the lead editor for the open-access journal Decolonization.

Dr. Melanie Yazzie is deeply involved in activism, working with organizations like The Red Nation, which is dedicated to the liberation of Indigenous people. She also plays a significant role in Red Media, an independent press and media project that prioritizes Indigenous intelligence in all its forms.

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Social media users criticized Melanie Yazzie for calling the U.S. a violent settler project

In a message directed to "Palestinian relatives," Melanie Yazzie characterized the U.S. as a "violent settler project." She claimed that she and her comrades possess the "moral authority" as the original people of America to push back against this project.

As internet users came across this, they reacted to it by calling the professor's statement out.

Internet users' reaction (Image via snip from X/@myinformedMKE)

Social media users react (Image via snip from X/@myinformedMKE )

Social media users’ reactions (Image via snip from X/@myinformedMKE )

As of now, there has been no response from Melanie Yazzie, the University of Minnesota, or the Red Nation to requests for comments on the controversy.