Question

read the sentence from \last rites of the indian dead.\
the total indian body count in the smithsonian collection is more than 19,000,
and it is not the largest in the country. it is not inconceivable that the 1.5
million of us living today are outnumbered by our dead stored in museums,
educational institutions, federal agencies, state historical societies, and private
collections. the indian people are further dehumanized by being exhibited
alongside the mastodons and dinosaurs and other extinct creatures.
why does harjo use the word dehumanized, instead of words
like disrespected or degraded?

dehumanized has a stronger connotation and conveys american indians have been
treated as objects or animals, rather than people.

it has a more negative connotation to indicate that american indians have been nearly
driven to the point of extinction.

it has a weaker connotation to emphasize that american indians have lost their sense
of identity after years of mistreatment.

dehumanized has a more neutral connotation to show that actions against the
american indians were based on necessity, not emotion.

Explanation:

To determine the correct answer, we analyze each option:

• Option 1: The text states that Indian people are exhibited alongside extinct creatures (mastodons, dinosaurs). "Dehumanized" implies treating someone as non - human (objects/animals), which matches the context of being exhibited like non - human specimens. "Disrespected" or "degraded" are less strong in conveying the loss of human status.
• Option 2: The word "dehumanized" is not about extinction but about being treated as non - human, so this option is incorrect.
• Option 3: "Dehumanized" has a stronger, not weaker, connotation related to losing human status, so this is wrong.
• Option 4: "Dehumanized" has a negative connotation, not neutral, and the text doesn't suggest actions against Indians were based on necessity, so this is incorrect.

Answer:

A. Dehumanized has a stronger connotation and conveys American Indians have been treated as objects or animals, rather than people.