I recently wrote “These past several days we  have heard the qualification “the largest mass shooting (in modern history)”.  I think it is important to acknowledge, unfortunately, numerous occasions in the history of this country when even larger numbers of  people, people of color, and Native Americans, were killed.”

There have been a number of articles related to this recently, further explaining why this is important.

“This is not to diminish the tragedy of what happened on Sunday and the tremendous grief and suffering that the attack caused. But it is important to remember our past and not ignore other significant massacres that have left communities scarred for generations. It is especially important because many of these massacres happened to communities of color; failing to tell their stories, and their sufferings, only reinforces the narrative that their lives do not matter.”  Media Called Out on Claim Las Vegas Was Deadliest Shooting in U.S. History, from Healing Minnesota Stories, Working towards understanding and healing between Native American and non-Native peoples.

Christina Woods, who is Anishinaabe, posted the following image and comment on her Facebook page.

The media claims the Las Vegas shooting was the biggest in our HISTORY. Not true… what kind of citizens forget their own massacres? The kind that practice several form of bias. …   Don’t let the media white wash any of this!

Michael Harriot writes in The Root, Las Vegas Is Only the Deadliest Shooting in US History Because They Don’t Count Black Lives

And German Lopez writes on VOX.com  Is Las Vegas the worst mass shooting in US history? It’s surprisingly complicated.  It depends on what counts as a mass shooting — and the typical definition leaves out some pretty bad attacks.