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1. Open with a discussion: how do you think indigenous people keep their cultures alive? Students revisit the Who am I? Board from “Awareness”. I ask students to reflect: do you think an element of your culture won’t exist in 50 years? How would you feel if your culture was in danger?

2. Students explore texts in this section in small groups. Individually, students select a topic/ theme they have seen in the stories (eg powwows). Students write themselves into one of the stories, and  fictionalize themselves supporting indigenous cultures in action (eg cheering on the fancy dancers at a powwow, learning how to make fry bread, etc). Students have the opportunity to share stories in small groups or with the whole class.

3. As possible, students contact a member of our local indigenous community, the Stockbridge-Munsee Community Band of Mohican Indians, to write a land acknowledgement for our school, and host a school assembly to share this land acknowledgement and what they have learned about indigenous cultures and experiences. In the future, the hope would be that the land acknowledgment is always shared at the start of any school gathering to remember, honor and keep alive the culture of the first people of the land. Here is an example of a land acknowledgment completed by a farm in my school’s area.

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Supportive Text: Indigenous People's Day

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Supportive Text: Indigenous People's Day

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These two articles explain why indigenous people and their allies have fought for Indigenous People’s Day to replace Columbus Day in the United States. The first article gives the history of the protests. The second article explains the reasons why monuments matter in a society, and how monuments of Christopher Columbus impact the lives and experiences of indigenous people.

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A New York Times article, following the white supremacist demonstrations in Charlottesville, Virginia, and the murder of anti-racist activist Heather Heyer, described the growing calls to remove monuments that celebrate the Confederacy. The article went on to cite some who balk, however, when "the symbolism is far murkier, like Christopher Columbus."

But there is nothing murky about Columbus' legacy of slavery and terrorism in the Americas. The record is clear and overwhelming. The fact that The New York Times could report this with such confidence - adding that "most Americans learn rather innocently, in 1492 [Columbus] sailed the ocean blue until he discovered the New World" - means that educators and activists still have much work to do.

In fact, Christopher Columbus launched the trans-Atlantic slave trade in 1494, when he sent back at least two dozen enslaved Taínos, including children, to Spain. In February of that year, Columbus dispatched 12 of his 17 ships from the Caribbean back to Spain with a letter to be delivered to the king and queen by Antonio de Torres, captain of the returning fleet. Columbus wrote:

There are being sent in these ships some Cannibals, men and women, boys and girls, which Your Highnesses can order placed in charge of persons from whom they may be able better to learn the language while being employed in forms of service, gradually ordering that greater care be given them than to other slaves.

Here, as in so much of world history, violence and exploitation is sprinkled with a perfume of benevolence. Later in the letter, Columbus explains to the king and queen that his plans for colonizing the lands he has "discovered" could be financed by slavery:

These things could be paid for in slaves taken from among these cannibals, who are so wild and well built and with a good understanding of things that we think they will be finer than any other slaves once they are freed from their inhumanity, which they will lose as soon as they leave their own lands.

A year later, in February 1495, Columbus initiated massive slave raids, ordering his men to round up 1,600 Taínos and to bring the captives to La Isabela, on the island of Hispaniola (today's Haiti and the Dominican Republic), where the "best" 500 (some accounts say 550) men and women could be shipped to Spain. One of the colonists, Michele de Cuneo, was an eyewitness to these crimes. "Of the rest who were left," wrote Cuneo, "the announcement went around that whoever wanted them could take as many as he pleased; and this was done."

It's worth pausing to reflect on the terror the Taínos must have experienced being torn from home and families, and packed on ships bound for an uncertain destination - that is, those who survived Columbus' slavery free-for-all. Where are the monuments to these first victims of the trans-Atlantic slave trade?

Gold. That was the essence of Columbus' "enterprise" - la empresa - as he called it. Wrote Columbus: "Gold is a wonderful thing! Whoever owns it is lord of all he wants. With gold it is even possible to open for souls the way to paradise." Later in 1495, to effect this gold lust, Columbus initiated the policy of forcing Taínos throughout Hispaniola to deliver tributes of gold every three months.

The Taínos resisted, of course, but were brutally suppressed by the Columbus regime. The Spanish priest Bartolomé de las Casas wrote that to quell the resistance, Columbus ordered his men to "spread terror among the Indians to show them how strong and powerful the Christians were." In sickening detail, Las Casas described some of what it meant for the Spaniards to "spread terror" among the Taínos:

Once the Indians were in the woods, the next step was to form squadrons and pursue them, and whenever the Spaniards found them, they pitilessly slaughtered everyone like sheep in a corral. It was a general rule among Spaniards to be cruel; not just cruel, but extraordinarily cruel so that harsh and bitter treatment would prevent Indians as daring to think of themselves as human beings or having a minute to think at all. So they would cut an Indian's hands and leave them dangling by a shred of skin and they would send him on saying, "Go now, spread the news to your chiefs." They would test their swords and their manly strength on captured Indians and place bets on the slicing off of heads or the cutting of bodies in half with one blow. They burned or hanged captured chiefs.

No, there is nothing murky about Columbus' record of cruelty in the Caribbean. One can read the horrific details even in the biography of Columbus written by his own son Ferdinand. What's murky are any remaining rationales for failing to topple monuments to this brutal exploitation of Indigenous peoples in the Americas, for keeping the Columbus Day holiday, or for failing to address a curriculum that, as The New York Times describes, allows children to learn that Columbus "sailed the ocean blue until he discovered the New World."

Twenty-five years ago, I wrote an article, "Once Upon a Genocide," reviewing the major children's literature about Columbus. My conclusion was that these books teach young readers that colonialism and racism are normal. Consistently, the books presented Columbus coming ashore on the lands he "discovered," planting a flag, claiming it in the name of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, and naming the island San Salvador - erasing the rights and humanity of the original inhabitants. No book I reviewed at that time asked children to reflect on who or what gave Columbus the authority to take over other people's land. These picture books were literary monuments to white European domination, and to the subordination of non-white Others.

Through my work as curriculum editor with Rethinking Schools magazine, I have been in a number of elementary and middle schools over the past couple of years. Sadly, many of the same books I reviewed in the early 1990s still populate school libraries. The good news is that, these days, many more teachers approach the Columbus invasion from the standpoint of the Taínos. One needn't tell young children about people's hands being chopped off for them to realize that it is wrong for people to arrive at your home from far away, claim it as theirs, and demand you work for them.

In classrooms throughout the country, students are putting Columbus on trial - along with the system of empire that animated his voyages. Instead of reading children's books and textbooks uncritically, teachers are asking students to read for the silences: What important information is missing, whose stories are not being told, whose lives are absent? In some schools, students are writing new children's books that tell a fuller, more accurate history of Columbus' arrival and the people who were here first. (Many of these activities are described at the Zinn Education Project, and in the book I co-edited, Rethinking Columbus: The Next 500 Years.)

And throughout the country, schools, school districts, and cities - including Berkeley, Seattle, Portland, Denver, Albuquerque, and, most recently, Los Angeles - have abandoned Columbus Day in favor of Indigenous Peoples Day.

Donald Trump may still - for the moment - be president, but he is not president of how we remember the past. Everywhere people of conscience are challenging the iconography of hate, exploitation, racism, and colonial domination. Slowly, we are toppling Confederate monuments - and others celebrating more contemporary scoundrels like Philadelphia's Frank Rizzo.

When I lead workshops for educators critiquing how the traditional children's literature on Columbus celebrates white lives at the expense of people of color, how this literature endorses the bullying of little nations by big nations, how it teaches that there are two kinds of people in the world, the worthy and the unworthy, I end by asking participants: Why? Why is it that for such a long period of time these books have told a consistent story - is there some publisher conspiracy to lie to children?

No doubt there are many possible explanations. But the one I find most compelling is that in fundamental ways, Columbus' world is not so different from the world we live in today. Big countries continue to dominate "lesser" nations. The quest for profit is still paramount. The world is still sliced in two between the worthy - the owning classes, the corporate masters, the generals - and those the Uruguayan writer Eduardo Galeano called los nadies - the nobodies. The invaded, the owned, the bombed, the poisoned, the silenced.

So yes, let's pull down the monuments, let's make the holidays more inclusive, let's rewrite the textbooks and children's literature. But let's also challenge the fundamental structures of ownership, power, and privilege that have given us such a skewed constellation of heroes and holidays.

This article is part of the Zinn Education Project's If We Knew Our History series.

Published on: Huffington Post | Common Dreams | AlterNet.

© 2017 The Zinn Education Project, a project of Rethinking Schools and Teaching for Change.

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Christopher Columbus: No Monuments for Murderers - Zinn Education Project

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By Bill Bigelow A New York Times article, following the white supremacist demonstrations in Charlottesville, Virginia, and the murder of anti-racist activist Heather Heyer, described the growing calls to remove monuments that celebrate the Confederacy. The article went on to cite some who balk, however, when "the symbolism is far murkier, like Christopher Columbus."

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Supportive text: Indigenous People's Day

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Supportive text: Indigenous People's Day

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These two articles explain why indigenous people and their allies have fought for Indigenous People’s Day to replace Columbus Day in the United States. The first article gives the history of the protests. The second article explains the reasons why monuments matter in a society, and how monuments of Christopher Columbus impact the lives and experiences of indigenous people.

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Supportive text: Stockbridge-Munsee Community Band of Mohican Indians

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Supportive text: Stockbridge-Munsee Community Band of Mohican Indians

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This is the website of the indigenous community on whose lands my school is. Students can explore the readings on history, government, culture and removal to Wisconsin. Students can learn about the sacred places that are in their back-yards, and the work the Stockbridge-Munsee Community is doing to reclaim the documents, artifacts and bodily remains of their ancestors.

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This collection of videos show the different dances mentioned in Ancestor Approved. Students can see the dances, the regalia, and hear the commentary from the emcees at real powwows. They also hear some of the history and significance of each dance, as well as recognizing where each dance comes from.

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This collection of videos show the different dances mentioned in Ancestor Approved. Students can see the dances, the regalia, and hear the commentary from the emcees at real powwows. They also hear some of the history and significance of each dance, as well as recognizing where each dance comes from.

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2023 Apache Gold Intertribal Pow Wow Jingle Dress competition.

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This collection of videos show the different dances mentioned in Ancestor Approved. Students can see the dances, the regalia, and hear the commentary from the emcees at real powwows. They also hear some of the history and significance of each dance, as well as recognizing where each dance comes from.

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Men's Fancy Solos @ Gathering of Nations Powwow Times

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Video: Why These Native Americans Observe A National Day of Mourning Each Thanksgiving

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Video: Why These Native Americans Observe A National Day of Mourning Each Thanksgiving

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This video follows organizers and protestors for the Day of Mourning, which takes place on Thanksgiving Day every year in Plymouth, MA. You hear indigenous protestors speak about why they are there, and why they are not thankful for the arrival of Europeans in North America. Protestors remember their ancestors, honor their memories and celebrate indigenous cultures.

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Why These Native Americans Observe A National Day Of Mourning Each Thanksgiving

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1. Open with a picture walk of the indigenous protests, such as those at Wounded Knee, Alcatraz and more recent anti-pipeline protests. Students discuss what they think the protestors are protesting and why. Next, students participate in an interactive read aloud with picture books in this section, discussing with a small group along the way how indigenous people are fighting for a better world. Next, students will read the article “Native American Activism: 1960 to Present”. They will connect the examples they see in the picture books to real world events and discuss in small groups. Small groups will share ideas with the class. Students use Mentimeter to make word clouds of the themes they see come up in the stories that answer the responsibility inquiry questions.

2. Students explore longer books in small groups. Students continue to use Mentimeter to make word clouds of the themes they see come up in the stories that answer the responsibility inquiry questions, and expand on each theme in a Google Slides presentation that they share with the class.

3. After reading We are Water Protectors and watching Victory for Native Americans in Dakota access pipeline, students will annotate the text of We are Water Protectors, making connections to real world events and marking figurative language. Students will then discuss: What figurative language does the author use to tell the story in We are Water Protectors? Why does she choose to tell the story this way? How do the illustrations add meaning to the story? How do the illustrations and the text work together to create the story?

5. Students will watch Gregg Deal’s Ted Talk on his experiences being an indigenous artist. Then, students will explore the Peabody- Essex Museum’s Native American Art exhibition online. Students will complete Venn Diagrams in which they compare and contrast Deal’s art and the art at PEM. Next, students will consider and discuss: Do you think they would display Deal’s art at the PEM? If so, which pieces? Why? If not, why not? Lastly, students pick a work of Deal’’s art that he shows in the video and write a curatorial panel to be displayed beside it in a museum, using those from the PEM as model texts. Students share with the class in a Google Classroom discussion.

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1. Opening discussion about how they think indigenous people have influenced the modern world, with students identifying what foods, ideas and practices from indigenous cultures they know that are still used today. Add this to a “Know” section of a Know-Want to Know-Learned Padlet. Then, students generate questions for the “Want to Know” section. Students explore respect texts on a rotating basis (ie two days with each text). Students add to what they have learned  to the “Learned” section of the Padlet. Finally, students share how indigenous cultures influence their lives personally.

2. Making a Map of Turtle Island: Students create a Google map of North America with the different indigenous regions labeled, using page 224 in Indigenous Ingenuity as a reference. As students read and engage with different texts, they add tribal homelands to their maps, including brief descriptions of what they learned about this community. Students come to understand the vast diversity of indigenous communities in North America through creating these maps.

3. After reading Hiawatha and the Peacemaker, students will read “Anatomy of the Constitution on iCivics”. Then, in small groups, students will complete a webquest of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy website, looking for similarities between the US Constitution and the Haudenosaunee Confederacy. Students will complete a Venn Diagram, comparing and contrasting the two governments, and share their conclusions with the class.

4. Students will select a section of Indigenous Ingenuity to research (eg transportation, sports and recreation, food, etc.). After reading their section, they will explain how indigenous people used this skill/tool/item in their own words. Next, they will go to Newzela, and search the name of their sub-topic and select a relevant news article. Then, they will use Ctrl-f to search the article for their sub-topic, and read the information in the article about their sub-topic. Based on the article they read, they will explain how this indigenous technology / practice influences the modern world. They will compile this information on a s’more news letter, including relevant images from PhotosForClass and a works cited section.

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This story follows a young boy and the acts of kindness he does throughout his day, such as helping his neighbors and bringing food to the elders in his community. The young protagonist is also kind to the earth and himself. We also see all the emotions kindness creates - love, happiness, gratefulness, respect. The story ends with an emphasis that all people are related. This story is a reminder of the importance of kindness across generations, cultures and backgrounds, and how this has a bigger impact on your world than you think.

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When We Are Kind / Nihá'ádaahwiinít'íigo (English and Navaho Edition)

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When We Are Kind / Nihá'ádaahwiinít'íigo (English and Navaho Edition) [Gray Smith, Monique, Neidhardt, Nicole, Walters, Mildred] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. When We Are Kind / Nihá'ádaahwiinít'íigo (English and Navaho Edition)

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This is the story of a Cree boy learning how to hunt and live off the land from his grandfather. His grandfather takes him north to the trapline, and tells his grandson about life there, living in small houses and being forced to speak English at school. As they explore the north, his grandfather teaches him the Cree words for plants, animals, and places. The boy learns how to do chores on the trapline, like gather firewood, and gather wild berries. His grandfather used to catch muskrats, and his family would eat them, but also trade them for things they didn’t have like flour. They eat a feast with the community before they leave and we learn that elders get to eat first. This story shows the continuation of indigenous culture, even though white people have tried to erase it.

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On the Trapline [Robertson, David A., Flett, Julie] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. On the Trapline

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We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga by Traci Sorell

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We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga by Traci Sorell

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This story is about the Cherokee people, and their celebrations throughout the year. We learn about the Great New Moon Ceremony in the fall, which is the Cherokee New Year. Through dances, basket weaving, and cleaning their homes, the Cherokee remember the past and the Trail of Tears, and welcome in the New Year. The winter is a time for elders to tell stories and making traditional crafts like corn-husk dolls. In the spiring, they gather the first crops like wild onions and strawberries, and make moccasins. In summer, they catch crawdads and celebrate the Green Corn Ceremony. Throughout the year, they remember and honor their ancestors, and keep the Cherokee culture alive.

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Traci Sorell (Author), Frane Lessac (Illustrator)

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Amazon.com: We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga: 9781580897723: Sorell, Traci, Lessac, Frane: Books

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We Are Still Here!: Native American Truths Everyone Should Know by Traci Sorell

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We Are Still Here!: Native American Truths Everyone Should Know by Traci Sorell

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This is a collection of stories telling the history and present day experiences of indigenous people from the perspectives of young people. Horrible historical events are covered, such as the boarding schools, the relocation of native people (to reservations and off of reservations after losing federal recognition), and the breaking apart of native families (how Edie’s grandmother lost custody of her mother in I Can Make This Promise). Indigenous cultures are also celebrated and the efforts to revitalize languages, for examples, is discussed. The theme through the book is persistence and resilience.

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We Are Still Here!: Native American Truths Everyone Should Know

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Amazon.com: We Are Still Here!: Native American Truths Everyone Should Know: 9781623541927: Sorell, Traci, Lessac, Frane: Books

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Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story by Kevin Noble Maillard

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Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story by Kevin Noble Maillard

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This is the story of a young child making fry bread with his grandma. The fry bread making is described in detail using figurative language. The ability of fry bread to bring people together is celebrated. Additionally, the time spend with family eating fry bread is emphasized. The communal nature of making, sharing and eating fry bread is connected to the communal family and the connection between the nations of indigenous people of North America. All indigenous people have adapted, but fry bread is a reminder of their ancestors and their food

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Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story

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Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story [Noble Maillard, Kevin, Martinez-Neal, Juana] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story

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Ancestor Approved: Intertribal Stories for Kids ed. Cynthia Leitich Smith

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Ancestor Approved: Intertribal Stories for Kids ed. Cynthia Leitich Smith

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This is a collection of short stories and poems, all about and taking place at an intertribal powwow in Ann Arbor Michigan. The reader learns about the different events at powwows, such as the Grand Entry, the Fancy Dance, the Jingle Dance, and the Smoke Dance. The reader also learns about indigenous food like Fry Bread and indigenous clothing like the regalia worn by dancers. All this is woven into the stories of young protagonists, finding their indigenous identities, finding where they belong, and connecting with indigenous people from across the US and Canada. These stories highlight the welcoming nature of indigenous communities.

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Ancestor Approved: Intertribal Stories for Kids

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Ancestor Approved: Intertribal Stories for Kids [Smith, Cynthia L] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Ancestor Approved: Intertribal Stories for Kids

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1. What can you learn from the values of indigenous communities and cultures?

2. How are indigenous people keeping their cultures alive? How can you help keep indigenous cultures alive?

3. How can the United States be inclusive of indigenous cultures in our society, politics and culture?

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Supportive Text: Native American Activism: 1960s to Present

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Supportive Text: Native American Activism: 1960s to Present

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This informational article explains the protests that indigenous activists have organized and participated in since the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. Many indigenous activities were inspired by the African American Civil Rights Movement. Students will read at protests, like that at Wounded Knee. Students will learn about why these protests took place and the outcomes of them.

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The months of October and November are often the only time students learn about Native Americans, and usually in the past tense or as helpless "wards of the state."

To counter this, we offer this collection of recent Native movements and activists who have continued to struggle for sovereignty, dignity, and justice for their communities. The financial and colonial drive that usurps Native peoples ways of life is not just relegated to the past; it continues today. Here are just a few stories of struggle and achievement since the late 1960s.

For Native American Heritage Month (and beyond), view lessons and resources at the Zinn Education Project.

If you have stories to add, email us at zep@zinnedproject.org.

1969: Activists Began a 19-month Occupation of Alcatraz Island

On Nov. 20, 1969, a fleet of wooden sailboats holding 90 Native Americans landed on Alcatraz Island in the San Francisco Bay. For the next 19 months, the group occupied the island, hoping to reclaim the rock "in the name of all American Indians." In their proclamation, activists stated that Alcatraz was "more than suitable for an Indian reservation, as determined by the white man's own standards" in that:

1. It is isolated from modern facilities, and without adequate means of transportation.

2. It has no fresh running water.

3. It has inadequate sanitation facilities.

4. There are no oil or mineral rights.

5. There is no industry and so unemployment is very great.

6. There are no health-care facilities.

7. The soil is rocky and non-productive, and the land does not support game.

8. There are no educational facilities.

9. The population has always exceeded the land base.

10. The population has always been held as prisoners and kept dependent upon others.

The occupiers' list of demands included the return of Alcatraz to the American Indians and sufficient funding to build, maintain, and operate an Indian cultural complex and a university.

Learn more in this profile of the Alcatraz Occupation and the film, Alcatraz Is Not an Island, by James M. Fortier.

1970: Activists Occupy Mount Rushmore

On August 29, 1970, members of the United Native Americans, with support from the American Indian Movement, occupied Mount Rushmore to reclaim the land that had been promised to the Oceti Sakowin (The Great Sioux Nation) in the 1868 Treaty of Fort Laramie in perpetuity. When gold was found in the mountains, prospectors migrated there in the 1870s and the federal government forced the Sioux to relinquish the Black Hills portion of their reservation. When park officials asked protesters how long they intended to stay, UNA president Lehman Brightman replied, "As long as the grass grows, the water flows, and the sun shines." This phase referenced President Jackson's, then General, promise to protect the life and land of the Native people of Mississippi before his massive campaign to exterminate them.

[Description adapted from " The American Experience: Native Americans and Mount Rushmore" and the international Indian newspaper, War Path.]

Watch a CBS new broadcast covering the 1970 occupation. Read more about the reclamation of the Black Hills in the article, " Reclaiming the Sacred Black Hills," by Ruth Hopkins at Indian Country Today.

1970: First National Day of Mourning Occurs After Speech Censorship

On November 26, 1970, American Indian Movement (AIM) activists occupied Plymouth Rock, Massachusetts. Known as the National Day of Mourning, this annual event was sparked by Commonwealth of Massachusetts officials censoring a speech to be given by Frank James (Wamsutta), an Aquinnah Wampanoag, at the 350th anniversary of the landing of the Pilgrims. The reason given was ". . . the theme of the anniversary celebration is brotherhood and anything inflammatory would have been out of place." James' speech included many harsh truths. "History gives us facts and there were atrocities," James wrote and went on to recall the loss of language, culture, land, and life. However, his speech closed with a call for a new beginning:

Our spirit refuses to die. . . We are uniting. . . We stand tall and proud, and before too many moons pass we'll right the wrongs we have allowed to happen to us. We forfeited our country. Our lands have fallen into the hands of the aggressor. We have allowed the white man to keep us on our knees. What has happened cannot be changed, but today we must work towards a more humane America, a more Indian America, where men and nature once again are important; where the Indian values of honor, truth, and brotherhood prevail. You the white man are celebrating an anniversary. We, the Wampanoags, will help you celebrate in the concept of a beginning. It was the beginning of a new life for the Pilgrims. Now, 350 years later it is a beginning of a new determination for the original American: the American Indian.

Today, the National Day of Mourning is meant to be "a day of remembrance and spiritual connection as well as a protest of the racism and oppression which Native Americans continue to experience. "

Read the full speech and learn more about the National Day of Mourning.

1972: Trail of Broken Treaties Caravan Arrives in Washington, D.C.

On Nov. 3, 1972, protesters from the Trail of Broken Treaties Caravan occupied the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) offices in Washington, D.C. for six days. The protesters 20-Point Manifesto begins:

We seek a new American majority - a majority that is not content merely to confirm itself by superiority in numbers, but which by conscience is committed toward prevailing upon the public will in ceasing wrongs and in doing right.

Continue reading the manifesto at the AIM website.

Read reflections on the occupation by Suzan Shown Harjo in the article, " Trail of Broken Treaties: A 30th Anniversary Memory," at Indian Country News.

1972: AIM Opens "Survival Schools"

In 1972, the American Indian Movement (AIM) organizers and parents in the Minneapolis area started their own community schools as an alternative to public and Bureau of Indian Affairs (now Bureau of Indian Education) schools with high dropout rates. Clyde Bellecourt remembers, "We were losing our children during this time; juvenile courts were sweeping our children up, and they were fostering them out, and sometimes whole families were being broken up."

Known as survival schools for their focus on basic learning and living skills, the schools strongly promoted Indian culture. [Description adapted from Education Week's " A History of American Indian Education " by Jon Reyhner.]

Read more in the book, Survival Schools: The American Indian Movement and Community Education in the Twin Cities, by Julie Davis (University of Minnesota Press, 2013).

1973: Activists Occupy Wounded Knee

On Feb. 27, 1973, about 250 Sioux Indians, led by members of the American Indian Movement, converged on South Dakota's Pine Ridge Reservation, launching the famous 71-day occupation of Wounded Knee.

Set in the same impoverished village as the 1890 Wounded Knee Massacre, the occupation called global attention to unsafe living conditions and generations of mistreatment from federal and local agencies. The occupation, which began during the evening of February 27, is hailed as one of AIM's greatest successes.

"In a way, it was a very beautiful experience," said Len Foster, a Navajo man who joined AIM in 1970 and was at Wounded Knee for the entire 71 days. "It was a time to look at the commitment we made and a willingness to put our lives on the line for a cause."

Continue reading the article by " Native History: AIM Occupation of Wounded Knee Begins," by Alysa Landry at Indian Country Today.

Watch the film, Incident at Oglala, by Michael Apted.

1975: Protesters Take Over of Bonneville Power Administration

On August 15, 1975, 100 Native American protesters took over the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) building in Portland, Oregon, in response to the killing of Joseph Stuntz, member of the American Indian Movement (AIM).

Two years after the occupation of Wounded Knee, Stuntz was involved in a controversial shootout with FBI agents on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota and was killed. Protesters at the BPA building demanded an end to the undeclared state of martial law in South Dakota, and restitution for Stuntz's young widow.

Read more at the Oregon History Project.

1978: Longest Walk Begins

On July 15, 1978, a peaceful transcontinental trek for Native American justice, which had begun with a few hundred departing Alcatraz Island, California, ended this day when they arrived in Washington, D.C. accompanied by 30,000 marchers. They were calling attention to the ongoing problems plaguing Indian communities, such as lack of jobs, housing, health care, as well as dozens of pieces of legislation before Congress canceling treaty obligations of the U.S. government toward various Indian tribes.

Read more in the articles, " Indians End Longest Walk in Washington DC on July 15, 1978," by Jo Freeman, and " Native Americans Walk from San Francisco to Washington, D.C. for U.S. Civil Rights, 1978 " at Global Nonviolence Action Database.

1981: Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation Celebrates the Orme Dam Victory

After 10 years of organizing and protesting the building of the Orme Dam, on November 12, 1981, the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation of Arizona won the struggle when Interior Secretary James Watt announced that Orme Dam would not be built. The dam was a Central Arizona Project plan that would have flooded more than half the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation reservation, most of their farmland, and the remnants of ancestral homeland. Each year, a weekend long celebration is held called the Orme Dam Victory Days to commemorate the event.

Learn more about this struggle and background in the articles, " Orme Dam and the Yavapai; A Broken Promise Could Break a Nation," by Christina Ravashiere in the Christian Science Monitor.

Watch a documentary at Arizona PBS.

1992: National Coalition of Racism in Sports and Media Forms

In 1992, the National Coalition of Racism in Sports and Media (NCRSM) was established by Native leaders in order to organize against the use of Indian images and names for logos, symbols or mascots in professional and collegiate sports, marketing and the media. While the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) launched a campaign to address stereotypes found in print and other media in 1968, the NCRSM focused directly on the issue of sports mascots, building on previous decades of work to change team mascots, stating:

These mascots and symbols serve to mis-educate all youth by perpetuating an inaccurate history and encouraging a suspension of logic and reason. Schools, teachers and students become culturally illiterate in the realm of Native history and culturally insensitive with respect to teaching tolerance and celebrating diversity.

Learn more about the long history of mascot and name changes by schools, cities, and sports team, including Washington, D.C.'s NFL team. Listen to a StoryCorps interview with D.C. teacher Julian Hipkins about the controversy.

2004: Coalition Forms to "Protect the Peaks"

On, February 2, 2004, the Save the Peaks Coalition formed to address environmental and human rights concerns with Arizona Snowbowl's proposed developments on the San Francisco Peaks, land that has spiritual and cultural significance to at least 13 surrounding tribes. This coalition (made up of tribal and spiritual leaders, citizens, agencies, business, and conservationists) rallied to protest the "clearcutting of approximately 30,000 trees, that is home to threatened species, making new runs and lifts, more parking lots, and building a 14.8 mile buried pipeline to transport up to 180 million gallons (per season) of wastewater to make artificial snow on 205 acres." Despite decades of protest, the U.S. Forest Service and other government agencies have permitted the Snow Bowl ski resort to expand, the coalition continues to protest with calls to boycott the ski resort.

Learn more at: www.protectthepeaks.org/about/ and watch the documentary, The Snowbowl Effect, by Native activist Klee Bennally.

2011: Keystone XL Pipeline Protesters Launch Massive Campaign

In August 2011, environmental and indigenous groups launched a massive campaign designed to press President Obama not to approve Phase IV of the Keystone XL Pipeline project that would run through and near tribal lands, water resources, and place of spiritual significance. On Nov. 6, 2015, President Obama rejected the Keystone XL Pipeline proposal. The Indigenous Environmental Network, representing several indigenous groups and nations, issued a press release by Tom Goldtooth, executive director, stating:

In the fight against Keystone XL our efforts as Indigenous peoples, whether Lakota, Dakota, Assiniboine, Ponca, Cree, Dene or other has always been in the defense of Mother Earth and the sacredness of the water. Today, with this decision we feel those efforts have been validated. With the rejection of Keystone XL we have not only protected the sacredness of the land and water we have also helped our Cree & Dene relatives at the source take one step closer to shutting down the tar sands. The black snake, Keystone XL, has been defeated and best believe we will dance to our victory!

Explore this issue with students in the teaching activity, " Dirty Oil and Shovel-Ready Jobs: A Role Play on Tar Sands and the Keystone XL Pipeline" by Abby MacPhail. And have students learn about Indigenous Peoples' activism to respond to climate change in "' Don't Take Our Voices Away': A Role Play on the Indigenous Peoples' Summit on Climate Change," by Julie O'Neill and Tim Swinehart.

2013: Havasupai Tribe Files a Lawsuit to Stop the Operation of a Uranium Mine

On March 7, 2013, the Havasupai Tribe, along with three conservation groups, filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Forest Service "over its decision to allow Energy Fuels Resources, Inc. to begin operating a uranium mine near Grand Canyon National Park without initiating or completing formal tribal consultations and without updating an outdated 1986 federal environmental review." In April 2015, a U.S. District Judge ruled on this suit and decided uranium mining can continue in Northern Arizona.

Uranium mining on and near tribal and ceremonial lands, as well as being in close proximity to the Grand Canyon, has raised concerns of tribal rights, environmental impact, and safety issues for decades. On Oct. 12, 2015, in collaboration with Havasupai, Hualapai, Hopi, Navajo, Zuni, Paiute, and Yavapai leaders, Arizona Congressman Raúl Grijalva announced a bill designed to permanently ban uranium mining in the Grand Canyon watershed. As reported in the Phoenix New Times:

According to a statement from Grijalva's office, the bill, if successful, "permanently protects the Grand Canyon from new uranium mining claims; protects tribal sacred cultural sites; promotes a more collaborative regional approach between tribal nations and federal land managers; protects commercial and recreational hunting; preserves grazing and water rights; and conserves the Grand Canyon watershed."

Read more about the struggle in, " Uranium Mine Near Grand Canyon Approved by Federal Judge," by Miriam Wasser and about Clean Up the Mines!, a concurrent campaign to clean up thousands of abandoned uranium mines throughout the U.S. Watch an interview with activist Klee Bennally on Democracy Now!

2016: Standing Rock Sioux Oppose the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL)

On April 1, 2016, one of the greatest organizing efforts to protect land, human rights, and the future of this planet began in North Dakota.

As described in the DAPL Fact Zine,

On April 1st, 2016, tribal citizens of the Standing Rock Lakota Nation and ally Lakota, Nakota, & Dakota citizens, under the group name "Chante tin'sa kinanzi Po" founded a Spirit Camp along the proposed route of the bakken oil pipeline, Dakota Access. The Spirit Camp is dedicated to stopping and raising awareness the Dakota Access pipeline, the dangers associated with pipeline spills and the necessity to protect the water resources of the Missouri river.

The Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) is proposed to transport 450,000 barrels per day of Bakken crude oil (which is fracked and highly volatile) from the lands of North Dakota to Patoka, Illinois. The threats this pipeline poses to the environment, human health and human rights are strikingly similar to those posed by the Keystone XL. Because the DAPL will cross over the Ogallala Aquifer (one of the largest aquifers in the world) and under the Missouri River twice (the longest river in the United States), the possible contamination of these water sources makes the Dakota Access pipeline a national threat.

The Standing Rock Sioux have been joined by members of more than 200 other Native American tribes and allies in taking a stand against the Dakota Access Pipeline. Learn more at Sacred Stone Camp website and stay up to date on news at Indian Country Today Media Network and Democracy Now!

© 2016 Zinn Education Project

2018: Ancestral Land Returned to Ponca Tribe

On June 10, 2018, along the "Trail of Tears" in Neligh, Nebraska, a farmer signed a deed to return ancestral land to the Ponca Tribe. Nearby is the gravesite of White Buffalo Girl, an 18-month-old Ponca girl who died during the forced removal of the Ponca Nation.

In 1877, the Ponca Nation was forced by the federal government to leave their home of Nishu'de ke (also known as Missouri) to relocate 600 miles south into present-day Oklahoma. Their forced removal took 55 days and killed several - including White Buffalo Girl - and is known as the Ponca Trail of Tears.

In 2013, farmer Art Tanderup retired on his wife's farm just outside of Neligh, when they found out that the Keystone XL Pipeline would be built right across their property. Tanderup and others formed a coalition between farmers, ranchers, and Native peoples called Bold Nebraska that opposed this decision. At one of the events held by this coalition, Tanderup met Mekasi Horinek, a member of the Ponca Nation. Mekasi shared with Tanderup that his grandfather had walked through his farm as an eight-year-old boy during this forced relocation.

During their discussion, Horinek explained that the relocation had been especially brutal because they were forced to leave all of the corn they had harvested that year behind. Tanderup and Horinek decided to plant corn in the middle of the Keystone Pipeline's proposed route.

Horinek tracked down corn that had come from the final crop planted by the Ponca, which had been saved in medicine bundles by the Lakota. With just two handfuls of sacred red corn, they planted the 137 year old kernels. The first harvest in 2014 was wildly successful, and the ceremonial plantings and harvests have now become an annual event for both the Ponca Nation and non-Ponca people alike. Tanderup and his family formally deeded a portion of his farm to the Ponca Nation, saying that he wanted to make the first steps towards righting the wrongs of their ancestors. Continue reading in this This Day in History post.

Recommended Article

The Spirit of Standing Rock on the Move by Stephanie Woodard, YES! Magazine, Winter 2017.

People from more than 300 tribes traveled to the North Dakota plains to pray and march in solidarity with the Standing Rock Sioux. Back home, each tribe faces its own version of the "black snake" and a centuries-old struggle to survive. [Publisher's description]

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Native American Activism: 1960s to Present - Zinn Education Project

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Overview of Native American activism since the late 1960s, including protests at Mt. Rushmore, Alcatraz, Standing Rock, and more.

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Supportive Text: Peabody Essex Museum - Native American Art Collection Online

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Supportive Text: Peabody Essex Museum - Native American Art Collection Online

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This is the online exhibition of Native American from the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, MA. The art is mostly traditional indigenous artwork. Students cans see this art and read about it. They can explore the purposes the art served in indigenous cultures, and how the art was made. They can also compare the art to that of Gregg Deal.

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Native American Art | 10,000 Years Of Native Art

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Discover one the oldest Native American art collections in the Western Hemisphere, collecting artistic works from 10,000 years ago up to the present day.

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Video: Indigenous In Plain Sight - Gregg Deal - TEDxBoulder

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Video: Indigenous In Plain Sight - Gregg Deal - TEDxBoulder

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In this video, Gregg Deal discusses his experiences growing up as an indigenous kid in a mostly white school. He describes the racism and bullying he faced. He also shares his artwork - the pieces that sold and the pieces that were rejected. He asks the audience to confront the fact that his livelihood as an artist is based on what white people think a native artist should produce.

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Indigenous In Plain Sight | Gregg Deal | TEDxBoulder

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Video: Victory for Native Americans in Dakota Access Pipeline

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Video: Victory for Native Americans in Dakota Access Pipeline

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This video shows the outcome of the protests described in We Are Water Protectors. Students can see what the real life protests looked like, hear the protestors arguments and learn about the enormous challenge that this protest was for participants. They can compare this to the story, and see the similarities and differences.

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Victory for Native Americans in Dakota Access Pipeline

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An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States for Young People By Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz

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An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States for Young People By Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz

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This non-fiction history book frames the European colonization of and creation of the United States from the perspective of indigenous people. The genocide and mistreatment of indigenous people is highlighted. The author argues that these acts of violence against and oppression of indigenous people and cultures is ingrained in what the United States has become today, and studying its history without this is an incomplete study. This book encourages young readers to think critically about the history of the United States and their place in it.

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Jean Mendoza (Adapter), Debbie Reese (Adapter), Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz (Author) & 0 more

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An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States for Young People (ReVisioning History for Young People)

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Amazon.com: An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States for Young People (ReVisioning History for Young People): 9780807049396: Mendoza, Jean, Reese, Debbie, Dunbar-Ortiz, Roxanne: Books

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The People Shall Continue by Simon J Ortiz

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The People Shall Continue by Simon J Ortiz

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This book is mostly non-fiction with some indigenous mythology mixed in. It begins at the creation of Turtle Island and the First People, and follows history to the modern day from the perspective of indigenous people in the US. The mistreatment of indigenous people is highlighted, such as violence from white people and the destruction of indigenous land by white people. The through lines of the story are resilience and persistence. Through all of this, indigenous people did not give up. They kept their culture, crafts and languages alive. In the face of white oppression, the First People have continued and do continue to be activists for a better world.

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The People Shall Continue [Simon J Ortiz, Sharol Graves] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. The People Shall Continue

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We Are Water Protectors by Carole Lindstrom

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We Are Water Protectors by Carole Lindstrom

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This story is inspired by indigenous activism in response to oil and natural gas pipelines being built through indigenous land. The beautiful illustrations celebrate the indigenous mother earth, and indigenous spiritualism about the sacredness and memory of water. The story explains how pipelines will destroy the water and land. It is called “the black snake”. The book encourages young people to stand up against the building of the pipeline to show indigenous people are still here and to protect the land and all living beings.

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Carole Lindstrom (Author), Michaela Goade (Illustrator)

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We Are Water Protectors [Lindstrom, Carole, Goade, Michaela] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. We Are Water Protectors

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Sitting Bull: Lakota Warrior and Defender of His People by S.D. Nelson

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Sitting Bull: Lakota Warrior and Defender of His People by S.D. Nelson

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This is a non-fiction book about the life and legacy of Sitting Bull. Sitting Bull was Lakota-Sioux, a leader and a warrior. He fought against the taking of indigenous land by the United States. The author uses photographs of Sitting Bull and original artwork to tell his life story, his love for the Plains, and the horrible surrender to the US, after which he and his people were forced to live on a reservation. This is a story of bravery and courage.

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Sitting Bull: Lakota Warrior and Defender of His People

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Sitting Bull: Lakota Warrior and Defender of His People [Nelson, S.D.] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Sitting Bull: Lakota Warrior and Defender of His People

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In the Footsteps of Crazy Horse by Joseph Marshall

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In the Footsteps of Crazy Horse by Joseph Marshall

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This book follows Jimmy, a half Lakota, half white child. He is on a trip with his grandfather when his grandfather tells him the story of Crazy Horse. Crazy Horse was a famous Lakota warrior, who fought against the encroachment of the US onto indigenous land. He was a brave leader. Through the stories his grandfather tells him, Jimmy learns about his Lakota heritage and feels proud to be Lakota. This book is mix of fiction and non-fiction, and celebrates the oral storytelling of the Lakota people.

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In the Footsteps of Crazy Horse [Marshall III, Joseph, Yellowhawk, Jim] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. In the Footsteps of Crazy Horse

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Notable Native People: 50 Indigenous Leaders, Dreamers, and Changemakers from Past and Present By Adrienne Keene

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Notable Native People: 50 Indigenous Leaders, Dreamers, and Changemakers from Past and Present By Adrienne Keene

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This book is a collection of short biographies featuring native people who have impacted the United Sates. These people have made political changes, are activists, are artists, or are in some other way changing the world. The issues that face indigenous people today are also discussed, such as their water rights and fighting the building of pipelines that would disrupt or contaminate their water.

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Adrienne Keene (Author), Ciara Sana (Illustrator)

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Notable Native People: 50 Indigenous Leaders, Dreamers, and Changemakers from Past and Present

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Notable Native People: 50 Indigenous Leaders, Dreamers, and Changemakers from Past and Present [Keene, Adrienne, Sana, Ciara] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Notable Native People: 50 Indigenous Leaders, Dreamers, and Changemakers from Past and Present

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1. How have white people in North American effected the lives of indigenous people throughout history?

2. How do indigenous people remember US history differently from white people?

3. How have indigenous cultures survived to today?

4. How are indigenous people continuing to protect North America today?

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Video: Haudenosaunee vs USA Lacrosse Highlights, 2023 World Lacrosse Championship

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Video: Haudenosaunee vs USA Lacrosse Highlights, 2023 World Lacrosse Championship

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This shows the Haudenosaunee men’s lacrosse team plaining in the lacrosse world championships, against the USA. This is important to the Haudenosaunee because they invented lacrosse and playing it is keeping the traditions of their ancestors alive, and it shows the contribution of the Haudenosaunee to world culture.

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Haudenosaunee vs USA Lacrosse Highlights, 2023 World Lacrosse Championships Pool A

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This is a trailer for an upcoming documentary about Alf Jacques, a well-known lacrosse stick maker who is keeping the Haudenosaunee traditional stick making alive. He explains why he chooses to make lacrosse sticks this way, and the importance of lacrosse in Haudenosaunee culture.

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In this video, a teacher at the Onondaga Reservation School explains how the Haudenosaunee give thanks at celebrations and ceremonies. This shows the importance of learning from your elders in indigenous communities, and the tradition of passing on knowledge orally.

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Supportive Text: Anatomy of the Constitution - iCivics

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Supportive Text: Anatomy of the Constitution - iCivics

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This is an informational reading that outlines the content of each article in the US Constitution. It is at a middle grades reading level. This text will be used on one of the engagements, to compare and contrast the US Constitution to the Haudenosaunee Confederacy.

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I find the materials so engaging, relevant, and easy to understand - I now use iCivics as a central resource, and use the textbook as a supplemental tool. The games are invaluable for applying the concepts we learn in class. My seniors LOVE iCivics.

Lynna Landry , AP US History & Government / Economics Teacher and Department Chair, California

Related Resources

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This lesson gives an article-by-article overview of the structure and function of the U.S. Constitution. Students learn about the duties and powers of the three branches, the amendment process, and the role of the Constitution as the supreme law of the land.

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This is the official website of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, which includes readings on the history, government, culture, and traditions of the six nations. There is information on the role the Haudenosaunee played in major historical events, such as the French and Indian War and the American Revolution. There is also information about life before Europeans, and life for the Haudenosaunee today.

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WELCOME TO THE HAUDENOSAUNEE CONFEDERACY

Through generations of attempted assimilation the nations of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy have held fast to their cultures and traditions. Today they are expressing their story through their own people with the introduction of HaudenosauneeConfederacy.ca. An excellent resource for students and teachers alike, this website shares cultural information in historical and contemporary contexts through the eyes of the Haudenosaunee. The website will provide a voice for the Haudenosaunee people in new media while providing engaging information to Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal audiences. The Haudenosaunee welcome you as you explore the unique culture held close to the hearts of their people.

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WELCOME TO THE HAUDENOSAUNEE CONFEDERACY Through generations of attempted assimilation the nations of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy have held fast to their cultures and traditions. Today they are expressing their story through their own people with the introduction of HaudenosauneeConfederacy.ca.

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Supportive Text: Wôpanâak Language Reclamation Project (referenced in Keepunumuk: Weeâchumun's Thanksgiving Story)

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Supportive Text: Wôpanâak Language Reclamation Project (referenced in Keepunumuk: Weeâchumun's Thanksgiving Story)

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This is a project that is using primary sources from the 17th century, such as a bible written in the Wampanoag language, to reconstruct this language and revive it in the Wampanoag community. With the help of languages from surrounding indigenous communities that have survived, such as that of the Haudenosaunee nations, the project has determined pronunciation in Wampanoag. This is a great website / selection of readings for students to explore to see the effects of European colonization on indigenous cultures and how indigenous people are reclaiming their culture.

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The First Blade of Sweetgrass by Suzanne Greenlaw

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The First Blade of Sweetgrass by Suzanne Greenlaw

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This is the story of a Wabanaki girl names Musquon, and how she learned to harvest and braid sweetgrass to make baskets, a traditional ingenious practice. Her grandmother takes her to a salt march to harvest. Sweetgrass also has a spiritual purpose and is used in ceremonies. Musquon learns how to identify sweetgrass by its seeds and stock, and to not pick all the sweetgrass she sees, so there is some left for next harvest. Musquon learns patience when picking sweetgrass and braiding it into baskets. The books ends with an authors notes on the Wabanaki community today, and the continuation of cultural practices, such as sustainable land use.

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The First Blade of Sweetgrass [Greenlaw, Suzanne, Frey, Gabriel, Baker, Nancy] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. The First Blade of Sweetgrass

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Braiding Sweetgrass for Young Adults by Robin Wall Kimmerer

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Braiding Sweetgrass for Young Adults by Robin Wall Kimmerer

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The author is a botanist and shares her knowledge of plants and indigenous uses of plants in this informational text. She shares how indigenous people used plants and how they have been a part of culture and ways of life for centuries. Why is the strawberry so important and celebrated, for example? It is the first fresh fruit of the spring. She encourages the reader to connect with the natural world, especially in this time of climate change and environmental concerns. Additionally, she explains how all plants and animals are connected and can teach us about our world.

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Braiding Sweetgrass for Young Adults: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants

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Braiding Sweetgrass for Young Adults: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants - Kindle edition by Kimmerer, Robin Wall, Gray Smith, Monique, Neidhardt, Nicole. Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets.

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Keepunumuk: Weeâchumun's Thanksgiving Story by Danielle Greendeer

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Keepunumuk: Weeâchumun's Thanksgiving Story by Danielle Greendeer

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This is a celebration of Wampanoag food and the first Thanksgiving as remembered by the Wampanoag people. The story is told from the perspectives of the corn and the fox and other plants and animals. When they arrived, the pilgrims stole the corn seeds of native people that had been left to be planted in the spring. Still, many of the pilgrims died during their first winter. The native people observed the “newcomers” from afar, not sure if they were safe to interactive with or not. The animals and plants want to welcome the newcomers and ask the first peoples to help them. The first peoples teach the newcomers how to grown North American plants and fertilize fields with herring. The newcomers invite the first people to a feast to thank them for their help. The book ends with a discussion the day of mourning, in which indigenous people remember their ancestors and all that was lost following the first Thanksgiving. The authors also discuss that, without the help of indigenous people, Europeans would not have survived in North America.

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Keepunumuk: Weeâchumun's Thanksgiving Story [Greendeer, Danielle, Perry, Anthony, Bunten, Alexis, Meeches Sr., Garry] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Keepunumuk: Weeâchumun's Thanksgiving Story

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Hiawatha and the Peacemaker by Robbie Robertson

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Hiawatha and the Peacemaker by Robbie Robertson

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This is the semi-mythical story of the creation of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy. Hiawatha was a warrior whose family was killed by an evil Onondaga chief named Tadodaho. The Peacemaker comes to Hiawatha and asks him to help him bring a message of peace to all of the people of the longhouse: The Mohawk, The Oneida, the Seneca, the Cayuga and the Onondaga. As part of recovering from his grief and anger, the Peacemaker asks Hiawatha to nurse the sick Tadodaho back to health. In the end, the six nations bury their weapons and form one people, the Haudenosaunee, or the people of the longhouse. This governmental system was the inspiration for the US Constitution and how the US government works today.

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Hiawatha and the Peacemaker [Robertson, Robbie, Shannon, David] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Hiawatha and the Peacemaker

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Native Americans in History: A History Book for Kids by Jimmy Beason

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Native Americans in History: A History Book for Kids by Jimmy Beason

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This is a collection of short biographies of indigenous people who have influenced the history, politics and culture of the United States. Some of the historical figures featured include Sitting Bull and Geronimo. Some of the more modern day people included are Maria Tallchief, the first indigenous ballerina, and Deb Harland, the first indigenous US Secretary of the Interior. For each person featured, their nation is listed. In exploring this book, you will see most of the people are from the Plains and the Southwest, with fewer from the east coast, speaking to the decimation of native populations in the east.

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Native Americans in History: A History Book for Kids (Biographies for Kids)

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Native Americans in History: A History Book for Kids (Biographies for Kids) [Beason, Jimmy] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Native Americans in History: A History Book for Kids (Biographies for Kids)

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Indigenous Ingenuity: A Celebration of Traditional North American Knowledge by Deidre Havelock and Edward Kay

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Indigenous Ingenuity: A Celebration of Traditional North American Knowledge by Deidre Havelock and Edward Kay

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This informational book covers the many ways that indigenous knowledge has influenced our lives today. Some of the key topics covered include sustainable land management, transportation, agriculture and food, health and medicine, textiles and clothing, architecture and civil engineering, math, sports and recreation, and the arts. This book clearly explains how technology, food, etc would have been used historically by different indigenous North American people, and how indigenous people and you can still use these skills today, such as how the Maya drank their chocolate and how you can use ashes as natural fertilizers.

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Indigenous Ingenuity: A Celebration of Traditional North American Knowledge

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Indigenous Ingenuity: A Celebration of Traditional North American Knowledge [Havrelock, Deidre, Kay, Edward] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Indigenous Ingenuity: A Celebration of Traditional North American Knowledge

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1. How has indigenous knowledge of the land influenced life in North America today?

2. How have indigenous people (individuals or indigenous nations) influenced life in North American today?

3. How is indigenous knowledge a part of your every day life?

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1. Who am I? Together, we will identify the elements of culture and I will ask students how they learned their culture (language, religion, food, sports, music, etc). Students will complete a short interview project in which they discuss their culture, ancestry and heritage with family members at home or over the phone. Students will add relevant words to a class Who am I board about their personalities, culture, traditions, celebrations, food, etc (examples include Christmas, enchiladas, Islam, English, step-dance, etc). Students will have the opportunity to share what they learned from their interviews and/or why they added the word they added to the board. This activity will be revisited during the “Action” sub-topic engagements.

2. Book clubs with longer middle grades books, labeled target texts: students explore their story and share out with the class what they learn about indigenous experiences. Students make text to self connections and disconnections, and identify the similarities and differences between their experiences and those of the characters. Students make a cultural x-ray of the main character in the story they read, and share these with the whole class. The whole class finds connections and disconnections between the cultural x-rays of different characters. Students understand the shared traits of indigenous people, as well as the diversity of indigenous experiences.

3. After reading, I Am Not a Number, students explore the Carlisle Indian School Project Website. Students will consider what was done at these boarding schools and what is being done now to educate people about these experiences. Students focus on the “present” and “future” sections of the website, which has examples of how the school is being remebered. Students create memorial “plaques” to the children who lost their cultures and/or their lives to these boarding schools using Canva.

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Video: Native American Hair and its Cultural and Spiritual Importance

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Video: Native American Hair and its Cultural and Spiritual Importance

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This video explains the scarceness of hair and braids in indigenous cultures. The cutting of indigenous hair is described as a violation of a person’s body. There are connections to the cutting of indigenous children’s hair at boarding schools to remove this part of their culture.

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Native American Hair and its Cultural and Spiritual Importance

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Video: Cherokee Pow Wow Grand Entry July 2022

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Video: Cherokee Pow Wow Grand Entry July 2022

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This video shows a Grade Entry, when all the people participating the powwow are welcome to parade /dance together. Students will see regalia and sacred objects, like staffs and flags. Students will hear the acknowledgement of the first people of North America, and how indigenous people today connect with their cultures.

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Supportive Text: Eel River Farm Site Online Archeology Collection - Plimoth Patuext Museum

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Supportive Text: Eel River Farm Site Online Archeology Collection - Plimoth Patuext Museum

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This is an online archeology collection from Plimoth Patuext Museum, and includes artifacts recovered from the form site of a Wampanoag summer village in Plymouth, MA. Students can explore the artifacts, read what the curators have written about the objects, and make educated guess as to how objects may have been used. Objects range in date from ancient times to the 17th century, showing the lasting community that lived in this area, and offering glimpses into their lives.

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Plimoth Patuxet offers powerful personal encounters with history built on thorough research about the Wampanoag People and the Colonial English community in the 1600s.

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Supportive text: Carlisle Indian School Project

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Supportive text: Carlisle Indian School Project

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This website provides information on one of the most well-known Indian boarding schools in the US. This project is working to comply archival images and documents online, which students can explore, such as the names of the students at the school. They acknowledge the last trauma the school caused for native families. They share their plans to build a museum to remember and honor the children who attended. They also share personal stories, which students can explore.

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Carlisle Indian School Project - Richard Henry Pratt Carlisle Indian School

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Opened in 1879 in Pennsylvania, the Carlisle Indian Industrial School was the first government-run boarding school for Native Americans. Civil War veteran Lt. Col. Richard Henry Pratt spearheaded the effort to create an off-reservation boarding school with the goal of forced assimilation.

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This website shows the indigenous homelands of indigenous communities all over the world. Students can see how the borders of lands are not the hard and fast lines they see on maps today. They can see where indigenous communities overlap. They can also identify the community on whose homelands they live.

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I am not a Number by Dr. Jenny Kay Dupuis, Kathy Kaser, and Gillian Newland

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I am not a Number by Dr. Jenny Kay Dupuis, Kathy Kaser, and Gillian Newland

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This is a historical fiction novel that tells the horrible story of the Canadian Residential School program that separated indigenous children from their families. The main character Irene is separated from her two brothers at the school. She is called by a number, 275, not her name, by the nuns at the school. They cut the children’s hair, make them wear uniforms, and prohibit them from speaking their native languages. Irene is burned for speaking her language, but vows to never forget who she is and where she comes from. When she gets to go home, she has nightmares about the cruel treatment of the nuns. She and her brothers hide to try and avoid going back to the school. Her father stands up for them, even though he might be arrested, and the Indian agent leaves.

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Gaawin Gindaaswin Ndaawsii / I Am Not a Number (English and Ojibwa Edition)

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Gaawin Gindaaswin Ndaawsii / I Am Not a Number (English and Ojibwa Edition) [Dupuis, Dr. Jenny Kay, Kacer, Kathy, Newland, Gillian, Sawyer, Muriel, McLeod, Geraldine] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Gaawin Gindaaswin Ndaawsii / I Am Not a Number (English and Ojibwa Edition)

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Indian No More by Charlene Willing McManis (target text)

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Indian No More by Charlene Willing McManis (target text)

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This is a historical fiction novel set in 1957. Regina and her family have live on the Grand Ronde reservation for as long as she can remember. However, when her tribe the Umpqua, lose federal recognition and their tribal lands, and she and her family are no longer legally Indians. They move from Oregon to Los Angles, where her father hopes to find a job. There, they face racial discrimination and Regina struggles with her identify. Regina wants to hold on to her culture, and the stories her grandmother tells help her do this. She speaks up for herself at school, and tells her classmates all the great things about life on the reservation, not just the stereotypes of alcoholism, poverty and depression. In the end, Regina realizes that your culture and heritage are a part of you that the government can’t take away.

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Regina Petit's family has always been Umpqua, and living on the Grand Ronde Tribe's reservation is all ten-year-old Regina has ever known. Her biggest worry is that Sasquatch may actually exist out in the forest. But when the federal government enacts a law that says Regina's tribe no longer exis...

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Rain is Not My Indian Name by Cynthia Leitich Smith (target text)

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Rain is Not My Indian Name by Cynthia Leitich Smith (target text)

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This is the story of a 14 year old girl reconnecting with her indigenous roots, following the death of her best friend. Rain’s mother has passed away and her dad is stationed overseas, so she feels adrift. Her brother is older and becoming more distant, as he gets ready to have a baby and get married. She finds her identity in being a photographer at her aunt’s Indian camp, a place for indigenous teens to connect with and explore their indigenous identities. Rain stays distant from the other campers, though. However, eventually, she speaks up about anti-native prejudice in town.

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Cynthia Leitich Smith (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

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Amazon.com: Rain Is Not My Indian Name eBook : Smith, Cynthia Leitich: Kindle Store

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Rez Dogs by Joseph Bruchac (target text)

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Rez Dogs by Joseph Bruchac (target text)

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This is the story of Malian, who is visiting the Wabanaki reservation where her grandparents live. The Covid-19 pandemic lockdown means that Malian has to stay much longer than expected. Malian doesn’t want herself or her family to get sick, so she makes sure to stay inside. She teaches her grandparents how to use technology like video call. They also watch StarTrek, tell stories and cook together. Additionally, Malian befriends a dog, which she names Malsum, which means “wolf” who lives in their yard. She thinks he looks like a dog from her dream, and that he will protect her family. Malian learns about her grandparents’ heart breaking experiences at Indian boarding schools and in foster care. This novel is told in verse is about connecting with your elders and identity.

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Rez Dogs [Bruchac, Joseph] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Rez Dogs

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Muskrat Will Be Swimming by Cheryl Savageau

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Muskrat Will Be Swimming by Cheryl Savageau

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This is the story of Jeannie, a girl with indigenous and French heritage who lives in a poor, lakeside community in the Northeast USA. She loves living by the lake and observing nature, but doesn’t like that her white classmates call her Lake Rat, and make fun of her for living in a “dirty” place. Her grandfather encourages her to make her own identity, and reminds her that animals are humans’ relatives. The muskrat, for example, who put the earth on the turtle’s back and made it so people could live there. Jeannie sees herself as a muskrat, not a Lake Rat, and takes back her identify from the bullies.

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Muskrat Will Be Swimming - Kindle edition by Savageau, Cheryl, Hynes, Robert. Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading Muskrat Will Be Swimming.

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I Can Make This Promise by Christine Day (target text)

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I Can Make This Promise by Christine Day (target text)

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This is the story of Edie, short for Edith, and how she discovers her indigenous heritage. Edie’s mom is indigenous, but she was adopted. Edie finds a box in her family’s attic with pictures of and letters from an indigenous woman named Edith, someone her parents have never told her about, but who looks like Edie. With the help of her friends and uncle, Edie realizes she needs to ask her parents directly about Edith. She learns the heartbreaking story of her grandmother, and how indigenous children were separated from their families up until the late 1970s. She reconnects with her culture and makes a short film in memory of her grandmother.

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Christine Day (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

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I Can Make This Promise - Kindle edition by Day, Christine. Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading I Can Make This Promise.

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1. What does it mean to be indigenous?

2. How does culture/heritage shape a person’s identity?

3. How do indigenous people feel they fit or do not fit in to white society in North America? Why is this?