https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk Students will understand and respect the influence of Indigenous people on modern North American. Students will critically consider the treatment of indigenous people in history and today. Students will take action to remember and keep alive indigenous cultures. en-us 2023-07-26 17:25:50 UTC 2023-07-27 20:30:17 UTC hello@padlet.com skylarmead https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2651640478

What does it mean to be indigenous?

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

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

]]> 2023-07-26 17:30:42 UTC https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2651640478 skylarmead https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2651640948 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.

]]> 2023-07-26 17:32:12 UTC https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2651640948 skylarmead https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2651641331 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.

]]> 2023-07-26 17:33:20 UTC https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2651641331 skylarmead https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2651641814 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.

]]> 2023-07-26 17:34:54 UTC https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2651641814 skylarmead https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2651642141 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.

]]> 2023-07-26 17:35:52 UTC https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2651642141 skylarmead https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2651642455 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.

]]> 2023-07-26 17:36:56 UTC https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2651642455 skylarmead https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2651642960 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.

]]> 2023-07-26 17:38:26 UTC https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2651642960 skylarmead https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2651643739 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.

]]> 2023-07-26 17:41:23 UTC https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2651643739 skylarmead https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2651644910 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.

]]> 2023-07-26 17:45:24 UTC https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2651644910 skylarmead https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2651645892 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. 

]]> 2023-07-26 17:48:19 UTC https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2651645892 skylarmead https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2651646765 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.

]]> 2023-07-26 17:50:24 UTC https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2651646765 skylarmead https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2651647869 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.

]]> 2023-07-26 17:53:46 UTC https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2651647869 skylarmead https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2651725092

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. 

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. 

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.

]]> 2023-07-26 22:47:11 UTC https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2651725092 skylarmead https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2651725714

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?

]]> 2023-07-26 22:50:04 UTC https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2651725714 skylarmead https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2651725949 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.

]]> 2023-07-26 22:51:24 UTC https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2651725949 skylarmead https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2651726115 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.

]]> 2023-07-26 22:52:06 UTC https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2651726115 skylarmead https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2651726301 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.

]]> 2023-07-26 22:52:56 UTC https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2651726301 skylarmead https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2651726526 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. 

]]> 2023-07-26 22:53:58 UTC https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2651726526 skylarmead https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2651726734 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.

]]> 2023-07-26 22:54:58 UTC https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2651726734 skylarmead https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2651727031 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.

]]> 2023-07-26 22:56:26 UTC https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2651727031 skylarmead https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2651727989 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. 

]]> 2023-07-26 23:01:11 UTC https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2651727989 skylarmead https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2651729447 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. 

]]> 2023-07-26 23:06:50 UTC https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2651729447 skylarmead https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2651764898 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.

]]> 2023-07-27 00:34:31 UTC https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2651764898 skylarmead https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2651766675 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. 

]]> 2023-07-27 00:37:53 UTC https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2651766675 skylarmead https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2651768678 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. 

]]> 2023-07-27 00:41:43 UTC https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2651768678 skylarmead https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2651771208 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.

]]> 2023-07-27 00:45:46 UTC https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2651771208 skylarmead https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2651772705

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?

]]> 2023-07-27 00:48:28 UTC https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2651772705 skylarmead https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2651773418 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. 

]]> 2023-07-27 00:49:57 UTC https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2651773418 skylarmead https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2651773970 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.

]]> 2023-07-27 00:50:55 UTC https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2651773970 skylarmead https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2651774700 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.

]]> 2023-07-27 00:51:50 UTC https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2651774700 skylarmead https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2651775588 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.

]]> 2023-07-27 00:53:04 UTC https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2651775588 skylarmead https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2651776382 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.

]]> 2023-07-27 00:54:18 UTC https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2651776382 skylarmead https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2651777094 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.

]]> 2023-07-27 00:55:36 UTC https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2651777094 skylarmead https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2651778581 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.

]]> 2023-07-27 00:58:08 UTC https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2651778581 skylarmead https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2651780758 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. 

]]> 2023-07-27 01:02:11 UTC https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2651780758 skylarmead https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2651784081 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. 

]]> 2023-07-27 01:07:43 UTC https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2651784081 skylarmead https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2651792299 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. 

]]> 2023-07-27 01:21:11 UTC https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2651792299 skylarmead https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2651793282

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?

]]> 2023-07-27 01:22:41 UTC https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2651793282 skylarmead https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2651795050 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.

]]> 2023-07-27 01:25:08 UTC https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2651795050 skylarmead https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2651795795 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

]]> 2023-07-27 01:26:12 UTC https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2651795795 skylarmead https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2651796779 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.

]]> 2023-07-27 01:27:42 UTC https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2651796779 skylarmead https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2651797544 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. 

]]> 2023-07-27 01:28:51 UTC https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2651797544 skylarmead https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2651798127 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.

]]> 2023-07-27 01:29:44 UTC https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2651798127 skylarmead https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2651798670 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.

]]> 2023-07-27 01:30:37 UTC https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2651798670 skylarmead https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2652147314

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. 

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.

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.

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. 

]]> 2023-07-27 14:01:11 UTC https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2652147314 skylarmead https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2652150312

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.

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.

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?

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. 

]]> 2023-07-27 14:07:29 UTC https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2652150312 skylarmead https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2652157973 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.

]]> 2023-07-27 14:22:14 UTC https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2652157973 skylarmead https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2652158779 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. 

]]> 2023-07-27 14:23:37 UTC https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2652158779 skylarmead https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2652158966 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. 

]]> 2023-07-27 14:24:02 UTC https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2652158966 skylarmead https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2652159195 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. 

]]> 2023-07-27 14:24:39 UTC https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2652159195 skylarmead https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2652159520 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. 

]]> 2023-07-27 14:25:31 UTC https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2652159520 skylarmead https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2652159837 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. 

]]> 2023-07-27 14:26:19 UTC https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2652159837 skylarmead https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2652160108 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. 

]]> 2023-07-27 14:26:57 UTC https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2652160108 skylarmead https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2652160286

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? 

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.

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.

]]> 2023-07-27 14:27:23 UTC https://padlet.com/skylarmead/afptum36vy9dzszk/wish/2652160286