- By Emily Stout
- Grade Band: 9th-12th
- Subject/Topic Areas: Secondary Social Studies
- Time Frame: 4 60-90 minute class periods
- Download the Curriculum: Indigenous Nations of the Plains
Introduction:
In June 2018, I took a leap of faith and volunteered to teach an elective called Conversations in Diversity. There was no set curriculum. Motivated by my passions for social justice and politics, I decided to frame the course around multicultural studies. I divided our year into ten units about distinct identity groups, including one on Native Americans. Planning a unit on Native Americans was difficult, because I knew little about their history beyond European colonization and the Trail of Tears.
This realization led me to apply for an NEH Institute entitled “Discovering Native Histories Along the Lewis & Clark Trail.” Along with 24 other educators from around the country, I embarked on a three-week journey throughout eastern Montana and western North Dakota. Along the way, we interacted closely with members of the Crow/Apsáalooke nation. We stayed in a hotel just two miles away from the Apsáalooke homeland, toured significant sites, and met with community leaders.
Native American history is usually told as a monolith, but it is anything but. In returning to my classroom, I wanted to focus on communities of the Northern Plains, specifically Montana and North Dakota. The lessons in this unit center around the Crow/Apsáalooke, Lakota, Mandan/Hidatsa/Arikara, and Northern Cheyenne.
There are no set standards for Conversations in Diversity. However, since much of the unit content is rooted in American history, I aligned the lessons to the North Carolina Standard Course of Study for American History I and II.
Brief Overview of Unit:
This unit, focusing on Indigenous Nations of the Plains, introduces students to the many factors that have shaped indigenous life in the United States for centuries. Lessons incorporate learning methods that are important to many indigenous nations, including collaboration, oral history, and place-based education. Students will take part in several unique learning experiences, including an exposure to different methods of telling history and a language immersion.
The unit begins with a focus on how history is told. Students will compare four ways of thinking about history: chronological vs. thematic and oral vs. written. Oral history reappears during the next lesson, which explains the Apsáalooke connection to their homeland. Typically, descriptions of indigenous life emphasize the lowest level of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs: food, water, and warmth/rest (lodging). This lesson connects Apsáalooke land to culture and spirituality, which correspond to self-actualization, the highest level on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Students will then examine how boarding schools stole this self-actualization from a generation of indigenous people, and the generational trauma this caused. They will close their unit of study by examining how indigenous groups are combining grassroots activism and government action to address #MMIW/P (Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women/People), an issue that affects their communities today.
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Stage 1: Desired Results |
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| Relevant Standards from the North Carolina Standard Course of Study for American History I and II:
● AH1/2.H.1.1.1 Use chronological thinking to identify the structure of a historical narrative or story. ● AH1/2.H.1.2.4 Use historical comprehension to analyze visual, literary, and musical sources. ● AH1/2.H.3.3 Explain the roles of various racial and ethnic groups in settlement and expansion and the consequences for those groups. ● AH1/2.H.3.5 Use historical analysis and interpretation to evaluate the influence of the past on contemporary issues. ● AH1/2.H.4.4 Analyze the cultural conflicts that impacted the United States and the compromises that resulted. |
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| Knowledge
Students will know… ● There are many different ways to record history. All of them have benefits and drawbacks. ● Native communities tend to record oral, place-based history, while white Europeans tend to record chronological, written history. ● The significance of the Great Plains, Crazy Mountains, Yellowstone River, and homeland (reservation) to the Apsáalooke. ○ The Apsáalooke rely on bison, which live on the Great Plains, to fulfill many needs. ○ The Yellowstone River allowed the Apsáalooke to trade goods and culture with other nations. ○ Apsáalooke people traveled to the Crazy Mountains for vision quests, where they connected with their spirituality. ○ Colonization has shrunk the Apsáalooke homeland. This has been a traumatic experience for the nation. ● The history and impact of Indian boarding schools in the United States. ● The origins and impact of #MMIW, and proposed solutions to the problem. |
Skills
Students will be able to… ● Tell short histories from their lives using chronological, oral, place-based, and written formats. ● Evaluate the benefits and drawbacks of chronological, oral, place-based, and written history. ● Synthesize written and multimedia sources to examine important aspects of Apsáalooke life and culture. ● Empathize with former boarding school students through an immersive language experience. ● Explain the history of Indian boarding schools in the United States. ● Evaluate various perspectives to identify potential solutions to #MMIW. |
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Stage 2: Assessment Evidence |
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| Performance Task:
For this unit, students will create a map of important places in their lives, and record a three-minute oral history of one especially important place. For details, see the “Project Description” document in the “Supplemental Materials” folder. |
Other evidence: Many tasks from this unit may be used as formative assessments. You may use some or all of the following:
● Journal entries (Days 1-4) ● Oral/written histories from Different Histories activity (Day 1) ● Graphic organizer from Significant Places activity (Day 2) ● Graphic organizer from Competing Perspectives on #MMIW activity (Day 4) |
Lesson 1: How We Share Our History (Stations)
| Course: Conversations in Diversity | Blended Academic/Honors |
| Unit Title: Indigenous Nations of the Plains | Day 1 |
| Relevant Standards:
● AH1.H.1.1.1 Use chronological thinking to identify the structure of a historical narrative or story. |
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Specific Lesson Objectives |
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| Students will understand…
● History can be told and understood from different perspectives, and using different formats. |
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| Students will know…
● There are many different ways to record history. All of them have benefits and drawbacks. ● Native communities tend to record oral, place-based history, while white Europeans tend to record chronological, written history. |
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| Students will be able to…
● Tell short histories from their lives using chronological, oral, place-based, and written formats. ● Evaluate the benefits and drawbacks of chronological, oral, place-based, and written history. |
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Key Vocabulary for this Lesson |
| ● Chronological history
● Oral history ● Place-based history ● Written history |
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Materials |
| ● Copies of station prompts
● Devices for students to record oral histories. Most cellphones/smartphones, tablets, and laptops have this feature. |
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LESSON ACTIVITIES |
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Procedure |
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| Section | Time | Provide full description. |
| Warmup: Journal Prompt | 5 minutes | Students independently respond to the following journal prompt:
If you were to tell a history of your life, how would you do it and why? If time permits, students may share out their responses to partners, small groups, and/or the whole class. |
| Statement of agenda and objectives | 2 minutes | Review lesson objectives and agenda. |
| Activity: Oral vs. Written History (First Station | 5 minutes |
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| Activity: Oral vs. Written History (Second Station) | 5 minutes | Hallway and classroom groups switch. Students complete the second activity. |
| Discussion | 10 minutes | Bring both groups back into the classroom. Ask for volunteers to share oral/written histories. Discuss the following questions, either as a whole class or in small groups.
● Compare your two histories. What similarities and differences do you see? ● Which station was easier for you? Why? ● Which station was harder for you? Why? ● Which station most reminded you of school? ● Which station most reminded you of your family? |
| Activity: Place-based vs. Chronological History (First Station) | 5 minutes |
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| Activity: Place-based vs. Chronological History (Second Station) | 5 minutes | Groups switch. Students complete the second activity.
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| Discussion | 10 minutes | Bring both groups back into the classroom. Discuss the following questions, either as a whole class or in small groups.
● How did these two stations compare to the first stations? ● Which station was easier for you? Why? ● Which station was harder for you? Why? ● Which station most reminded you of school? ● Which station most reminded you of your family? |
| Closure | 5 minutes | Explain to students that Native American communities usually use oral and place-based approaches to history. Native American culture also emphasizes collaboration as opposed to individualism. |
Lesson 2: An Apsáalooke/Crow Approach to History
| Course: Conversations in Diversity | Blended Academic/Honors |
| Unit Title: Indigenous Nations of the Plains | Day 2 |
| Relevant Standards:
● AH1.H.3.3 Explain the roles of various racial and ethnic groups in settlement and expansion and the consequences for those groups. ● AH1.H.4.4 Analyze the cultural conflicts that impacted the United States and the compromises that resulted. |
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Specific Lesson Objectives |
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| Students will understand…
● The history of the Crow/Apsáalooke nation is deeply tied to the land. |
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| Students will know…
● The significance of the Great Plains, Crazy Mountains, Yellowstone River, and homeland (reservation) to the Apsáalooke. ○ The Apsáalooke rely on bison, which live on the Great Plains, to fulfill many needs. ○ The tipi has deep spiritual meaning for the Apsáalooke people. ○ Apsáalooke people traveled to the Crazy Mountains for vision quests, where they connected with their spirituality. ○ Colonization has shrunk the Apsáalooke homeland. This has been a traumatic experience for the nation. |
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| Students will be able to…
● Synthesize written and multimedia sources to examine important aspects of Apsáalooke life and culture. |
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Key Vocabulary for this Lesson |
| ● Apsáalooke
● Bison ● Chief Plenty Coups ● Crazy Mountains ● Crow ● Great Plains ● Homeland ● Reservation ● Teepee ● Vision quest ● Yellowstone River |
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Materials |
| ● Copies of “Culture Through Place” graphic organizer |
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Technology Needs |
| ● Technology devices for each station, ideally a laptop or tablet (to facilitate full-screen viewing of oral histories) |
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LESSON ACTIVITIES |
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Procedure |
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| Section | Time | Provide full description. |
| Warmup: Journal Prompt | 5 minutes | Students independently respond to the following journal prompt:
If time permits, students may share out their responses to partners, small groups, and/or the whole class. |
| Statement of agenda and objectives | 2 minutes | Review lesson objectives and agenda. |
| Stations: Significant Places | 45 minutes | At each station, students will view an image of a specific place. They will also watch a short (five minutes or less) oral history on the place’s significance. They will complete a graphic organizer that asks them to…
● Describe the place. ● Sum up the place’s importance in one sentence. ● Define a key term as it relates to the place. Students will spend ten minutes at each station. With transition time, this activity will last 45-50 minutes. |
Lesson 3: Losing Culture in Boarding Schools
| Course: Conversations in Diversity | Blended Academic/Honors |
| Unit Title: Indigenous Nations of the Plains | Day 3 |
| Relevant Standards:
● AH1.H.1.2.4 Use historical comprehension to analyze visual, literary, and musical sources. |
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Specific Lesson Objectives |
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| Students will understand the generational trauma that indigenous nations experience as a result of boarding schools. | |
| Students will know the history and impact of Indian boarding schools in the United States. | |
| Students will be able to…
● Empathize with former boarding school students through an immersive language experience. ● Explain the history of Indian boarding schools in the United States. |
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Key Vocabulary for this Lesson |
| ● Bureau of Indian Affairs
● Carlisle, PA ● Cultural genocide ● Generational trauma ● Indian boarding school ● Lakota nation |
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Materials |
| ● Foreign language teacher volunteer |
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Technology Needs |
| ● PowerPoint projector
● Speaker |
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LESSON ACTIVITIES |
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Procedure |
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| Section | Time | Provide full description. |
| Warmup: Journal Prompt | 5 minutes | Students independently respond to the following journal prompt:
What is the most important part of your identity, and why? Now, imagine that you lost that part of yourself for one day. How would your life change? If time permits, students may share out their responses to partners, small groups, and/or the whole class. |
| Statement of agenda and objectives | 2 minutes | Review lesson objectives and agenda. |
| Immersion Experience | 15 minutes | *This section requires some advance planning and can be omitted, but provides students an experiential tie to the lesson’s content.
Recruit a foreign language teacher at your school to come in and teach a 15-minute lesson in another language. They should teach the lesson as if all the students were fluent in the language, and reprimand students for speaking English. If you are fluent in a second language, you can lead this portion of the lesson. You can also use a Spanish-language news podcast, like Radio Bilingue (http://radiobilingue.org) to spark discussion. |
| Written reflection | 5 minutes | Allow students to write about the experience. If you feel that your students will need specific guiding questions, use the ones below. |
| Verbal reflection | 10 minutes | As a class, discuss the immersion experience (in English). Use the following questions to guide discussion:
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| Lecture: Background of Boarding Schools | 10-15 minutes | ● Tell students to imagine that they lost that important part of their identity for the rest of their life. Make the connection that children in indigenous boarding schools were expected to do that with their indigenous identity.
● Show students a PowerPoint presentation on the history of indigenous boarding schools. There are discussion questions mixed in. |
| Transition: introduce La Plant Oral History Project | 5 minutes | ● On a digital map, point out the Cheyenne River reservation and the Crow reservation to illustrate the difference in location.
● Tell students that they will watch a video about the experiences of the Lakota at boarding schools. Explain that Apsáalooke children were sent to similar schools. |
| Video: La Plant Oral History Project | 35 minutes: 15-minute video + about 20 minutes for discussion | Play the video, found at https://vimeo.com/154601098. The video offers many opportunities for discussion.
*The video includes several detailed descriptions of physical abuse. You may wish to warn students and/or fast-forward through those portions of the video. ● 1:35: What are the differences between the children’s appearances before and after arriving at the school? How can appearance be connected to identity? ● 1:53: Ford discusses the trauma that results from removing siblings from their families. Ask students if they agree. ● 5:30 Elizabeth “Libby” Ducheneaux describes how the Lakota children and white boarding school staff had different definitions for a “bath.” Ask them if they have ever encountered a similar cultural conflict. ● 6:15 Pause the video at the image of the dormitory. Ask students to imagine life in that room using their five senses: what would it look/sound/feel/smell/taste like to live there? ● 9:25 Elliotte Little Bear expresses confusion that most of the matrons were indigenous. Ask students if they can think of any similar stories from history (e.g. black overseers on plantations). ● 12:00 Doretta Bowker states that she does not know the Lakota language because of her parents’ experience in boarding schools. How did boarding school students’ experiences affect future generations? ● End of video: Evelyn Veaux asks, “What if it was turned around and they [white school employees] had to speak Lakota instead of English? Or any other language? How would they feel? Then maybe they’ll try to understand what we had to go through.” Ask students to answer Veaux’s question, thinking back to the experience from earlier in class. |
Lesson 4: MMIP as Modern Resilience
| Course: Conversations in Diversity | Blended Academic/Honors |
| Unit Title: Indigenous Nations of the Plains | Day 4 |
| Relevant Standards:
● AH1.H.3.3 Use historical analysis and interpreration to analyze cause-and-effect relationships and multiple causation. ● AH1.H.3.5 Use historical analysis and interpretation to evaluate the influence of the past on contemporary issues. |
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Specific Lesson Objectives |
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| Students will understand the roles of historical, cultural, and government actions on issues affecting indigenous nations today. | |
| Students will know the origins and impact of #MMIW, and proposed solutions to the problem. | |
| Students will be able to evaluate various perspectives to identify potential solutions to #MMIW. | |
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Key Vocabulary for this Lesson |
| ● MMIW
● Ruth Buffalo ● Savanna’s Act ● Violence Against Women Act |
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Materials |
| ● Copies of “Competing Perspectives on #MMIW” packet |
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Technology Needs |
| ● PowerPoint projector
● Speaker |
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LESSON ACTIVITIES |
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Procedure |
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| Section | Time | Provide full description. |
| Warmup: Journal Entry | 5 minutes | Students independently respond to the following journal prompt:
What happens when a person goes missing? Think about what you have seen on TV, at the movies, in the news, etc. If time permits, students may share out their responses to partners, small groups, and/or the whole class. |
| Statement of agenda and objectives | 2 minutes | Review lesson objectives and agenda.
*This lesson covers sensitive topics, including murder and sexual violence. You may want to warn students of this ahead of time. |
| Video: Overview of MMIW | 30 minutes | Watch the Al Jazeera mini-documentary on #MMIW in the United States: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdPv0NDfMbA. |
| Pairs: Article Analysis | 45 minutes | In pairs, students will read two articles, both by indigenous writers, that make competing claims about the causes of and solutions to #MMIW. They will complete a corresponding graphic organizer. |
| Lecture: Proposed Solutions | 10 minutes | Show students a PowerPoint on proposed solutions to #MMIW, including Savanna’s Act and the Violence Against Women Act. |
| Exit ticket | 5 minutes | Ask students which solution they think would be best and why. |
Download the curriculum: “Indigenous Nations of the Plains“