Beacon Press: Teacher's Guide: An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States for Young People
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An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States for Young PeopleTeachers’ Guide: An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States for Young People

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How to Use This Guide:

This curriculum guide accompanies the book An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States for Young People (2019) by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, adapted by Jean Mendoza and Debbie Reese. The format of this teacher’s curriculum guide follows each chapter with writing prompts, discussion questions, and learning extensions. The guide follows a sequential pattern and addresses topics as they appear in the book. It also includes a language development section to build Tier 3 historical academic vocabulary to help build learners’ engagement with the text. The curricular framework is based on CCSS-RWH (grades 6-8) with lesson discussions, activities, and suggestions for extension written for middle grades and young adult learners.

The introductory chapter is highlighted to develop foundational knowledge and contextual awareness of the perspectives and context of the book. Learners should grasp the concepts introduced before chapter 1, to fully interact with the conceptual framework and paradigm shift.

Sections of this curriculum guide are based on the adapters’ prompts to help students examine the complexities of the topics addressed within each chapter. The adapters present the history of the United States to help learners “learn to think more completely and more critically about their own history.” This curriculum guide offers learners multiple ways to navigate commonly misunderstood and often ignored parts of US history.

The tenets of settler colonialism are foundational to the American story, told “from the shore, not the ship”—an Indigenous perspective described by Jose Barreiro—is vital to untangle US history. To help young learners grasp settler colonialism, teachers must decode privilege. These suggested readings center on a black-white binary of race but are useful to develop the language and framework needed to discuss privilege and apply to Indigenous peoples’ experiences: White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo (2018), “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack” by Peggy McIntosh (1989), “Why Talk about Whiteness?” by Emily Chiariello (2016), and the podcast White Privilege by Mark Linsenmayer (2017).
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About the Author of This Guide

Natalie Martinez, PhD (Laguna Pueblo), is a professional educator in New Mexico and a former administrator and teacher at the tribally controlled middle school located in her Pueblo Nation. She has teamed with Indigenous curriculum writers in New Mexico to publish the Indigenous Wisdom Pueblo-based education curriculum and is working with a team to publish an Indigenous-centered public school curriculum for the Indian Education Division of the NM Public Education Department. She’s a curriculum coordinator for the NEH-Teaching Native American Histories Summer Institute in Wampanoag Territory, Massachusetts, and teaches at the University of New Mexico in the College of Education.
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PRE-READING PREPARATION FOR LEARNERS

Much of the content presented in An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States for Young People represents perspectives not often addressed in young adult literature. Some of the histories might be traumatic for young people encountering it for the first time. Help prepare young students to engage with the content, using principles of trauma-informed critical pedagogy (see Cities of Peace, “What Is Trauma-Informed Critical Pedagogy,” pages 134-135) to begin discussions prior to reading.

To examine different perspectives of history prior to engaging with the content of the book, options for pre-reading of history “from the shore” follow:
  • Readings – Rethinking Columbus – Introduction: “Why Rethink Columbus?” “We Have No Reason to Celebrate,” “America to Indians: Stay in the 19th Century!” (pages 10-14).
  • Videos – Desperate Crossing (2007) includes voices of Wampanoag historians on first encounters in Cape Cod.

Framing Concepts – Mind-mapping

Build a strong understanding of the historical perspective of An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States for Young People by using a mind-map for the following conceptual frames: LAND / CORN / CONQUEST / RELIGION / GENOCIDE / WARFARE / RESISTANCE / POLICY / RIGHTS / COLONIZATION / TREATIES / ACTIVISM / WATER / RACISM
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LEARNING ENGAGEMENT

Introduction: This Land (pages 1-15)

Summary: The introduction frames the structure of the book’s concepts of land, colonialist settler-state, goals of settler colonization, and Indigenous resistance; it problematizes cultural conflict and religious freedom. The authors help deconstruct previous experiences with learning US history.

Think-Pair-Share Questions
  • What is the significance of land in US history?
  • How does settler colonialism attempt to erase the lives and histories of people whose lands were taken? And how does the saying “The US is a nation of immigrants” erase Indigenous peoples’ histories?

Writing Prompts
  • Origin stories are powerful narratives that shape a nation’s view of itself and its history. Consider the following prompts to respond in writing:
    • The Doctrine of Discovery shaped the US origin story by . . .
    • The beliefs in Manifest Destiny directly connect to the Doctrine of Discovery by . . .

Building-Critical-Awareness Discussion Questions
  • How have US policies been established so that it is acceptable to ignore the land rights of Indigenous peoples?
  • How has a multiculturalist interpretation been presented as a positive way to honor contributions of all people to US history? Why is that approach problematic in the US origin story?

Learning & Exploration Activities
  • Create a T-chart to compare and contrast the perspectives of US history from the shore and from the ship.
  • Examine a well-known US origin story, such as the First Thanksgiving, the Battle of the Alamo, etc. Create a poster or slideshow to deconstruct the story. Identify the following: Who are the good guys? . . . the enemy? Who is portrayed as strong? . . . as weak? Whose voices are heard in the story? What is the underlying message in this story? How does settler colonialism work to make this story acceptable to Americans? Rewrite a more balanced version of the story.
  • Using the maps comparing 1492 to today (page 11) explain how Manifest Destiny worked to shape the United States. What US origin story do these maps portray?
  • Find examples of “firsting and lasting” (p. 14) in your neighborhood/town/city. Explain how this practice impacts Indigenous peoples whose histories are part of the same land area.
  • Using the US map of 1783 (p. 2) go online and search for a map of Indigenous nations in 1783 and another map of Indigenous nations today. Describe how these maps were created and how they have changed over time. Discuss what surprised you the most about comparing the maps with your hand-drawn map.

Extended Learning from the Authors’ Prompts

CONSIDER THIS (page 13)
Civilization: with a peer, list all the civilizations of which you are aware; discuss what happens to your thinking when a group of people does not meet the criteria of a civilization. Discuss what element of civilization is THE most important and argue whether or not that element is the defining feature that makes a civilization.

TO DO (page 15)
Indigenous nations: create a chart that compares three to five Indigenous nations in using the elements of civilization. Make a case for considering why contemporary and historic Indigenous nations are indeed civilizations.

Vocabulary: Learners will develop a frame of reference based on these key terms from the introduction. Use a Frayer Model to help students engage with the following vocabulary terms identified by the authors:

Tier 2
  • colonizer (p. 6)
  • commodity (p. 2)
  • extermination (p. 13)
  • genocide (p. 12)
  • institutions (p. 7)
  • multicultural (p. 9)
  • oppressed (p. 10)
  • settler (p. 5)
  • subjugate (p. 15)
  • uncritically (p. 8)
  • vindictive (p. 13)

Tier 3
  • colonialist settler-state (p. 15)
  • cultural conflict (p. 9)
  • federally recognized (p. 10)
  • reservation (p. 10)
  • settler colonialism (pp. 11-12)
  • white supremacy (p. 12)

Corresponding CCSS
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.1
    Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.4
    Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including vocabulary specific to domains related to history/social studies.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.6
    Identify aspects of a text that reveal an author's point of view or purpose (e.g., loaded language, inclusion or avoidance of particular facts).
  • Integration of Knowledge and Ideas:
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.7
    Integrate visual information (e.g., in charts, graphs, photographs, videos, or maps) with other information in print and digital texts.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.9
    Analyze the relationship between a primary and secondary source on the same topic. Text Types and Purposes:
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.1
    Write arguments focused on discipline-specific content.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.1.A
    Introduce claim(s) about a topic or issue, acknowledge and distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and organize the reasons and evidence logically.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.1.B
    Support claim(s) with logical reasoning and relevant, accurate data and evidence that demonstrate an understanding of the topic or text, using credible sources.
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Chapter One: Follow the Corn (pages 17-31)

Summary: In Chapter One, the relationship between cultivating the earth, sustenance, and survival of Indigenous peoples globally are conceptualized with corn as the sustaining factor in the development of traditions. This chapter focuses on the origins of corn and stewardship of land to unfold the story of how Indigenous peoples established thriving societies and practices that survive into contemporary existence.

Think-Pair-Share Questions
  • How does the term “New World” erase the histories of Indigenous peoples of North and South America?
  • Is the idea of Indigenous scientists and engineers operating thousands of years ago surprising? Discuss some of the scientific and engineering accomplishments they created.

Writing Prompts
  • While Indigenous nations are unique and separate from one another, there are similar practices and histories, such as . . .
  • Many Indigenous nations of the past had complex social, scientific, political, military, and governmental systems that shaped their societies by . . .

Building-Critical-Awareness Discussion Questions
  • In what ways have Indigenous peoples of the Americas used their knowledge systems to invent, create, sustain, compromise, overpower, and survive?
  • The roles of women in many traditional Indigenous societies is powerful but not authoritarian. Identify one such society and describe how this balance might have been achieved by the people in that Indigenous society.
  • How do ancestral Indigenous beliefs about the relationship between the earth and its people continue to influence activism and stewardship today?

Learning & Exploration Activities
  • Design a poster that depicts the significance of corn for Indigenous people across the Americas.
  • Draw a map that outlines the location of traditional homelands of the Indigenous nations described in this chapter (see “Culture Areas and Tribal Locations North America” in Rethinking Columbus, page 30). Compare the current landholdings using a political map of North and South America.
  • • Use the Native Land tool (mobile app or native-land.ca) to find whose traditional Indigenous homelands existed where your school is located, then engage in the following learning activities, individually or as a class:
    • Prepare and deliver a territory acknowledgment that includes an explanation of the significance and necessity of acknowledging Indigenous lands (instructions can be accessed on the website).
    • Write and send (or present) a letter to your government officials (find contact information here to propose a day to learn about the local history of Indigenous people and the colonization of the area. Guidelines for how to write the letter can be found at the ACLU website.
    • Research the use of racist mascots and existence of racist public objects in your school and community, then create a petition at school and share with the local community to remove racist mascots or racist public objects, like monuments and statues. Research what petitions are used for and how to write and launch an online petition at websites such as change.org.

Extended Learning from the Adapters’ Prompts:

CONSIDER THIS (page 20)
Appropriation of Indigenous stories and culture: Research the origin of the three-sisters story until you find a specifically named Indigenous nation with whom the tradition originated; compare with your peers to see whose research is most plausible. Go online to find generic “Native American” stories; then, using the questions posed by the adapters, see if you can discern the origin of the story and write a critique of the story. Using the goals of the book—“to ask questions about who tells a history”—create a checklist for evaluating the validity of “Native American” stories to help readers determine if appropriation has occurred; identify what is important to consider when you critique any story. Your checklist should include questions or statements using the major categories of authorship, stereotypes, nation-specific knowledge, insider/outsider status of the author, and how to verify the story’s origin.

TO DO (page 18)
Corn in many languages: When looking up other words for “corn” on tribal websites, also look for words that related to other major concepts from the book, such as “land,” “water,” and “people.” Create a chart using the different languages and compare/contrast the words. Identify which Indigenous words have influenced current word usage.

DID YOU KNOW (page 17 & 26)
Marking calendar time: Create a graphic organizer to help you remember the different ways to mark time; research local Indigenous websites to see how the people identify and mark time.

Great Law of Peace: Create a graphic organizer to depict the principles of the Great Law of Peace. Extend each principle to give at least one example of how that principle would look in operation at your school.

Corresponding CCSS
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.1
    Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.2
    Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of the source distinct from prior knowledge or opinions.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.7
    Integrate visual information (e.g., in charts, graphs, photographs, videos, or maps) with other information in print and digital texts.
  • Text Types and Purposes:
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.1
    Write arguments focused on discipline-specific content.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.2
    Write informative/explanatory texts, including the narration of historical events, scientific procedures/ experiments, or technical processes.
  • Production and Distribution of Writing:
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.4
    Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
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Chapter Two: Culture of Conquest (pages 32-46)

Summary: In this chapter, the concepts of religious dominance, private property, white supremacy, and quest for wealth drove the practices of conquest for Europeans prior to 1492. The authors delve into how those practices defined the approach with which European “explorers” and their benefactors sought to expand landholdings, wealth, and power in other lands in an unrestricted approach to vanquish those lands.

Think-Pair-Share Questions
  • When you encounter someone new who’s different from you, what beliefs do you call upon to determine how you will engage with that person?
  • Is it OK to do “whatever it takes” to get rich or powerful? Why or why not? Give examples to support your answer.

Writing Prompts
  • Commoners who joined the crusades in Europe benefited from the power of going along with other crusaders’ beliefs and actions reminds me of . . . because . . .
  • The manipulation of wealth and the horrors enacted by fifteenth-century European nobility in order to obtain gold continue to cause trauma to people because . . .

Building-Critical-Awareness Discussion Questions
  • Many European women in the commons were accused of witchcraft. Explain how this practice was more than merely a religious exercise and how it worked as a tool of colonization in the Americas.
  • How do the ideas of purity, superiority, and dominance work to create the concept of white supremacy?
  • When building a case for the humanization of one group but the dehumanization of another group, what are the lasting impacts on both groups?
  • Why would it be useful to create and preserve “terminal narratives” about Indigenous people? How does this practice help shape the settler colonial origin myth? How do Indigenous people of today continue to disprove terminal narratives?

Learning & Exploration Activities
  • Go online and find examples of how brutality and terrorism have been used in order to gain control of lands and people across the world. Write the title and date of each example on an index card and place it on a large classroom timeline. Compare peers’ responses; look for commonalities across space and time. Journal about your conclusions.
  • Using the court bulletins available on the Native American Rights Fund website, read the histories and brief background information of current Supreme Court and other federal court cases and create a classification chart to show the names, numbers, and types of court cases that still impact Indigenous people in the United States. Explain how, as the adapters have stated, such court cases are a continuation of conflict against Indigenous peoples.

Extended Learning from the Authors’ Prompts

CONSIDER THIS (pages 33, 38-39)
Othering: Make a poster that details the negative impacts of the practice of dehumanization or othering and offers suggestions for combating those practices.

DNA and Ancestry: Write a poem that captures the sentiment of using bloodlines and DNA to claim rights to power or membership in an Indigenous group.

TO DO (page 45)
Sovereign Nations – US Bureau of Indian Affairs: Look up the word “sovereign” and write a list of the many ways an Indigenous Nation expresses sovereignty.

DID YOU KNOW (page 42)
Iron vs. Gold: Think of other natural materials or metals that are considered best to use for tools or that are considered precious. Make a T-chart to compare your list and make a special note for those items that fit in both categories. Write a summary about how these materials become deemed worthy and gain status as items indicating wealth.

Corresponding CCSS
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.2
    Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of the source distinct from prior knowledge or opinions.
  • Craft and Structure:
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.4
    Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including vocabulary specific to domains related to history/social studies.
    Integration of Knowledge and Ideas:
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.7
    Integrate visual information (e.g., in charts, graphs, photographs, videos, or maps) with other information in print and digital texts.
  • Text Types and Purposes:
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.1
    Write arguments focused on discipline-specific content.
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Chapter Three: Cult of the Covenant (pages 47-61)

Summary: Chapter 3 looks at the nature of religion and the impact of religious law in the Doctrine of Discovery on the European colonial mindset. The authors connect the path of colonization across Scotland and Ireland to the desecration of Indigenous people and lands in the US under the guise of Calvinism.

Think-Pair-Share Questions
  • How is the way one group of people views others depicted in their symbols? What are some examples from history and from current times?
  • How do we know that the myth of a “pristine wilderness” is a false belief that gets retold in origin stories? How is land viewed differently by Indigenous people and by settler colonialists?

Writing Prompts
  • The role of religion as a prompt for conquest helps to shape the colonizers’ thoughts and justifies their behavior by . . .
  • Sometimes what is believed by the majority as the right thing to do really is not right because . . .

Building-Critical-Awareness Discussion Questions
  • How do the founding documents of the United States secretly invoke (or refer to) the religious covenant that ties conquest back to the Doctrine of Discovery?
  • How do unjust laws and policies of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries compare to laws and policies that are deemed unjust today?

Learning & Exploration Activities
  • American Exceptionalism has taken many forms and is embraced as the strength in US origin stories. Compare three origin stories and identify how American Exceptionalism has shaped each story. Also identify what is left out, made larger, and/or labeled as evil in order to make room for the exceptional.

Extended Learning from the Authors’ Prompts

CONSIDER THIS (pages 52, 54, 57)
Symbols and Indigenous Images: Research early symbols used by colonists to depict Indigenous peoples, such as the Seal of the Massachusetts Bay Colony on page 52. Explain what message is portrayed in the symbols you’ve found and how that message serves the purpose of settler colonialism.

Patriotic Songs and the Covenant: Examine the lyrics of the song “My Country ’Tis of Thy People You’re Dying” by Buffy Sainte-Marie. Write a response about how this song provides a commentary on patriotic songs and Indigenous history of the United States.

Indentured Servitude vs. Slavery: Research slave narratives and produce a case study of daily life for an indentured servant and/or an enslaved person to present to peers.

Corresponding CCSS
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.1
    Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.2
    Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of the source distinct from prior knowledge or opinions.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.7
    Integrate visual information (e.g., in charts, graphs, photographs, videos, or maps) with other information in print and digital texts.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.9
    Analyze the relationship between a primary and secondary source on the same topic.
  • Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity:
  • Text Types and Purposes:
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.1
    Write arguments focused on discipline-specific content.
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Chapter Four: Bloody Footprints (pages 62-87)

Summary: Chapter 4 unpacks the progression of colonizer genocidal practice in attempt “to secure their ultimate goal: removal of Indigenous peoples from the land to clear it for European settlement.” This chapter highlights major conflicts between different Indigenous nations (Powhatan Confederacy, Pequot, Cherokee, Shawnee and Delaware, Haudenosaunee Confederacy) and encroaching settler colonialists.

Think-Pair-Share Questions
  • What would prompt people to take up arms (to fight) against threats to their homes?
  • Who has the right to claim land and from where does this right come?

Writing Prompts
  • Gatekeepers of history must actively promote public information that maintains a hero image for its leaders in the origin narrative because . . .
  • Traits of courage, bravery, and heroic intentions are often equated with colonial “Indian fighters,” not because these men embodied such traits but because . . .

Building-Critical-Awareness Discussion Questions
  • Consider the savagery of the European attacks upon Pequot, Delaware, Haudenosaunee, and Cherokee villages in an attempt to completely destroy all people and homes to take land and profit from it. Discuss the irony of referring to Indigenous people as savage and the complete disregard for the lives of Indigenous people who had previously helped the colonists to survive.

Learning & Exploration Activities
  • Examine the definition and characteristics of “war crimes” identified by the Geneva Convention of 1949. Make a case to charge British colonizers with war crimes, including examples of charges to be brought against them.

Extended Learning from the Authors’ Prompts

CONSIDER THIS (pages 63, 83, 86)
Genocide: Create a graphic organizer that lists the term “genocide” and provides examples of its components, then match up any instances of each component with examples of the treatment toward Indigenous people in North America by settler colonizers.

Pacifism: Research pacifism as an act of resistance and activism, then find images to create a collage that depicts acts of Indigenous pacifism in the face of conflict in our contemporary world.

Hamilton, the Musical: Select a history-based film to review using the same questions posed by the authors about the musical, regarding the roles, impacts, and lands of Indigenous people.

DID YOU KNOW (pages 66, 67, 77, 81)
Rangers and Sports Teams: Consider the names of various types of sports teams that refer to Indigenous people. Theorize how it’s possible in this country that the most offensive sports mascots and team names depicting Indigenous people are deemed acceptable to the masses.

Scalp Hunting: Discuss how the exploitation of colonial labor for scalp hunting helped promote the goals of settler colonialism. Compare this practice of paying a high bounty for scalps with the recruitment of soldiers during the crusades in Europe.

Unalienable Rights: Examine the Declaration of Independence to quote the line that tells, in no uncertain terms, what the “founding fathers” believed about Indigenous people. Explain how this line serves the purpose of settler colonialism.

George Washington: Origin stories are likely to have heroes who are often portrayed as larger than life with endearing characteristics, while leaving out or minimizing their less-than-stellar habits or characteristics. Select one US “founding father” and research to uncover details about his lifestyle that would not likely be promoted in an origin story. Write a hashtag that captures this information and tweet the headlines of a newspaper story reporting this news.

Corresponding CCSS
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.1
    Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources.
  • Craft and Structure:
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.4
    Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including vocabulary specific to domains related to history/social studies.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.6
    Identify aspects of a text that reveal an author’s point of view or purpose (e.g., loaded language, inclusion or avoidance of particular facts).
  • Text Types and Purposes:
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.1
    Write arguments focused on discipline-specific content.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.1.B
    Support claim(s) with logical reasoning and relevant, accurate data and evidence that demonstrate an understanding of the topic or text, using credible sources.
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Chapter Five: The Birth of a Nation (pages 88-105)

Summary: This chapter describes the transition of colony to country following the War of Independence and the Treaty of Paris in 1783. The authors examine treaties, alliances, and continued conflict as more Indigenous nations actively resisted the continued encroachment and terrorism from the new Americans.

Think-Pair-Share Questions
  • Theorize why Indigenous people were not represented at the Treaty of Paris even though their lands were being negotiated in the postwar settlement.
  • Brainstorm ideas about how the United States could begin to honor numerous treaties made with Indigenous nations since 1783.

Writing Prompts
  • The role of Tecumseh is one of enormous ambassadorship and nation building because . . .
  • If the United States and the individual states had honored treaties and continued to work with the alliances of Indigenous nations, landholdings and political authority of Indigenous alliances today might function very differently today by . . .

Building-Critical-Awareness Discussion Questions
  • Despite continued resistance, the Treaty of Greenville was signed with every intent that the terms of the treaty would be upheld by the United States government. Discuss whether such treaties were empty from the beginning or if the continued encroachment by frontier squatters prompted the United States to break the terms of the treaty with Indigenous alliances. How might that pattern be repeated to resurface over again in US history?
  • How has the United States government exploited the greed or hardship of individuals from Indigenous nations to acquire more land?

Learning & Exploration Activities
  • Visit the official state website for Prophetstown State Park in Indiana and compare the historical accounts from this book and the website. Write about the significance of the alliance and the important role that Tecumseh played in uniting many Indigenous nations under a common purpose.
  • Label on a map the places mentioned within this chapter. Calculate the amount of land taken from Indigenous peoples in this region based on descriptions from chapter 5.

Extended Learning from the Authors’ Prompts

CONSIDER THIS (page 103)
Secession: Write a word splash poster that lists all the reasons to seriously consider secession. Discuss whether or not you would support Indigenous nations’ complete separation from the United States as a whole, and identify the factors that would validate such a decision.

DID YOU KNOW (page 97-98; 105)
Indigenous Literacies: Go online and search for language reclamation and revitalization efforts at different nations. Write a poem that addresses the impact that colonization has played in languages being taken from Indigenous nations.

Client Class: Create a T-chart that lists pros and cons of identifying with the client class for a group of Indigenous people. Summarize your chart with an evaluation of what situations might have influenced certain groups within Indigenous nations to participate in the client class. Also, discuss how this kind of system might have long-lasting legal issues for Indigenous nations.

Corresponding CCSS
  • Integration of Knowledge and Ideas:
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.7
    Integrate visual information (e.g., in charts, graphs, photographs, videos, or maps) with other information in print and digital texts.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.9
    Analyze the relationship between a primary and secondary source on the same topic.
  • Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity:
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.10
    By the end of grade 8, read and comprehend history/social studies texts in the grades 6-8 text complexity band independently and proficiently.
  • Text Types and Purposes:
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.1
    Write arguments focused on discipline-specific content.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.1.A
    Introduce claim(s) about a topic or issue, acknowledge and distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and organize the reasons and evidence logically.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.1.B
    Support claim(s) with logical reasoning and relevant, accurate data and evidence that demonstrate an understanding of the topic or text, using credible sources.
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Chapter Six: Jefferson, Jackson, and the Pursuit of Indigenous Homelands (pages 106-121)

Summary: This chapter shows how Indigenous nations continued to resist ongoing usurpation of land with the annexation of US landholdings and the repeated encroachment of treaty-established boundaries by squatters. This chapter also details the strengthened attempts at ethnic cleansing by the US government through extermination and removal policies targeting Indigenous lands and peoples.

Think-Pair-Share Questions
  • Why would someone consider it useful to disguise the true meaning of their words when making agreements with others? What are some code words that you have heard to disguise the true meaning of something controversial?
  • Why would the United States become concerned over Indigenous nations joining together to form alliances? Do you think that Indigenous nations have the right to form alliances? Was the concern expressed by the US warranted?

Writing Prompts
  • When drafting a formal agreement, such as a treaty, it’s best to choose words wisely so that . . .
  • Two questions I would ask of both Alexis de Tocqueville and Black Hawk about forced removal of Indigenous people would be . . .

Building-Critical-Awareness Discussion Questions
  • Does knowing that two US presidents intentionally plotted and deployed Indian Removal (Jefferson and Jackson) make the act of forced removal of 26 Indigenous nations any more or less disturbing or acceptable? How does our perception of events change depending on who’s involved?
  • How has settler colonialism worked to set up the genocidal practices described in this chapter?
  • In what ways did Indigenous nations resist the dishonesty and deviousness of the US government during the time period detailed in chapter 6?

Learning & Exploration Activities
  • Using the depictions from eyewitnesses of Cherokee and Choctaw removal on pages 119 and 120, illustrate the scenes that they witnessed and include one quote from each account to capture the sentiment of the scene.
  • Create a chart that details each Indigenous nation affected by Indian removal and compare the homelands with the land assigned in “Indian Territory” by size, available resources, and climate.

Extended Learning from the Authors&rsquo Prompts

CONSIDER THIS (page 108)
Ethnic Cleansing: “Euphemism” is a way to describe a word or term such as “ethnic cleansing” to say something bad in a lighter way that hides the true intent or meaning. Look at other instances, either in history or contemporary use of terms, and relabel them using more accurate terms. One example to start with is “food insecurity.”

DID YOU KNOW (pages 113, 116-117)
Red Stick Fortifications: Indigenous engineering has long fascinated people with its intricate and durable design. Find another example of Indigenous engineering near you or online and write a detailed description of the design, its purpose, and its historical significance.

Political Rhetoric: Read through Article 5 of the Treaty of Greenville, available at the National Archives Docs Teach website. Using the example of critical analysis provided by the authors on pages 116-117, write the interpretation by its intended audience, then write the interpretation by an Indigenous audience. Finally, identify any words used to disguise the true intent and evaluate the true meaning of the excerpt.

Corresponding CCSS
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.1
    Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.2
    Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of the source distinct from prior knowledge or opinions.
  • Craft and Structure:
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.4
    Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including vocabulary specific to domains related to history/social studies.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.6
    Identify aspects of a text that reveal an author’s point of view or purpose (e.g., loaded language, inclusion or avoidance of particular facts).
  • Integration of Knowledge and Ideas:
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.8
    Distinguish among fact, opinion, and reasoned judgment in a text.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.9
    Analyze the relationship between a primary and secondary source on the same topic.
  • Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity:
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.10
    By the end of grade 8, read and comprehend history/social studies texts in the grades 6-8 text complexity band independently and proficiently.
  • Text Types and Purposes:
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.1
    Write arguments focused on discipline-specific content.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.2
    Write informative/explanatory texts, including the narration of historical events, scientific procedures/ experiments, or technical processes.
  • Production and Distribution of Writing:
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.8
    Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, using search terms effectively; assess the credibility and accuracy of each source; and quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others while avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.9
    Draw evidence from informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
back to contents

Chapter Seven: Sea to Shining Sea (pages 122-136)

Summary: Manifest Destiny is key to US displacement of more Indigenous peoples as it reaches the Pacific Ocean. Chapter 7 presents western and southwestern parts of the United States and further invasion of Indigenous spaces, including Mexico. Indigenous experiences with Europeans encroaching from Latin America, as well as a discussion of the expanding origin myth based on intensified vilification of Indigenous peoples in the West, are included.

Think-Pair-Share Questions
  • How was the taking of Indigenous homelands in the West similar and different compared to the taking of lands along the Atlantic seaboard?
  • How does popular culture in the form of literary heroes and tall tales perpetuate stereotypes of Indigenous peoples? How much influence does popular culture have on opinions? What contemporary examples can you list of how pop culture influences the way we perceive Indigenous peoples?

Writing Prompts
  • The idea that the US border with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo crossed Indigenous peoples of the Southwest is at once confusing, frustrating, and powerful because . . .
  • The Doctrine of Discovery is applicable to the Spaniard invasion of the West and Southwest, as well as to the clash between the nations of Mexico and the United States for the following reasons . . .

Building-Critical-Awareness Discussion Questions
  • How were Indigenous relations with Spaniards in the Southwest similar and different compared to Indigenous relations with English and Dutch in the East?
  • How did trade routes provide access to the US for the eventual takeover of Indigenous lands in Mexico?

Learning & Exploration Activities
  • Read the “Introduction” and “The Pueblo Revolt” chapters by Joe Sando in Po’pay: Leader of the First American Revolution (2005) and compare the American Revolution to the Pueblo Revolution. Analyze the reasons that justified revolution and compare the unfolding of both revolutions and the results of each.
  • Identify on a current map the borders created by the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo and mark the areas of Indigenous lands in the newly taken territory all the way to the Pacific Ocean. Compare the settlement areas of the West and Southwest with those of the East, Southeast, and Great Lakes region.

Extended Learning from the Adapters’ Prompts

DID YOU KNOW (pages 128, 129)
Saints and Missions: Explore how Catholicism became a predominant religion in the West and Southwest similar to Calvinism in the East. Research how the Catholic Church used reflections of Indigenous peoples in its stories of Kateri Tekakwitha and Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin and identify the special roles in the Church for which each was named.

Refuge in Mexico: Write a blogpost that describes how Cherokees, Seminoles, and other Indigenous nations facing forced removal in the 1830s found their way to Mexico and how they might have been received as refugees.

Corresponding CCSS
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.1
    Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.2
    Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of the source distinct from prior knowledge or opinions.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.6
    Identify aspects of a text that reveal an author's point of view or purpose (e.g., loaded language, inclusion or avoidance of particular facts).
  • Integration of Knowledge and Ideas:
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.9
    Analyze the relationship between a primary and secondary source on the same topic.
  • Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity:
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.10
    By the end of grade 8, read and comprehend history/social studies texts in the grades 6-8 text complexity band independently and proficiently.
  • Text Types and Purposes:
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.1
    Write arguments focused on discipline-specific content.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.1.A
    Introduce claim(s) about a topic or issue, acknowledge and distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and organize the reasons and evidence logically.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.6
    Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and present the relationships between information and ideas clearly and efficiently.
  • Research to Build and Present Knowledge:
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.7
    Conduct short research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question), drawing on several sources and generating additional related, focused questions that allow for multiple avenues of exploration.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.8
    Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, using search terms effectively; assess the credibility and accuracy of each source; and quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others while avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation.
back to contents

Chapter Eight: Indigenous Lands Become “Indian Country” (pages 137-156)

Summary: Chapter 8 spans the period prior to the US Civil War through the allotment era that ends at the turn of the twentieth century. Land continues to be the major point of contention in the US, and the changing political climate with a nation at war with itself provides for different experiences for Indigenous people, ranging from support of the Confederacy to being hunted down by Black soldiers and the near extinction of the sacred buffalo on the plains. Resistance, capture, and enslavement are running themes through this era, as well.

Think-Pair-Share Questions
  • As a president, how did Abraham Lincoln consider Indigenous peoples and what kinds of policies did his administration enact against Indigenous peoples?
  • In what ways have Indigenous peoples used knowledge and skills to actively resist terrorism throughout the centuries? How have these practices helped with resilience and survival?

Writing Prompts
  • The decision to support either the Union or the Confederacy by some Indigenous nations served strategic purposes, such as . . .
  • This quote: “A congressional investigation heard detailed eyewitness reports of the soldiers’ brutality. Horrified officials verbally condemned the attack and Chivington himself, but no one ever went to trial for the Sand Creek massacre” (p. 141), taken with this quote: “In Mankato, a commission of military officers heard the murder cases, sometimes reaching a verdict after only a few minutes. In all, 303 Dakota men were sentenced to death” (p. 139), provides a glimpse into . . .

Building-Critical-Awareness Discussion Questions
  • Create a Venn diagram to compare and contrast the Trail of Tears forced removal of the Southeastern and Eastern Indigenous nations (Cherokee, Choctaw, Seminole, Creek, and others) with the Long Walk forced removal of the Navajo and Apache of the Southwest. Analyze the factors that created the biggest differences between the two traumatic events.
  • How does the quest for wealth continue to recur in the stories of land theft for the Dakota, Lakota, and Cheyenne people following the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868?

Learning & Exploration Activities
  • Create a foldable comparison chart with details about allotment era policies and how each policy impacted Indigenous people.

Extended Learning from the Authors’ Prompts

TO DO (page 155)
Resistance to Allotment: Using examples from the book, create a graphic organizer that identifies many ways Indigenous people resisted oppressive policies forced upon them, their bodies, their land, and their existence.

DID YOU KNOW (pages 143, 145, 148, 151)
All-Black Regiments: Create a flowchart that depicts the career trajectory of a formerly enslaved Buffalo Soldier. Explain how various options and outcomes might influence his decisions.

Bison: Research the population estimates of the American bison and graph its change over time. Summarize the change and analyze the causes of the change in population.

Apaches: Research the history of Lozen, an Apache woman warrior, and create a poster that depicts Apache contributions to Indigenous resistance.

Newspapers: Search online for newspaper stories about Indigenous people in the United States, historical or contemporary, and analyze what is being said about the people in the article. Write a brief summary and include the citation. What words are used to evoke strong feelings, and how is the context of the story portrayed?

Corresponding CCSS
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.5
    Describe how a text presents information (e.g., sequentially, comparatively, causally).
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.6
    Identify aspects of a text that reveal an author's point of view or purpose (e.g., loaded language, inclusion or avoidance of particular facts).
  • Integration of Knowledge and Ideas:
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.7
    Integrate visual information (e.g., in charts, graphs, photographs, videos, or maps) with other information in print and digital texts.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.8
    Distinguish among fact, opinion, and reasoned judgment in a text.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.10
    By the end of grade 8, read and comprehend history/social studies texts in the grades 6-8 text complexity band independently and proficiently.
  • Text Types and Purposes:
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.1
    Write arguments focused on discipline-specific content.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.1.A
    Introduce claim(s) about a topic or issue, acknowledge and distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and organize the reasons and evidence logically.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.9
    Draw evidence from informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
back to contents

Chapter Nine: The Persistence of Sovereignty (pages 157-175)

Summary: This chapter dismantles the Turner thesis on democratic civilization as a racist structure to frame “the Indian problem” and US policy based on assimilation or extinction of Indigenous identities and lifeways. A background of Indian education and an overview of the continued US quest for empire with taking Hawaii and Alaska are included. Chapter 9 also looks at case studies of Indigenous exercise of sovereignty over illegal land claims using the same policies and court systems that stripped lands, including the resistance to termination- and relocation-era policies. The chapter spans the mid-nineteenth and mid-twentieth centuries.

Think-Pair-Share Questions
  • What are some considerations a person would need if they were forced to make a choice between assimilation or extinction? How would that choice impact their identity?
  • How does the process and designation of public lands for national parks and monuments serve to further strip essential rights from Indigenous people?

Writing Prompts
  • In a turn of events, Indigenous nations began using the very systems that oppressed them to accomplish such things as . . .
  • Native Alaskans were at the forefront of the civil rights movement with their activism through . . .

Building-Critical-Awareness Discussion Questions
  • How does the intergenerational trauma that was experienced during the harsh boarding-school era unintentionally work to promote the goals of extinction?
  • How did Native Hawaiians exercise and institute their sovereignty as an independent nation differently than other Indigenous nations did within the boundaries of the US?

Learning & Exploration Activities
  • Using the US National Parks Service website (nps.gov) and the Native Land app or website (Native-Land.ca), select a national park and learn about its land and history of its people. Research how it came to be a national park and find out whose Indigenous lands it occupies. Create a poster or slideshow to present to your peers.

Extended Learning from the Authors’ Prompts

DID YOU KNOW (pages 162-163, 167, 170, 172)
Who Was Sun Elk? Visit the digital archives for Carlisle Indian Industrial School and select a student. Read the student record and any documents that might be available. After reading about your selected student, use the questioning strategies suggested to critically examine the writing, then make a determination about the authorship.

Preferred Names: Go online to find the website of any Indigenous nation near you (the .gov or .org suffix is usually a good indicator that the site is official, but some nations use the .com suffix, so just be careful as you search). Using the information on the official website, make a chart that shows the preferred name of the nation and the commonly used name. See if you can find out how the name was changed and by whom. Also, try to find a nation that has gone through the process of reclaiming its original preferred name and enter that information on your chart. Write a summary about why naming matters.

Reserved Rights: Visit the Library of Congress at to access the primary source “Supreme Court Report: US v. Winans” case, or view the summary of the case file. Write and illustrate a children’s book to tell the story about the case and its significant outcomes.

Indian Citizenship: Compare the citizenship rights of Indigenous peoples in the United States with other groups of people whose citizenship and voting rights were withheld. Create a timeline to demonstrate when different people in the United States were granted citizenship/voting rights.

Corresponding CCSS
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.1
    Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.6
    Identify aspects of a text that reveal an author’s point of view or purpose (e.g., loaded language, inclusion or avoidance of particular facts).
  • Integration of Knowledge and Ideas:
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.7
    Integrate visual information (e.g., in charts, graphs, photographs, videos, or maps) with other information in print and digital texts.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.8
    Distinguish among fact, opinion, and reasoned judgment in a text.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.9
    Analyze the relationship between a primary and secondary source on the same topic.
  • Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity:
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.10
    By the end of grade 8, read and comprehend history/social studies texts in the grades 6-8 text complexity band independently and proficiently.
  • Text Types and Purposes:
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.1
    Write arguments focused on discipline-specific content.
back to contents

Chapter Ten: Indigenous Action, Indigenous Rights (pages 176-201)

Summary: This chapter explores the many pathways and facets of resistance exercised by Indigenous peoples in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries from the earliest pan-Indian activist groups to the politically powerful and tenaciously established organizations like NCAI. The structure of this chapter is an examination of the key points in Indigenous activism.

Think-Pair-Share Questions
  • How have Indigenous activists formed alliances to use their collective power for the good of all?
  • Who are some influential Indigenous people involved in activist movements, and how have they used their status to help promote the movements?

Writing Prompts
  • The most powerful ways to engage in civil disobedience demonstrated by Indigenous activists have been . . .
  • Pan-Indianism or intertribal activism, when people from multiple Indigenous nations form alliances, can be a strategic way to engage in activism because . . .

Building-Critical-Awareness Discussion Questions
  • How have the court cases, examples of activism, and organizations presented in this chapter demonstrated that Indigenous peoples are not minority groups but sovereign nations?
  • Why is there a contemporary need for laws such as the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) and Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA)?

Learning & Exploration Activities
  • Create a set of flashcards or a poster series highlighting the images, names, and accomplishments of Indigenous activists mentioned in this chapter.
  • Contact any of the activist organizations mentioned in this chapter to find out how you can help with their efforts. Share this information with your peers.

Extended Learning from the Authors’ Prompts

TO DO (pages 192, 195)
Indian Child Welfare Act: Be a critical consumer of media by paying attention to what source is generating news coverage. Visit the websites of the Native American Rights Fund and the Indigenous Environmental Network; browse the current coverage of activist movements and share with your class.

UN Study on Treaties: Visit the UN website to learn more about treaties that govern your local area. Use the critical questioning strategies from earlier chapters to help analyze the treaties and understand which treaties are ratified.

DID YOU KNOW (pages 181, 185, 193, 194, 197)
Fishing Rights: Visit the official websites (remember to look for .gov) of other states that have adopted legislation regarding Indigenous histories such as Washington, Oregon, New Mexico, and Montana to compare legislation.

Alcatraz: Go online to learn more about the imprisonment of Hopi people at the Alcatraz Island. You can also search for other military installations that held Indigenous people as prisoners in attempt to coerce them to bend to US will, such as Ft. Marion, Ft. Sill, and Ft. Sumner.

Vine Deloria Jr.: Watch the 2002 Library of Congress video to hear Vine Deloria talk about his work. What influence do his teachings have on Indigenous activism today?

UNDRIP: Download the adolescent-friendly version of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and complete the worksheets.

NMAI: View the National Museum of the American Indian YouTube channel to learn more about the collections and the programs.

Corresponding CCSS
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.1
    Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.6
    Identify aspects of a text that reveal an author’s point of view or purpose (e.g., loaded language, inclusion or avoidance of particular facts).
  • Integration of Knowledge and Ideas:
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.7
    Integrate visual information (e.g., in charts, graphs, photographs, videos, or maps) with other information in print and digital texts.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.8
    Distinguish among fact, opinion, and reasoned judgment in a text.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.9
    Analyze the relationship between a primary and secondary source on the same topic.
  • Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity:
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.10
    By the end of grade 8, read and comprehend history/social studies texts in the grades 6-8 text complexity band independently and proficiently.
  • Text Types and Purposes:
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.1
    Write arguments focused on discipline-specific content.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.1.A
    Introduce claim(s) about a topic or issue, acknowledge and distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and organize the reasons and evidence logically.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.2
    Write informative/explanatory texts, including the narration of historical events, scientific procedures/ experiments, or technical processes.
back to contents

Conclusion: “Water Is Life” (pages 202-228)

Summary: In the concluding chapter, the authors carefully wrap up the major themes and concepts of the book in a case study of the protest of the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) located on the Standing Rock Indigenous homelands in North Dakota. The adapters provide a comprehensive background to the issues prompting the No DAPL protest and they end with constructive suggestions for how to get involved and to stay informed.

Think-Pair-Share Questions
  • Brainstorm some examples of recent or historic demonstrations held in the United States to help bring awareness to injustices suffered by Indigenous people and other people of color.
  • Talk about why Indigenous people and other groups whose rights have been threatened would feel the need to engage in political activism.
  • What might human rights violations look like (think of the UNDRIP document from chapter 10)? Has the United States engaged in such violations with Indigenous peoples?

Prompts
  • Protecting land, water, and other resources is the responsibility of everyone because . . .
  • The role of the Indian Self-Determination Act of 1975 in environmental protection efforts is . . .

Building-Critical-Awareness Discussion Questions
  • In what ways have the treaty rights of Indigenous nations been honored or ignored by the federal government?
  • In what ways does the participation of celebrities and media coverage in Indigenous activism affected the outcomes? Do you think Indigenous nations should welcome or prohibit such participation?
  • Why would the US refuse to acknowledge multiple human rights violations?

Learning & Exploration Activities
  • Militarization and the creation of high-stakes endangerment continue to be used as tactics to subdue Indigenous peoples. Create an infographic poster to demonstrate how such tactics were used at the beginning of settler colonial history and continue to be used currently in new ways.
  • Visit Indian Country Today and Indigenous Environmental Network to get an update on the Dakota Access Pipeline news. Create a classroom timeline of the events presented in this chapter and continue to add events as they occur regarding the case study.

Extended Learning from the Authors’ Prompts

CONSIDER THIS (pages 207, 209, 227)
NAGPRA and Climate Change: Are you aware of any protected sacred sites in your state or local area? Use the Places of Peace and Power website to identify a sacred site near you. Consider the question posed by the authors and apply it to the site you chose.

Environmental Racism: Using the questions posed by the authors, create a map that labels communities located near environmentally hazardous areas. You can find those on the US Environmental Protection Agency website. Develop a map key that identifies such characteristics as race, income levels, and types of hazards. Use information from the US Census website to help develop your map.

Supporting Demonstrations and Protests: The authors bring up several considerations for people who might want to support demonstrations or protests. Discuss what some potential risks and benefits might be of participating in a public protest or demonstration. Make a list of the ways you could be the most helpful to such causes and actions.

DID YOU KNOW (pages 204, 223)
Lawsuits: Using the list you compiled from examining the court bulletins described on the Native American Rights Fund website, select one lawsuit filed by an Indigenous nation to examine in more detail. Identify the main concern that led to the lawsuit and summarize the issues included in the lawsuit. Evaluate the judge’s final ruling and write your own opinion on how you would have ruled if you were the judge, including supporting evidence.

Doctrine of Discovery: Using what you have learned about the Doctrine of Discovery from the introduction, create a web that identifies how the histories of Indigenous peoples have been impacted by the Doctrine of Discovery. Include such items as laws, policies, actions by settler colonists, court cases, and other topics you have learned about in this book.

Corresponding CCSS
  • Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity:
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.10
    By the end of grade 8, read and comprehend history/social studies texts in the grades 6-8 text complexity band independently and proficiently.
  • Production and Distribution of Writing:
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.6
    Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and present the relationships between information and ideas clearly and efficiently.
  • Research to Build and Present Knowledge:
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.9
    Draw evidence from informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
back to contents

Resources

APPENDIX A

VOCABULARY

 

Tier 3 Vocabulary Defined in Text

 

Chapter 1: 

city-state (p. 21)

hydraulic agriculture (p. 22)

 

Chapter 3: 

cult (p. 47)

covenant (p. 47)

squatting (p. 58)

militarism (p. 60)

 

Chapter 4: 

conventional warfare (p. 64)

separatists (p. 65)

mercenary (p. 70)

 

Chapter 5: 

extirpate (p. 92)

 

Conclusion: 

counting coup (p. 224)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tier 2 / Tier 3 Vocabulary in Context

 

Chapter 1:

Vocabulary in Context

domesticating (p. 18)

cultivate (p. 18)

proliferation (p. 19)

exploited (p. 22)

dissension (p. 22)

tribute (p. 23)

stewardship (pp. 26 / 27)

 

Chapter 2:

terminal narratives (p. 32)

peasantry (p. 34)

sack and loot (p. 34)

pagans (p. 34)

commons (p. 34)

surplus (p. 35)

privatized (p. 35)

discriminatory (p. 37)

eradicate (p. 38)

brutalized (p. 40)

landed (p. 41)

 

Chapter 3

philosophical (p. 47)

doctrine (p. 48)

ingrained (p. 49)

dominion (p. 49)

dissenting (p. 51)

beyond reproach (p. 54)

exceptionalism (p. 54)

ideology (p. 54)

 

Chapter 4

diplomatic (p. 62)

militia (p. 65)

intractable (p. 85)

mustered (p. 86)

 

Chapter 5

sanctioned (p.91)

ultimatum (p. 93)

federation (p. 94)

circumvented (p. 103)

reconnaissance (p.103)

Chapter 6

cede (p. 110)

economically dependent (p. 112)

traditionalist (p. 112)

mutilated (p. 114)

roughshod (115)

coerced (p. 118)

perished (p. 120)

assimilation (p. 121)

 

Chapter 7

occupation (p. 122)

missions (p. 123)

convert (p. 123)

Franciscans (p. 124)

mestizo (p. 124)

presidios (p. 127)

lucrative (p. 130)

Anglo-American (p. 131)

imperial (p. 132)

pacifist (p. 135)

regime (p. 136)

preordained (p. 136)

 

Chapter 8

self-emancipated (p. 138)

disillusioned (p. 138)

posthumously (p. 151)

prophecy (p. 153)

 

Chapter 9

industrial (p. 160)

prototype (p. 160)

barracks (p. 161)

philanthropist (p. 161)

intergenerational trauma (p. 164)

rampant (p. 164)

stratified (p. 165)

heathens (p. 165)

benevolent (p. 169)

constitutionally representative government (p. 173)

progressive (p. 173)

compensated (p. 173)

termination (p. 174)

undermine (p. 174)

dispossess (p. 175)

 

Chapter 10

Vocabulary in Context

activism (p. 176)

self-determination (p. 176)

regalia (p. 182)

proclamation (p. 185)

siege (p. 189)

solidarity (p. 193)

self-sufficient (p. 196)

shareholder (p. 196)

reparations (p. 197)

underground market (p. 199)

repatriation (p. 199)

commissioned (p. 199)

prosecution (p. 200)

APPENDIX B: References

Teacher Notes:
Linsenmayer, M. (2017) [podcast]. “Episode 161: White Privilege.

Introduction
References for Teachers:
  • Barreiro, J. (1990). “View from the shore: Toward an indian voice in 1992.” Northeast Indian Quarterly, 7(3), 4-20.
  • Chiariello, E. (2016). “Why Talk About Whiteness?” in Teaching Tolerance. Summer Edition.
  • McIntosh, P. (1989). “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack” In Peace and Freedom Magazine. July/August, 1989, pp. 10-12. Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, Philadelphia, PA.
  • DiAngelo, R.J. (2018). White Fragility: Why It’s So Sard for White People to Talk About Racism. Boston, Beacon Press.

References for Learners:
  • Bigelow, B., & Peterson, B. (1998). Rethinking Columbus: The Next 500 Years. Milwaukee, WI: Rethinking Schools.
  • Wolfinger, L.Q. (Producer/Director) (2007). Desperate Crossing: The Untold Story of the Mayflower. [DVD]. United States. The History Channel A&E Home Video.

Websites for Preparing to Teach:
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
  • Sando, J. & Agoyo, H. [Eds.] (2005). Po’pay: Leader of the First American Revolution. Clear Light Publishers. Madison, WI.

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Conclusion
Additional Teacher Resources

Download the Teachers’ Guide


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