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LESSON ONE: Healing Standards | Lesson | Extensions | Resources Topic Healing: addressing the history of the United States in its relationship with the Sioux Nation Age Group Grades 6-12 Introduction The history of the Native Americans is so shameful that most Americans prefer to ignore it and most American History textbooks have a difficult time addressing the issue fully. Learning Objectives
The history of the United States' relationship with the Plains Indians is not the only, nor perhaps even the worst of the encounters in American history, but it provides dramatic examples that students can consider in determining what, if anything, still needs to be done. Any American History textbook will discuss the most famous facts of this encounter - the battles of Little Big Horn and Wounded Knee. This is a good place to start. Standards This lesson addresses the following national standards, established by McREL. U.S. History Grades 7-8 Understands how early state and federal policy influenced various Native American tribes (e.g., survival strategies of Native Americans, environmental differences between Native American homelands and resettlement areas, the Black Hawk War and removal policies in the Old Northwest) Understands interaction between Native Americans and white society (e.g., the attitudes and policies of government officials, the U.S. Army, missionaries, and settlers toward Native Americans; the provisions and effects of the Dawes Severalty Act of 1887 on tribal identity, land ownership and assimilation; the legacy of the 19th century federal Indian policy; Native American responses to increased white settlement, mining activities, and railroad construction) Grades 9-12 Understands shifts in federal and state policy toward Native Americans in the first half of the 19th century (e.g., arguments for and against removal policy, changing policies from assimilation to removal and isolation after 1825) Understands influences on and perspectives of Native American life in the late 19th century (e.g., how the admission of new western states affected relations between the United States and Native American societies; leadership and values of Native American leaders; depiction of Native Americans and whites by 19th century artists) Language Arts Grades 6-8 Uses reading skills and strategies to understand a variety of informational texts (e.g., textbooks; biographical sketches; letters; diaries; directions; procedures; magazines; essays; primary source historical documents; editorials; news stories; periodicals; bus routes; catalogs; technical directions; consumer, workplace, and public documents) Summarizes and paraphrases information in texts (e.g., arranges information in chronological, logical, or sequential order; conveys main ideas, critical details, and underlying meaning; uses own words or quoted materials; preserves author's perspective and voice) Understands techniques used to convey viewpoint (e.g., word choice, language structure, context) Differentiates between fact and opinion in informational texts Evaluates own and others' writing (e.g., applies criteria generated by self and others, uses self-assessment to set and achieve goals as a writer, participates in peer response groups) Uses content, style, and structure (e.g., formal or informal language, genre, organization) appropriate for specific audiences (e.g., public, private) and purposes (e.g., to entertain, to influence, to inform) Writes expository compositions (e.g., states a thesis or purpose; presents information that reflects knowledge about the topic of the report; organizes and presents information in a logical manner, including an introduction and conclusion; uses own words to develop ideas; uses common expository structures and features, such as compare-contrast or problem-solution) Grades 9-12 Uses reading skills and strategies to understand a variety of informational texts (e.g., textbooks; biographical sketches; letters; diaries; directions; procedures; magazines; essays; primary source historical documents; editorials; news stories; periodicals; bus routes; catalogs; technical directions; consumer, workplace, and public documents) Summarizes and paraphrases complex, implicit hierarchic structures in informational texts, including the relationships among the concepts and details in those structures Analyzes techniques (e.g., language, organization, tone, context) used to convey viewpoints or impressions (e.g., sarcasm, criticism, praise, affection) Uses a variety of criteria to evaluate the clarity and accuracy of information (e.g., author's bias, use of persuasive strategies, consistency, clarity of purpose, effectiveness of organizational pattern, logic of arguments, reasoning, expertise of author, propaganda techniques, authenticity, appeal to friendly or hostile audience, faulty modes of persuasion) Uses text features and elements to support inferences and generalizations about information (e.g., vocabulary, structure, evidence, expository structure, format, use of language, arguments used) Evaluates own and others' writing (e.g., accumulates a body of written work to determine strengths and weaknesses as a writer, makes suggestions to improve writing, responds productively to reviews of own work) Uses strategies to address writing to different audiences (e.g., includes explanations and definitions according to the audience's background, age, or knowledge of the topic, adjusts formality of style, considers interests of potential readers) Uses strategies to adapt writing for different purposes (e.g., to explain, inform, analyze, entertain, reflect, persuade) Writes expository compositions (e.g., synthesizes and organizes information from first- and second-hand sources, including books, magazines, computer data banks, and the community; uses a variety of techniques to develop the main idea [names, describes, or differentiates parts; compares or contrasts; examines the history of a subject; cites an anecdote to provide an example; illustrates through a scenario; provides interesting facts about the subject]; distinguishes relative importance of facts, data, and ideas; uses appropriate technical terms and notations) Lesson One: Healing Day 1 (40 min.): Provide students with a variety of American History textbooks (including middle and elementary school books) that discuss the nineteenth century. Have students use the table of contents and index to identify how much space is devoted to the encounters with Natives. This could include doing an estimated word count (by counting the lines). Students should decide just how much a picture is worth in relationship to text. (Is a picture worth a thousand words?) Based on the data collected, students should place the books into three piles according to the quality, quantity and honesty of the information offered. If students are unsure on how to evaluate the quality, or honesty, this could lead to a good discussion of where the "right" answer might be found. Day 2 (40 min.): Encourage students to use library resources and the Internet to supplement the information found in the textbooks (see resources listed below). Review the material on the HOMELAND website in the Timeline and Reservation Yesterday sections. Then have students write their own improved version of one encounter. This could be Wounded Knee or Little Big Horn; it could also be the Cherokee or the Nez Perce, usually the four encounters that get the most attention in textbooks. Look up the word "Treaty" in the index of the textbooks. Ask students to consider what difference it made that the Department of State made treaties with European and Asian nations, while the Department of the Interior made treaties with Indians (e.g., should white Americans have considered Indian tribes to be "foreign," because of their cultural differences, even though they lived on the same soil?). Offer a prize to any student who can find any book that discusses Native Americans under "foreign policy." Discuss with the class why this is so difficult and what the meaning is. Extending the Lesson
betrayal brutalizing cowardly dishonesty ethnic cleansing extermination genocide germ warfare hate crimes holocaust human rights violations inhumanity racism shameful tragedy treachery war crimes What other words should or should not be used to explain this encounter? Should elementary school textbooks use gentler words? When are students old enough to learn the real truth? Resources HOMELAND Timeline and Reservation Yesterday sections Timeline of Events Relevant to the Northern Plains Tribes History and Leaders of the Oglala Lakota Sioux Battle of Little Big Horn PBS Online: The West next lesson |
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