DECLARATIONS OF INDEPENDENCE
Exploring American Indian Rights to Self-Governance

Grades:  6-8, 9-12

Subjects:  American History, Civics, Language Arts, Social Studies

Related New York Times Article
"Tribal Recognition, By DIRK OLIN", November 25, 2002

Overview of Lesson Plan:: In this lesson, students will examine what they know about American Indians past and present, then research key issues facing American Indian tribes today. To synthesize their learning, students will write letters taking the perspective of an American Indian examining questions of tribe recognition.

SUGGESTED TIME ALLOWANCE:   1 hour

OBJECTIVES:
Students will:

1. Explore the role of American Indians in the past and the present.
2. Discover how some American Indians tribes must struggle to be recognized by the United States government by reading and discussing the article "Tribal Recognition."
3. Examine key issues surrounding tribal self-governance; create informational displays to present their findings to the class.
4. Reflect on what official recognition means to an American Indian by taking the perspectives of tribal members and drafting letters to the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

RESOURCES / MATERIALS:

• student journals
• pens/pencils
• paper
• classroom blackboard
• copies of "Tribal Recognition" (one per student)
• resources about American Indians, Indian reservations, and Federal and tribal laws (civics textbooks, library resources, computers with Internet access)
• display boards or large pieces of construction paper (one per group)
• markers (enough for students to share)
• scissors and glue (optional)

ACTIVITIES / PROCEDURES:

1. WARM-UP/DO NOW: In their journals, students respond to the following prompt (written on the board prior to class): "Divide your paper in half. Title the left side 'Past,' and the right side 'Present.' Brainstorm the topic 'American Indian' and write what you know under the two different headings. How have American Indians shaped United States' history? What role do American Indians play in today's world?" After a few minutes, allow students to share and discuss their responses, while you list their ideas under the two heading on the board.
2. As a class, read and discuss "Tribal Recognition" focusing on the following questions:
   1. What is the "National Day of Mourning"?
   2. When was the first Thanksgiving feast, according to the article?
   3. According to the article, what are some problems American Indians face today?
   4. What must a tribe do to be officially recognized by the Bureau of Indian Affairs?
   5. According to Cora Tula Watters, what does official recognition mean to an American Indian?
   6. According to Bruce Duthu, why is the B.I.A.'s Bureau of Acknowledgement and Research ineffective?
   7. From what tradition does Mr. Duthu say a tribe's most powerful evidence often come?
   8. What did the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988 allow Indian tribes to do?
   9. According to Jeff Benedict, what negative impact have casinos had on Indian recognition?
   10. According to Anthony Gulig, what benefits do casinos give to the Indian community?
   11. What problems exist with casino development on tribal land?
   12. According to the article, what does the book, "The Backbone of History," show about Indian populations before Christopher Columbus set foot on North American soil?
   13. According to "The Houma of Louisiana: Politics, Identity, and the Legal Status of 'Tribe,'" what are some reasons a tribe would want official recognition?
3. Explain to students that they will be working in groups to research issues facing American Indians recognized by the United States government. Divide the class into five groups -- Governance, Community Development, Human Resources, Natural Resources and Other Issues. Allow each group to explore the Website of the National Congress of American Indians (http://www.ncai.org/main/pages/issues/index.asp)to familiarize themselves with the range of issues within their category. Then ask each group to choose one sub-topic within their category on which to focus. Using all available resources, groups will answer the following questions about their chosen sub-topic (written on the board or copied in a handout for easier student access):
   • In your own words, what is the issue you are researching?
   • How does the particular issue you are researching connect with the group's assigned topic?
   • What groups or organizations are involved in this issue?
   • What are the key developments that have shaped this issue? (For example: How did it begin? What legislation has improved or hurt the issue? What kind of publicity has this issue received?)
   • How does this issue affect American Indians at the local, state, and national levels?
   • What social, political and economic effects might relate to this issue?
   • List any additional facts or interesting information that will enhance your understanding of this issue.
   Each group will create an informational display to teach their community about the troubles of recognized American Indians. Ask students to include a statement of the over-arching issue, as well as the related sub-topics. Students may also want to include illustrations or pictures found through their research. In a future class, allow students to hold a forum on American Indian awareness.
4. WRAP UP/HOMEWORK: Ask students to take the perspective of an American Indian from an unrecognized tribe, then write a letter to the Bureau of Indian Affairs explaining why his or her tribe should or should not be officially recognized. Encourage students to consider the benefits of being officially recognized -- including personal, social, political and economic reasons -- and to use facts from the article, their class research, and their prior knowledge while writing their letters.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

• What is the significance of Plymouth Rock in Massachusetts?
• What controversy surrounds the Thanksgiving feast of 1621?
• How do Native Americans keep track of their history?
• What is an Indian Reservation? What laws forced their creation?
• Why is gambling allowed on Indian Reservations? What advantages and disadvantages does this allow the tribes involved?

EVALUATION / ASSESSMENT:
Students will be evaluated based on thoughtful journal entries, thoughtful class and group discussion, thorough and accurate research and presentation of information issues relating to tribal self-governance, and thoughtful writing of a letter that reflects the perspectives of tribal member.

VOCABULARY:
plights, sovereignty, confers, litmus test, inundated, redress, dire, panoply, wards, brazenly, eviscerated

EXTENSION ACTIVITIES:

1. According to the Bureau of Indian Affairs Website (http://www.doiu.nbc.gov/orientation/bia2.cfm): "...the BIA has mirrored the American public's ambivalence towards the Nation's indigenous peoples by carrying out federal policies that had helped or hurt them. But, as federal policy has evolved away from the subjugation and assimilation of American Indian and Alaska Native people and into one of partnership and service to them, so has the BIA's mission." Create an annotated timeline illustrating the evolution of U.S. federal policies for American Indians. Be sure to include legislation, protests, and important people surrounding each change in policy.
2. American Indian author Michael Dorris (in "Lies My Teacher Told Me" by James L. Loewen) said the following about the first Thanksgiving meal: "Considering that virtually none of the standard fare surrounding Thanksgiving contains an ounce of authenticity, historical accuracy, or cross-cultural perception, why is it so apparently ingrained? Is it necessary to the American psyche to perpetually exploit and debase its victims in order to justify its history?" Using this quotation as a starting point, examine how different myths have become incorporated into history, such as the first Thanksgiving, Christopher Columbus discovering America, and America as the "Land of Opportunity." How are these myths viewed from the perspective of the American Indians involved?
3. Choose an ethnic or racial group that has been marginalized at some point during United States history, such as the Japanese, African-American, American Indian, or the Irish. Write a research paper exploring the issues (political, economic, social, and cultural) that led to marginalization and the state of this group today.
4. Research the importance of oral histories in indigenous civilizations. Look at different American Indian myths, folk tales and legends. Choose one to memorize and recite in a future class. [A good Website to search for American Indian folklore is http://www.ilhawaii.net/~stony/loreindx.html)

INTERDISCIPLINARY CONNECTIONS:
Global Studies- Write a research paper exploring the indigenous people of a country in Africa, South America, Australia or Asia. Describe their traditional culture, explain how this group may or may not have survived into the twentieth century, and explore the impact of this group on that country's history.

Economics- Create a series of graphs and charts illustrating the effects of gambling on a specific community. What businesses or industries supported the economy prior to the introduction of casinos? How much revenue were these businesses or industries making? What effects did these businesses or industries have on the community? How has the introduction of casinos changed the economy of this area?

Geography- Create a population map illustrating the locations of the 1.6 million people living in recognized tribes in the United States.

Copyright 2002
The New York Times Company