The second supporting question, “Who are the Mni Wakan Oyate?” helps students use primary sources to unwrap the context of the time and topic being examined. The Doctrine of Discovery and Manifest Destiny had an impact on the different bands of the Oceti Sakowin, ultimately establishing different reservations for different bands.
Complete the following task using the sources provided to build a context of the time period and topic being examined.
Formative Performance Task 2
Study sources A-D. Write a brief summary that answers the following questions:
- What types of sources are they (letters, photos, maps, diaries, etc.)?
- What is going on in these sources? What kind of information do they contain?
- Who created each of these sources?
- Who was the intended audience for each source?
- Why were these sources created?
- When were the sources created?
- What do the sources tell us about treaties and tribal sovereignty related to the Mni Wakan Oyate?
How do we know? What else can you find?
Featured Sources 2
The sources featured in this section are a combination of secondary and primary sources.
| Source A | Treaties Treaty of Prairie du Chien Creation of Spirit Lake Reservation |
| Source B | Tribal Government |
| Source C | North Dakota Indian Affairs Commission
Pay special attention to the section on the Spirit Lake Nation. Where is the reservation located? How many people are enrolled? How many people live on the reservation? What kind of government do they have? |
| Source D | Spirit Lake Reservation and Tribal Government
Spend time looking around the tribe’s website but pay special attention to the Our Tribe and History sections (look for the history link on the top of the page). |
Learn more about the history and culture of the Mni Wakan Oyate, the Spirit Lake Nation.