This inquiry explores how early peoples on the northern Great Plains lived nomadic/migratory lifestyles or sedentary in a village. This topic is introduced through the investigation of the compelling question “what does a community offer?” The importance of understanding community development in this context is twofold: (1) students should be able to understand how different cultural traditions led to different types of communities among Native American tribes and (2) students will benefit from understanding how the reservation system was developed and how it continues to affect Native American communities to the present day. While progressing through the inquiry, students will analyze the changes occurring in on reservations and speculate future scenarios.
The terms “Native Americans” and “Native peoples” are used in this inquiry. The terms “American Indians” and “Indians” are used in much of the scholarly literature. In this inquiry, precise tribal names will be used when they are known.
This inquiry is expected to take two class periods; however, teachers are encouraged to adapt the inquiry to meet the needs and interests of their students and the amount of time they have available.
- Little River Women Society Document Set
- The Story of Corn Silk
- People of the Upper Missouri Document Set
- Additional library and resources
- Galleries/Historic Sites
- NDNAEU
- ND Studies online NA content
Understand: Identify tribes who consider the land where your community is as part of their traditional homelands.
Assess: Determine what has happened to those people—who are they and where do they live now? Are their ways in which your community can support them today?
Act: Using the poster and additional research you conducted, create a short documentary film. Present the documentary to your community during a history fair.