INDIGENOUS PEOPLES : Native Americans in SC...Learning about History, Struggles, and Pride in their Heritage
This lesson includes some video interviews of South Carolina's Native American citizens and the life experiences they've encountered, in terms of:
-schooling (There were very few opportunities back in the 1930's -1950's, as compared to white citizens, & schools that did exist for Native Americans were seriously underfunded. In fact, the state of SC did not support Native American schools with any tax money.)
-fewer employment opportunities for indigenous peoples than white citizens
-regular instances of racism,in the areas of schooling and employment, based upon skin color, economic status, and tribal customs.
Also in this lesson, inspect ancient drawings of ancient Native Americans of SC... these are sketches from an explorer in the 16th century, and are interesting to examine, as they show us their ancient methods of housing, cooking, fishing with spears and nets, etc.
The use of the term INDIGENOUS PEOPLES has also been used to identify people with Native American heritage ( also the term "Indian" has been widely used) , as they were the FIRST KNOWN PEOPLE to inhabit South Carolina, as well as most other areas of North America, along with the land mass now known as Mexico, and the area now known as Canada.
Essential Question
What is the history of the FIRST PEOPLE to inhabit South Carolina? Which groups (tribes) lived in different regions of the state, and how did their lifestyles vary? What are the challenges they faced as white settlers moved in from other countries? How did we benefit from what they had already learned about this land?
Grade(s):
- 4
- 8
Recommended Technology:
Chromebook
Other Instructional Materials or Notes:
-a dedicated notebook section
-pen, pencil
- your desired art supplies: markers, paints & brushes, sketching charcoal pencils , drawing paper, scissors
CRAFT SUPPLIES for a "dreamcatcher project"
-scissors
-small gauge burlap thread
- a 1 ' x 1' piece of sturdy cardboard
-any beads from an old discarded necklace that are usable
-a seashell with a hole in it , or nutshell with a hole in it
-a few bird feathers, either found on the ground, or purchased from a crafts shop
SUPPLIES for a "talking stick" project
-a stick that is not "crumbling" or breaking apart; STURDY...approximately 2 ' long
-colored yarn
-feathers, shells
-bells, beads, trinkets from broken jewelry/ whatever appeals to you, but is not breakable, as the TALKING STICK is meant to be "passed around the circle" & will be held by several or many people
SUPPLIES for "SKIN TONE PORTRAITS" project
-1 sheet green or blue poster board ( to be used as background)
-paint sample chips from a paint store/ hardware store that sells paint / Walmart / etc. (gather several shades of white, black, brown, tan, yellow, red, reddish brown
-glue stick and scissors
Lesson Progression
VOCABULARY ASSIGNMENT:
1. Write each vocabulary word and a definition in your notebook.
2. Write a complete sentence (using the vocabulary word) in your notebook.
3. Repeat this process for each vocabulary word listed below.
EXAMPLE: native - a person born in a specified place, or associated with a place by birth / (sentence) " I am a native of Spartanburg, S.C. , but now live in Asheville, N.C."
VOCABULARY WORDS:
indigenous tribe hunter-gatherer farmer arrowhead headdress roundhouse
longhouse ceremony race prejudice racism ethnic pigmentation melanin ceremony
DNA (inherited from parents)
CLASS DISCUSSION WITH TEACHER:
The classroom teacher can lead a sensitive discussion based on the vocabulary words above (AFTER students have defined them in their notebooks.) Are children BORN distrustful of someone with another skin tone? Have you ever had a beloved baby sitter or neighbor, teacher or coach who had different skin pigmentation than you, but that didn't matter to you ONE BIT? Why didn't it matter? DISCUSS.
Teacher Notes
Be sure to mention that many tribal natives in SC did not wear the full, upright headresses that we see in old Western movies. Those headresses were worn by tribes that lived in the western areas / states, where they were walking in "wide open spaces", and not in thick woods or forests. Also, even though we see TEEPEES as shelters for native americans living in the west, in the southeast, indigenous people constructed their homes from forest materials, mostly.
Native Americans DID decorate themselves with feathers. Mainly those feathers would be hanging down from a band on their hair, or attached to their clothing. Many SC Native Americans lived in wooded areas, where these upright feathers would become snared in tree branches while hunting, or walking through the woods. In addition to feathers, Native Americans utilized shells, stones, nuts, and other objects from nature to ornament their clothing. The natural world was highly revered and respected by indigenous peoples.
Please be sensitive in leading discussions about the discrimination Native Americans faced , as is heard in the attached video interviews. Sensitivity can be shown by discussing the vocabulary words of prejudice, racism, ethnicity, etc. and perhaps mentioning instances that have been studied in the history book, or even seen on tv news. The emphasis should be on LEARNING FROM SOCIETY'S PAST MISTAKES, and going forward in a positive way, treating all human beings with respect and dignity.
A good question to pose and discuss is..."How can WE be fair to each other as citizens, and not begin automatically with a PREJUDICE based on someone's skin tone, or which neighborhood they live in....but by how they treat us, and how we should treat them as a fellow human being?"
Southeastern Native American Lifestyles/ kia.org
This is a LESSON .
- There are photos drawn by an explorer in the 1500's which document the lifestyles of Native Americans. -
-There are study questions to discuss before and after looking at the drawings.
-Use these as a springboard to discussing what students imagine it would've been like to see people who looked different than you, & lived VERY DIFFERENTLY from you.
-DISCUSSION:
*After looking at drawings of what we consider a "PRIMITIVE LIFESTYLE" ( no machines, technology, indoor plumbing, etc.)... what might be the BENEFITS of this lifestyle?
*What would you consider the INCONVENIENCES of this lifestyle?
Native American Place Names in South Carolina
This map "outline" shows rivers, towns, and cities which bear the name of many SC Native American tribes that have lived in the region for thousands of years!
View ResourceNative American Community Store/ ROAD TRIP/ kia.org
This is an interesting video about a Native American man who is a community store owner. He remembers back about how he was treated differently by white people since he was Native American, but since his skin wasn't very dark, he comments that black citizens around his area had a more difficult time with courteous and fair treatment.
DISCUSS: Why does skin pigmentation seem to present such a SERIOUS PROBLEM for many people in our country. Is it like this in other countries?
Native Americans / Road Trip/ kia.org
John Goins, a Native American activist speaks that Native Americans, as well as African Americans, have needed to struggle for Civil Rights in the United States. He also talks of how Native Americans need to take opportunities to make a living ( he is referencing a gambling casino on the Catawba Indian Reservation). He speaks of the challenges Native Americans have faced...not ONLY for equal opportunities in employment, etc.... but he mentions how Native Americans are brought up by their families to treat their land with reverence, as it is "Mother Earth, the source of all life", unlike some white belief systems that may dismiss the intrinsic value of the earth, only seeing it as resources for human exploitation.
View ResourceNative American Culture/ PERISCOPE/ kia.org
This is a photo of differing ceremonial ways of dress for Native Americans
View ResourceN is for Native American : SC Tribes from A-Z / kia.org
a video naming Indigenous Peoples tribal names in SC
View ResourceNative AMericans helping in the Revolutionary War
This is a photo- examine clothing worn by soldiers & Native Americans....what does a soldier's uniform signify? What does a ceremonial outfit for a Native American signify?
How are these 2 ways of dressing SIMILAR?
Early Native Americans / SC History / kia.org
this is a nice drawing of the arrangement of a Native American village, with great facts below it.
View ResourceMissing History/ Road Trip / kia.org
A woman of Native American heritage remembers how she felt "left out" when reading history books in school, because there was so little mention of her people.
View ResourceFailing Students/ /Road Trip / kia.org
A Native American woman speaks of the troubles with very few schools in the state that would serve Native Americans.
View ResourceEducation Not Allowed / Road Trip / kia.org
Desiree Platt speaks of the pitiful conditions that existed for educating Native Americans when she was a school-aged student in Orangeburg, SC/
View ResourceMissing History / Road Trip / kia.org
Molly Scott discusses not seeing ANY history about her Native American ancestors in the SC history books, in her days of schooling.
View ResourceThe Trail of Tears/ History in a Nutshell/ kia.org / video 12:35
This animated film tells the heartbreaking story of Native Americans ( mostly Cherokees from the SC mountains) being forced to move to lands out west that had never been their home. President Andrew Jackson ignored a Supreme Court ruling in favor of the Cherokees (which declared the Cherokees had the right to stay in their homeland), and sent soldiers to forcibly move them out west .
View ResourceTrail of Tears Works Cited Page/ kia.org
This is a good resource page to find additional information about THE TRAIL OF TEARS.
View ResourceNative American Civil Rights Timeline/ kia.org
CIVIL RIGHTS - are rights that are supposed to protect individuals' freedoms, from infringement from the government or social institutions, and even private individuals. This has been a VERY IMPORTANT TERM in both the struggle for African Americans to have all their constitutional freedoms, and for Native Americans, also.
View ResourceAlice Faye Broad Hincka/ One Room School/ Road Trip/ kia.org
A short interview about the very deprived educational opportunities provided for Native American students in the 40's 50's, early 60's.
View ResourceMartha Varner/ Road Trip / kia.org
Teasing and taunting about being a Native American were bad memories for this woman, as she reminisces sadly about her school days
View ResourceMinority Business/ Road Trip / kia.org
A Native American man attained one of the first building licenses as a Native American contractor.
View ResourceThose Who Remain/ Native Populations, Part 1/ kia.org
A video describing the current days of keeping Native American traditions alive.
View ResourceHead Dresses and War Bonnets
There is a purpose behind the multi-feather head dress of native american men, and the fullness of the head dress relates directly to the acts of bravery shown in support of the tribe.
View ResourceNative American Symbols
Use these symbols to create a Native American banner for a particular ceremony, either hunting celebration/ feast, giving thanks, marriage, new child, death
View ResourceCatawba Indian Cultural Center
Very close to the SC/NC state line, The Catawba Cultural and Historical Center is situated, in Rock Hill, NC. Open to visitors
Monday - Friday, 9:00-5:00, it is a valuable resource to learn about this Native American tribe of the Carolinas.
PROJECT: Do It Yourself Super Easy Way to make a Dreamcatcher
ASSESSMENT PROJECT: Making a Dreamcatcher
There is a Native American belief that making a "dreamcatcher" and placing it near your bed will catch the "bad dreams" and only let the "good dreams" slide down into your nightly dreams, so the sleeper will feel refreshed and not disturbed in the morning. Gather the materials and follow instructions for making your dreamcatcher. Be sure to use substitutions if you can't find EXACTLY what the craft list calls for. Enjoy!
PROJECT: Make a Talking Stick/ "how to" tips
A talking stick is a Native American customs in some tribes. Whoever is holding the talking stick is able to share his/her thoughts and feelings out loud to the group, WITHOUT BEING INTERRUPTED. There must be a time limit though...and then the talking stick is passed to the next speaker to share their thoughts.
-Gather a STICK (not too long), strong string, feathers, any jewelry or nature items , colorful yard if desired.
-Begin to attach items to the Talking Stick. Save feathers for last. Save room on the stick for someone's hand to HOLD IT COMFORTABLY.
-DO NOT ATTACH anything pointy or sharp to the talking stick.
Standards
- 4.1.CE Identify the effects of changing economic systems on the diverse populations in British North America.
- 4.1.CO Compare the interactions among cultural groups as a result of European colonization.
- 4.1.CX Contextualize the experience of Africans, Europeans, and Native Americans in South Carolina.
- 4.2.CO Compare the roles of marginalized groups during the American Revolution.
- 4.3.CE Analyze the effects of government policies in promoting United States territorial expansion into the west.
- 4.3.CC Recognize patterns of continuity and change in the experiences of Native Americans and Spanish-speaking people as the U.S. expanded westward.
Assessments
ART PROJECTS TO BE USED AS ASSESSMENTS: ( found in " RESOURCES")
*Dreamcatcher
*Talking Stick
*SKIN TONE PORTRAITS: Human Beings Exist in a RAINBOW of different colors. Create portraits from multi-colored "skin tone" paint samples chips (student must create 2 different portraits to complete this assignment ) - Also, make a list of the color names listed on the paint sample chips.
Completed Talking Stick
View Resource
Human Face Colors / SKIN TONE PORTRAITS
Discuss with your teacher: back in the 1960's & 1970's, "white" people used to slather "suntan oil" on themselves ( one brand was called COPPERTONE) so their skin wouldn't look so white. But those same people MIGHT have judged someone else for being dark-skinned. DISCUSS.
NOW, make your own "skin tone portraits" with paint samples you have collected....or you could even assemble a "SKIN TONE RAINBOW" ( in the shape of a rainbow) moving from the lightest skin tones to medium to darker.