Native American History Teaching

Words: 1351
Pages: 6
Open Document
In the United States, teaching American history occurs at almost every grade level until one graduates from high school. The teaching of American history is a companion to students as they work through their elementary, middle, and high school experiences. Since American history plays such an integral part in the lives of American children, its vital that it teaches history accurately, without bias or agenda. Unfortunately, it seems that this methodology of teaching is not the mainstay in America currently. In, “What Kids Are Really Learning About Slavery”, an article published by the Atlantic in February of 2018 revealed that only 8% of students in 12th grade could identify slavery as the cause of the Civil War. (Anderson) The article by Melinda …show more content…
Students in the United States are not taught about the history of the people who lived in these regions for years before them, they are only taught about the ways in which they resisted European power. Students need to have a full understanding that every acre of land in the United States was once the land of a Native American tribe. Further, students need to understand that this land was taken from Native American tribes, not given to Europeans. Native American history is often taught with the undertone that the Native Americans were unsophisticated and that they needed to be humanized by Europeans and Christianity. This ideology regarding Native American tribes is inaccurate. For example, the Comanche tribe that was dominant in the Southwest during the 1800’s and 1900’s challenged what is taught about Native Americans. The Comanche had sophisticated methods of maintaining their society through their use of the horse, their economy of slaves, and their practice of raiding. The Comanche were a dominant force in the Southwest that upon initial contact with European settlers, could not be conquered. It was ecological deficits that brought the Comanche to Fort Sill where the last surrendered in the late 1800’s. Histories such as that of the Comanche need to be taught to student to provide understanding that the Natives who inhabited the land of the United States had their land and culture forcibly removed. Students need to understand the cruelty of confining Native American tribes to reservations and that reservations are not a replacement for their
Show More

Related Documents: Native American History Teaching

Essay on Native American Customs

part in Native American culture. Their beliefs and rituals have heavily influenced their way of acquiring materials, from hunting to agriculture. (Native American History and Information) They often look to their rituals to give them power to overcome difficulties in life such as milestones like puberty, marriage, and death. Some rituals that were practiced include; the Rain Dance, the Eagle Dance, and the Ghost Dance. The Rain Dance includes an intricate dance that the Native Americans would preform…

Words 499 - Pages 2

Documentary Analysis: The Canary Effect

unimaginable. I was always aware that Native Americans were not treated as they should be, but never could my mind ever comprehend the truths that were unveiled in this documentary. Here our country is, teaching students about the genocide of the Jews and yet there is no mention of the genocide that our very own country has committed and continues too. History has had quite a Canary Effect when it comes to the Native American people. Americans have destroyed the Native Americans bodies, minds and now their…

Words 426 - Pages 2

Native American Underrepresentation

INTRODUCTION: Across the United States, the representation of Native Americans in Social Studies curricula is an incredibly pressing issue. It is characterized by underrepresentation and the perpetuation of stereotypes and tropes that are both immature and incredibly offensive. It is a matter of addressing this issue for the sake of educational equity and to foster a more inclusive and just society. For decades, Native American History has been overlooked and inaccurately portrayed in educational…

Words 1834 - Pages 8

Native essay

Pulitano The New Age Take on Native Spirituality New Age culture’s obsession with indigenous spiritualty has contributed to the dominative forces that western colonizers have placed on Native peoples since their settlement in North America. Google defines the New Age as “a broad movement characterized by alternative approaches to traditional Western culture, with an interest in spirituality, mysticism, holism, and environmentalism.” New Ager’s involvement in Native spiritual practice can be problematic…

Words 1347 - Pages 6

The Myth Of The Frontier And Neighboring Natives Essay

The Myth of the Frontier and Neighboring Natives Ursurla L. Waller Ashford University HIS 204: American History Since 1865 Instructor Jessica Schmidt 2015 January 8 The Myth of the Frontier and Neighboring Natives Movement towards the Great West, known as, "the existence of an area of free land." fortified a boundary line that runs between savagery and civilization. Populated and seized by the Europeans in continental areas bordering the United States of America, the Western Movement began after…

Words 726 - Pages 3

Essay on History: Native Americans in the United States and Europeans

History Midterm Project Essay The first settlers that settlered in America were the Native Americans. There were about 1.5 million Native Americans that lived in the continental United States, although estimates of the number vary greatly. Their settlements ranged across the Western Hemisphere and were built on many of the sites where modern cities now rise. They hunted deer, buffalo, and other game and cultivated land where today crops are still grown. Their hunters, warriors, and traders used…

Words 494 - Pages 2

Native American Storytelling Lit Paper

Native American Storytelling November 12, 2012 ENG/301 Native American Storytelling Native American literature is the root of cultural storytelling, which is told through oral tradition, this consist of stories and songs verbally. Native American literature use literary conventions in the root of myth and symbolic examples in storytelling. The book “Native American Literature: A Brief Introduction and Anthology” gives good insight into the Native American ways of life and how storytelling is…

Words 1219 - Pages 5

Lester Horton's Modern Dance Form

Horton was also a African American man. Horton was a pioneer of the groundbreaking trend of modern dance and he brilliantly created a dance form that fused ballet with Native American and Japanese dances. Lester Horton was an January 23, 1906 in Indianapolis, Indiana and he died while still working and dancing on November 2, 1953. His interest in Native Americans preceded his interest in dance due to exposure to their culture from nearby archaeological sites and their history from exhibits in his town’s…

Words 532 - Pages 3

Settler Memory Research Paper

“settler memory” can you think of, come up with? The History of Settler Memory in the United States Several notable examples of settler memory come to mind when thinking about the landscape of the United States. Arguably the most widely known example stems from the idea of the rugged and daring pioneer. Pioneers moving out west were portrayed to children as heroes, rather than those who were contributing to the violent displacement of Native American populations and depleting their resources. The utter…

Words 845 - Pages 4

Native American Reflection Paper

Native American reflection paper NATIVE AMERICAN REFLECTION PAPER The native American Indians are indigenous people to this country are slowly fading away. Lack of sensitivity to their culture and their point of view of Americans is slowly witling away at their languages and culture. Many languages have disappeared and some others are at the brink of extinction, with only one or two tribal members still speaking their native tong. Such is compounded by mainstream…

Words 1199 - Pages 5