Do you remember playing “Telephone” as a kid? It’s a simple game where a complicated message travels from one person to the next via whispering. When it finally reaches the last person, you hope that the original message hasn’t been distorted too much!
Well, teaching history without primary sources can be a painful game of telephone! How can students understand history without going directly to the source? They need to hear history from the people who lived it! Perhaps you’ve wanted to use Native American primary sources before but haven’t had the time to find quality primary sources appropriate for your students.
Your search can end here! These five powerful Native American primary sources for kids will prepare you for a meaningful class in minutes. Eliminate mixed messages as your students experience historical sources firsthand!
Speech- Standing Bear’s Courtroom Speech, “I Am A Man”
Description of Primary Source
Delivered in May 1879, Standing Bear addressed a courtroom in Omaha, Nebraska, after a long day of legal proceedings. Standing Bear’s speech, “I am a Man,” convinced Judge Elmer Dundy to declare in federal court, for the first time in the nation’s history, that Native Americans are “persons” under federal law.
The case began with the forcible removal of the Ponca tribe in 1877 from their farming lands in Nebraska to an Indian territory in present-day Oklahoma. After a violent removal and grueling journey, about a third of the tribe perished. Chief Standing Bear’s oldest son, Bear Shield, died, and he refused to bury his son in the new lands. A group of the Ponca tribe left the reservation to return to Nebraska with Bear Shield’s body. U.S. Army General George Crook arrested them under the orders of the Secretary of the Interior, Carl Shurz.
General Crook is believed to have disliked his orders to imprison Standing Bear, and Crook encouraged the court suit. Local sympathy swelled, and Standing Bear was defended by attorneys John L. Webster and Andrew J. Poppleton. Standing Bear’s famous speech, delivered through an interpreter, helped change the course of Native American policy in the United States.
Class Discussion Questions
- What was the relationship between Native Americans and the U.S. government before this case?
- How did Standing Bear and other Ponca people feel about their tribal homelands?
- What evidence does Chief Standing Bear use to prove that he “is a man” like the other men and people in the courtroom?
- How does Chief Standing Bear make his audience feel sympathetic to his cause?
- Why was this court decision important for Native Americans?
Resources for this Primary Source
- Court Review, Volume 45 4.(published in 2009) (United States Courts)
- Review of the Case and Historical Significance (Library of Congress)
- Worksheet for analyzing written documents (National Archives)
Round Dance- Song, Video, and Explanation
Description of Primary Source
This primary source will allow your students to see dance celebrations that have existed for thousands of years and are still performed today! The Circle or Round Dance, as explained in the video below, represents the movement of the Earth around the sun. This dance symbolizes healing, honoring the earth, and celebrating life.
Start by having your students listen to the song, watch a Round Dance performance, and end by hearing the Round Dance explained.
Class Discussion Questions
- What instruments and voices do you hear in the song?
- What do you think the song is about?
- What do you notice about the dance performance?
- Why do you think the Round Dance is performed?
- What does the circle represent? What do the drums represent?
Resources for this Primary Source
- Night Star- A Shoshone Circle Dance Song (SoundCloud, by Bryan Hudson)
- Round Dance 2016 (YouTube, Native American Health Center)
- Round Dance 101: What to Know Before Your First Round Dance (YouTube, University of Alberta)
- Worksheet for analyzing sound recordings/songs (National Archives)
- Worksheet for analyzing video (National Archives)
Photograph- Kwakiutl Bridal Group, British Columbia, 1914
Description of Primary Source
This is a photograph captured by Edward Curtis in 1914. The Kwakwaka’wakw bridal party includes the bride in the center, with dancers and singers surrounding her. This image came from a book Curtis published called The North American Indian.
Interestingly, the Kwakwaka’wakw also held a ‘potlatch’ as part of this wedding feast. The ‘potlatch’ is a unique Native American ceremony often held at births, weddings, or funerals. Different versions of potlach ceremonies are documented among tribes in the Pacific Northwest and Canada. Up to 100 people from a clan would gather and exchange their wealth. People showed their status by giving away the most goods and food. This website gives more information about the potlatch ceremony in both modern and historical times.
Class Discussion Questions
- What do you notice about the background of the picture?
- Can you identify any animals being represented in the carvings or artwork?
- What do you notice about the people in the photo?
- What role do you think a marriage and potlatch ceremony played in the Kwakwaka’wakw tribe?
- How do you think outsiders like Edward Curtis viewed the tribe and its traditions?
Resources for this Primary Source
- Download the photograph (Wikimedia)
- Worksheet for analyzing a photograph (National Archives)
Video – Cherokee Legend “First Fire” told by Whitney Roach
Description of Primary Source
Whitney Roach is a Cherokee storyteller, a former Miss Cherokee (2018-2019), and an emerging young leader. In this video, she shares her favorite Cherokee story about how the Water Spider brought the first fire. The legend begins at the 3-minute mark, but your students will probably appreciate the context of who is telling the story and why she is motivated to tell it!
Class Discussion Questions
- Why is Whitney Roach interested in sharing Cherokee legends?
- What characters were included in the legend of the “First Fire?”
- How did the fire affect the different animals in the legend?
- What was a message or lesson in the legend?
- What role does storytelling play in Cherokee culture?
Resources for this Primary Source
- A Fire for the Future: Cherokee Storyteller Whitney Roach (YouTube, Osiyo TV)
- Worksheet for analyzing video (National Archives)
Artifacts – California & Great Basin Collection
Description of Primary Source
The Smithsonian Institute has organized an online exhibit of Native American artifacts, including objects from California and the Great Basin region. This collection is aptly named the Infinity of Nations and highlights art and history from the National Museum of the American Indian.
With so many interesting artifacts to choose from, you may want to give your students the option to pick an object to study! Each object from the Smithsonian collection includes a high-resolution image of the artifact and key details about its history and function.
Class Discussion Questions
- What was the purpose of the artifact?
- Who do you think used this object?
- How do you think this object was created?
- Was this an important aspect of Native American culture historically?
- Is this object important to Native American culture today?
Resources for this Primary Source
- Access the artifact collection here (Smithsonian Institute)
- Worksheet for analyzing an artifact/object (National Archives)
Free Great Plains Gallery Walk Lesson
I hope these 5 Native American primary sources for kids help bring this unit to life in your classroom! After all, there’s nothing better than learning your information straight from the source.
For an engaging, low-prep lesson, grab my FREE Great Plains Gallery Walk lesson! This is a free sample from my Native American Regions unit.
In this activity, students learn about the Great Plains region and the Lakota tribe’s history and culture.
This freebie includes 10 informational posters (plus a student worksheet) for a low-prep, high-impact lesson as students walk around the room learning new material.
Need more help teaching about Native American History?
If you found these Native American primary sources for kids helpful, then check out these other posts to add to your Native American unit this year!
Leave a Reply