Irene Rock, an Assinaboine schoolgirl at Fort Belknap

Study Guide Archive

History 7B, Spring 1997

How did European actions affect the power stuctures of tribal societies? How did each tribe's resources affect their response to these European attacks on tribal society? Consider the role of elders and tribal chiefs, women, and young men in at least three different Native American tribes.
In what other ways did Anglo soldiers, bureau agents, and settlers affect Native American tribes? Think about health, land use, religion, and family life. How did contact vary across regions of the continent? Write about at least three different tribes' experiences with Anglos.
How did Native Americans resist Anglo encroachment on their lands? Imagine resistance not only as military opposition, but also in terms of cultural preservation, passive resistance, and withdrawal. Give examples from three different time periods (1820-1860, 1860-1877, 1877-1900).
These accounts are drawn from a variety of different sources. What audiences did the Indian speakers have? How did their language vary according to the audience? What kinds of relationships are implied by different terms (for example, Great Father)? Come to class prepared to compare different sorts of testimonies, for example folk tales and legends versus treaty negotiations

Picturing a Nation: Native America & Visual Representation: Use photos from two web sites as sources in the creation of a visual essay. Includes questions about how Native American expressive culture is interpreted, and what features of Native culture are uniquely 'American.'
Reservation Controversies: The Indian Agent Appointment Interview: An On-Line exercise in which students role-play an interview for the job of reservation agent during the 1870s. Includes resources for understanding the debates over Indian policy in the years immediately prior to the implementation of the Dawes Policy.