Choctaw Headstart

For those of you who have been making use of the lesson plans for the tribes on Talking Feather, there are revised exercises, new sections, and a Teachers’ Guide and Answer Key for the Choctaw lesson plan. Remember that these plans can be organized for use over an extended period of time, or as group projects.

Exercise 2 Reading Comprehension (True/False)
Exercise 3 Questions for Reflection and Discussion
Exercise 4 Research Activities-
The Gift Of Tanchi (Corn), Exercise 1. Vocabulary Practice
New Sections:
Part II -Choctaw Culture Then…Choctaw Culture Now…
Exercise 1.  Reading Comprehension (True/ False/ Not Applicable)
Exercise 2.  Questions for Reflection and Discussion
Choctaw Code Talkers
Teachers’ Guide and Answer Key

If there are any questions please contact us, and as always, all suggestions will be appreciated.

We also wish to thank the people who have written to us to express the helpfulness of the lesson plans.

Tags: Choctaw, Code Talkers, WWI, WWII

Talking Feather, April 6, 2011

For those of you who have made use of the lesson plans on this site, we’ve added new material to the original lessons for The Shawnee: A Concise History.   Additional material has been added to the following sections:  Exercise 1 Questions For Discussion and Reflection; Exercise 2 Vocabulary Practice(6-14); Exercise 3 Questions for Comprehension and Discussion (5-7) and Exercise 6 Research Activities.

A new section entitled the Shawnee People (Part II) has also been added.  The first segment describes how the community lived and survived before and during the 1800s. The second segment discusses how the people live today. Some of the areas covered in both sections are apparel, food, politics and religion. There are also complete language skills activities for both sections.

*Teachers’ Guide and Answer Key: a guide for teachers, together with an answer  key for Parts I and II has  been added.

*We’ll be researching and adding new material for all of the current tribes,  including several new tribes, so keep checking the site!

Tags: Lesson Plans, Talking Feather, Talking Stick, The Shawnee

By Marc Simmons, The New Mexican

For people who live in cold climates, living through harsh winters isn’t that difficult. Today we have heating systems and warm clothing to stave off the bitter weather. But did you ever wonder how American Indian tribes survived the cold seasons? This is an interesting article about how the Pueblo Indians managed to survive harsh weather conditions. Marc Simmons noted historian and author, provides  us with interesting background observations and some answers. An interesting read.

Pueblo-google image

Fun: visit ESLVoices!

Tags: diet, Pueblo Indians, Talking Feather, Talking Stick

Talking Feather, 3/25/11

For those of you who have been using the lesson plans on this site, we’ve added new material to the original lessons for the Zuni Tribe ( Part I) .

New additions for Zuni Part I: Exercise 1 Vocabulary Practice: new vocabulary words (5-12) have been added; in exercise 2, Questions for Comprehension and Reflection, there are additional questions (4-7). Exercise 4 Research Activities contains 2 new items of interest for students to research. For Zuni Part II An interesting New Myth has been added, entitled The Spirit Wife. Included are Vocabulary exercises (inference), Recalling The Content and Questions for Reflection and Discussion. We know that you and your students will enjoy working with this new material!

*Teachers’ Guide and Answer Key: provides suggestions, and answers for Zuni I and II.

* New material is constantly posted to this site- for updates subscribe to the Talking Feather Feed!

Post Comments and ideas Here

Fun: visit ESLVoices!

Tags: Talking Feather, Talking Stick, teachers' Guide and Answer key, Zuni lesson plans

Indian Country Today

Ishi was the last member of the Yahi, the last surviving members of the Yana people in California. What is phenomenal about Ishi is that he is believed to have been the last American Indian in the U.S to have lived his life completely outside of the European American culture. When he was discovered by anthropologists, he was taken to the University of California, Berkeley, where he was both an assistant and a research subject. Anthropologists Alfred L. Kroeber, Theodore T. Waterman, and Surgeon Saxton T. Pope are known for their work with Ishi.

There is material on Ishi and the Yahi Indians located in the University of California, San Francisco, California (UCSF) library catalog. You can also read an article about Ishi in The Peopling of California. FYI: Talking Feather presented an interesting connection between Ishi, the movie Avatar, and the author Theodora Kroebe (here).                        
Post Comments

Fun: visit ESLVoices!

Tags: Ishi, Yana UC Berkeley

By J. Dobrzynski,  New York Times

February 3, 2011

Tags: Denver Art Museum, Kwakiutl, New York Times, Peabody Essex Museum, Willie Seaweed

Tecumseh

Every now and then it’s good to reflect on the words from people in the past, especially those who have shown great leadership qualities. Tecumseh made this speech years ago for  The Shawnee people to use as guidelines for how to live each day.

The words are still encouraging today…

Live your life that the fear of death
can never enter your heart.
Trouble no one about his religion.
Respect others in their views
and demand that they respect yours.
Love your life, perfect your life,
beautify all things in your life.
Seek to make your life long
and of service to your people.
Prepare a noble death song for the day
when you go over the great divide.
Always give a word or sign of salute when meeting
or passing a friend, or even a stranger, if in a lonely place.
Show respect to all people, but grovel to none.
When you rise in the morning, give thanks for the light,
for your life, for your strength.

Give thanks for your food and for the joy of living.
If you see no reason to give thanks,
the fault lies in yourself.
Touch not the poisonous firewater that makes
wise ones turn to fools and robs their spirit of its vision.
When your time comes to die, be not like those
whose hearts are filled with fear of death,
so that when their time comes they weep and pray
for a little more time to live their lives over again in a different way.
Sing your death song, and die like a hero going home.

-Tecumseh – Shawnee

Tags: Shawnee, speech, Tecumseh

by Looks for Buffalo and SandieLee

This is a wonderful and informative article about American Indians and their perspective on Christmas. The following is an excerpt from the article by Oglala Sioux Spiritual Leader, Looks for Buffalo:

“…Everyday is our Christmas. Every meal is our Christmas. At every meal we take a little portion of the food we are eating, and we offer it to the spirit world on behalf of the four legged, and the winged, and the two legged. We pray–not the way most Christians pray– but we thank the Grandfathers, the Spirit, and the Guardian Angel…”

-Looks for Buffalo

We here at Talking Feather appreciate your feedback and comments, and hope that you continue to share your thoughts with us in the coming year.  There are many different beliefs, may you enjoy yours, and respect all others.

Wishing you A Blessed Holiday and A Very Prosperous New Year!

-Talking Feather

Tags: Christian, Guardian Angel, holiday, Looks for Buffalo, Oglala Sioux, Spirit

Hi All,

The article Who Are American Indians in the 21st Century? by  Rick Kearns of Indian Country Today, was discussed on the Talking Feather blog  on June 27, 2010. Here’s an excerpt:

Who Are American Indians in the 21st Century? is the title of an interactive presentation by John Sanchez, an associate professor at Penn State University, and a member of the Yaqui/Apache.

When Professor Sanchez visited his son’s elementary school to speak to the students and teachers about his culture, he was dressed in a suit with a tie and he carried a briefcase. He was surprised by the response he received:

“I went and spoke to the teacher and many students and I told them that even though we lived in Washington, D.C. we were still Indian and they didn’t understand, they thought that when I was coming to speak to them I would be wearing buckskins, feathers and war paint.”

Based on this reaction Professor Sanchez decided to perform an experiment with the aid of the school officials. Students in the second through the fifth grades were asked to draw a picture of an American Indian family. The results were unbelievable…

Today, one of our readers has informed us that Professor Sanchez’s presentation is available on the You Tube channel. Please see the comment below for more information.

Thanks for the update Chuck!

TF

Comments

Chuck says:

December 12th, 2010 at 11:44 pm (#)   edit

The presentation by Professor Sanchez
is now available on the Humanities on the Road’s YouTube channel:

American Indian Cultures

Tags: American Indian Identity, children, Penn State University, Professor John Sanchez, Washington D. C.

As the holidays approach, there are many emotions that come with them.  Of all the holidays, Thanksgiving is the one that stirs up the most emotional  controversy among American Indians.  There are American  Indians who will always remember the true story behind this holiday,  and who will not acknowledge it  nor  see any reason to celebrate.   There are also American Indians who know the true story,  but who  have decided to handle the celebration in their own fashion.

Here are two view-points on this issue about Thanksgiving,  from  two American Indians.

The first is a  concise and wonderful essay entitled The Thanksgiving Myth written by John Two-Hawks, member of the Oglala Lakota people, and noted musician.

John Two-Hawks,  Native Circle

The second article entitled,  An American Indian’s View  of  Thanksgiving, was written by Keely Squirrel-Denning, a member of the Cherokee Nation, Oklahoma.

Her article is equally as wonderful and profound.

K. Denning,  The People’s Path

Both writings take a slightly different view, yet both  end up on the same path.  Both articles will enlighten those in the dark, and  further uplift those in the light. Everyone should read both of them, whether they celebrate Thanksgiving… or not.

We at Talking-Feather wish your celebrations to be thoughtful and peaceful ones!

Tags: Cherokee Nation, John Two-Hawks, Keely Squirrel-Denning, Oglala Lakota, Thanksgiving