Apolinaria Lorenzana and the California Missions

While the Spanish claimed to bring civilization to California indigenous peoples, in reality, they also brought violence and forced assimilation to European values. Primary sources, such as the reports of Catholic priests and Europeans...

Fourth graders consider the role that baskets play in the traditional lives of Native Americans in California. Students investigate types of baskets and their various uses and then weave their own baskets.

How do you rebuild a language that has been banned for years? A short video introduces high schoolers to Marie Wilcox, A Wukchumni Native American from Central California who, for over 20 years, worked on comprising a dictionary of the...

What was California like before the Spanish came? Class members discover the answer to the question using images of Native Americans and diaries of the early Spanish explorers. Scaffolded activities allow instructors to adapt the...

Have your class learn about Native American tribes in California. They identify five regions where Native Americans lived, discuss the daily life of these people, and conduct research on a particular tribe. Afterward, they create a...

Young scholars interpret historical evidence presented in primary resources. In this civil rights lesson, students examine the civil rights struggle from a Native American perspective. Young scholars analyze documents and write journal...

Students examine how Chief Joseph attempted to challenge stereotypes about Native Americans. In this Native American history lesson, students read "An Indian's Views of Indian Affairs," and then paraphrase the selection. Students also...

Fourth graders communicate with members of Native American tribes via email, exchange original poems with epals, and create multimedia presentations to share with classmates.

Students are be able to examine primary sources for evidence of Native American culture. They identify what culture is and discuss the difficulty of stereotypes. Students are given examples of different cultures.

How were the Native Americans of Texas affected by the Spanish rule from 1716 to 1821? How did Indian life change when Texas was led by Stephen F. Austin? This article addresses the relations between Indians and white settlers, as well...