Archaeologists have discovered a cache of Native American relics. They want to preserve these relics by removing them from the rapidly eroding site to a lab where they can be studied. Native American traditions demand that the items be left in place. Who has the right to these items? Who should decide their worth? After viewing the documentary Cache about Tongva relics found on San Nicolas Island, class members engage in activities that provide them with a personal connection to these questions. 

Concepts

artifacts, north american native americans, native american tribes, debate

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Additional Tags

social studies

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Instructional Ideas

• Minimize the chaos by establishing clear behavior parameters for the mock invasion activity

Classroom Considerations

• The resource implies that the cache of items found on San Nicolas Island were from the Chumash tribe; however, the Tongva inhabited the southern Channel islands, including San Nicolas
• The activity presumes class members have watched the West of the West's video Cache 

Pros

• The mock invasion activity encourages participants to make a personal connect to the questions of ownership of artifacts and relics

Cons

• While the questions that launch the debate and the closing activity are engaging and thought provoking, they do not directly relate to the documentary
• Neither a writing prompt nor a rubric for the essay are included

Common Core

RH.6-8.7 RST.6-8.9