Mitakuye Owasin 9 Kota with Our Neighbors” Feel Should Not Be Recorded
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L ear ning from the Dak ot a This Unit Guide is based on Painting the Dakota: Seth E astman at Fort Snelling, published by Afton Historical S ociety Press, and is a gift from the Shakopee Mdewakanton Dakota Community. The Book, The Paintings, The Unit An Introduction This guide for a Fifth Grade So- • A background article entitled, from an outsider’s perspective. cial Studies Unit is based on the Teaching Young Children His artistry and inclusion of de- Inside this guide book Painting the Dakota: Seth about Native Americans, by tail provide a unique look at Da- Eastman at Fort Snelling, pub- Debbie Reese, kota life in the early to mid– lished by Afton Historical Soci- 1800’s in the Mississippi and Unit Guide Outline 2 • ety Press. The Shakopee Mdewakanton Minnesota River Valley. But he Dakota History from a Dakota 4 Point of View Dakota Community-Allies: could not show us Dakota life The unit can be used as a two media/art video production Plum Stone Game 6 from a Dakota point of view. For week unit, but resources and Wauncipi (We Are Dancing), Dakota Language Lives! 7 example, he painted events and activities are provided to expand Dakota Family Graphic 8 • items that many Dakota people the unit. “Breakfast in Mankato: Da- Mitakuye Owasin 9 kota with Our Neighbors” feel should not be recorded. (see Teacher Resources 10 Teachers are encouraged to use from Wintercount:Stories of teacher’s notes throughout the this guide not as a fixed script, the Shakopee Mdewakanton Unit Guide) but rather as a foundation from Dakota Community, The book, “Painting the Dakota, which to build. • A short video program pro- Seth Eastman at Fort Snelling duced by Allies: media/art for also provides valuable insight this unit called Mitakuye into the activities of Fort Snel- Owasin. ling, the life and work of Seth Eastman, and the history of the Lori K. Crowchild, an Eastman Dakota people in Minnesota. descendant, writes in the forward This Unit Guide also serves to to Painting the Dakota, provide a Dakota adjunct to the “It is my hope that Painting the book. Dakota will inspire readers to Activities and resources are pre- learn more about Native Ameri- sented throughout this publica- cans. In understanding more tion, a Unit Outline can be found about this country’s Native peo- on pages two and three. Unit ple, their successes, and their Goals and Objectives are found tragedies, perhaps we can elimi- on the back page (along with a nate the ignorance that often quote about traditional Dakota leads to racism directed at Native leadership from Ohiyesa (Dr. Adaptations according to sched- Americans.” Charles A. Eastman, Seth East- ule, student interest, or curricular This unit focuses on an intro- man’s grandson). requirements are encouraged. Materials may be duction to the past and present reproduced for This unit guide has been de- classroom use. Resources for the unit package of the Dakota people from a All other uses signed by Dakota people to pro- include; Dakota point of view. United require written vide a Dakota point of view and permission States history, and Seth East- • to allow creative and educational © Shakopee The TPT/Afton Historical man’s paintings are used as touch Mdewakanton freedom for teachers. Dakota Society Press television pro- points from which Dakota life Community duction, Seth Eastman: Paint- can be explored. ing the Dakota, Seth Eastman painted the Dakota Mit akuye Owas in 2=CA Learning from the Dakota Unit Guide Outline ACTIVITY: Examine the diagram of Fort Snelling on p. 13 of A. The Background & The Introduction “Painting the Dakota.” Visit the historic Fort if possible. Visit the lower area (site of the 1862 Dakota Concentration Camp) if possible. 1. The Background: The Context, Looking at the Paintings Objective: To orient the students to the materials of the unit • Go to the Fort Snelling State Park website for and time period of Seth Eastman's arrival at Fort Snelling visitor information • http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/parks_and_recreation/ Some time before the unit begins (perhaps the Friday before state_parks/fort_snelling/index.html the two week unit is scheduled), distribute books, and place • Go to the Minnesota Historical Society Fort Snelling web- posters around the classroom. • site for information that could be used for a handout. Read the forward to “Painting the Dakota” aloud . http://www.mnhs.org/places/sites/hfs/history.html#outpost • Ask students to view the paintings and write a paragraph (or two) on what they see. NOTE: These reactions should not ASSIGNMENT: Read Chapters 1, 3, and 4 of Painting the Dakota. Or be evaluated, but rather used to shape choices in activities assign single chapters to selected students (or groups of students) to and lessons for the unit according to the students’ level of report orally on their chapter to the class. information. • Share facts about the world in 1830 (the year Seth Eastman DISCUSSION: What part did money and power play in the creation arrived at Fort Snelling) from the unit guide (page 1) or and location of Fort Snelling? from other sources. Write them on the board, provide a handout of these or similar facts, or read them from the unit. DISCUSSION: Why might some Dakota people be unwilling to visit • If there is not enough time to view the TPT program during the Fort? the Introductory section of the unit share information from “About the Paintings,” page 95 of the Eastman book and 4. Dakota History: From a Dakota Point of View page 1 of this guide. Objective: to provide information about the history of the Dakota peo- ple in Minnesota from a Dakota point of view ASSIGNMENT: Examine the paintings and other illustrations in the book. • Share the information from the article “From a Dakota Point of View” (hand out copies, read aloud or share information 2. Introduction: An Overview from the article) from page 4 of the Unit Guide. Objective: To provide an overview of the subjects of the book, and this unit ACTIVITY: Ask the students to view the painting on pages 20, 54, 55, and 71 of “Painting the Dakota.” Ask, “What do you see?” Rec- • Teacher's background: Read the short piece on traditional ommend that the students look very closely at details. Make a list on teaching/learning from page 6 of the unit. the board. • Describe video/television as storytelling with modern tech- nology. ACTIVITY: Look at the painting on page 14 of Painting the Dakota: • Show the video “Painting the Dakota.” Seth Eastman at Fort Snelling. Ask “What can we learn from this painting about how Dakota life had changed?” (Hint: fences, sod DISCUSSION: Ask the students to describe what they learned. houses, guns, farms) ASSIGNMENT: Read (or reread) pages 9 and Chapter 1 "Frontier ASSIGNMENT: Read Chapter 2 of Painting the Dakota Fort" of Painting the Dakota: Seth Eastman at Fort Snelling. Note: Dakota phrases translated into English can sometimes serve to support stereotypes. Phrases like 'fire sticks' maza wakan(p. 25), Iron B. Two Cultures: Dakota & Neighbors Horse' he mani (p33), 'talking paper' wo ya tanyi pi (p.50) can lead students to view the Dakota as simple, less intelligent people. It is im- 3. 1830: The United States, Fort Snelling and Seth Eastman portant to understand that translation of languages needs to be ap- Objective: To provide a national and local context. proached carefully. • Look at the map on page eight of “Painting the Dakota.” 5. Dakota with their Neighbors: Past and Present Interrela- Discuss how differently the continent looked politically, tionships and how the United States was organized at the time. Cor- Objective: To gain understanding of the complex relationships relate facts with other textbooks. • between Dakota people and non-Dakota people in Minnesota. NOTE: To the Dakota, some events and items should not be recorded. In the Eastman book it is noted that the cere- NOTE: Dakota sense of time can be more closely represented by a mony in the painting on page 58 "was not meant to be cap- spiral rather than a line. This segment from the program Wintercount tured in pictures." The paintings of the burial scaffolds on moves from past to present in a way familiar to Dakota people. pages 17 and page 73 provoke feelings of great discomfort in many Dakota people. Learning From the Dakota 2=CA! Unit Guide Outline continued Objective: To connect familiar places with the Dakota lan- ACTIVITY: View the video “Breakfast in Mankato: Dakota with guage and people. Our Neighbors” Ask the students to react to the video. ACTIVITY: Distribute the Dakota Presence in the River Valley map. Have students point out places with which they are fa- ASSIGNMENT: Read Chapter 6 “Return to a World Familiar and miliar. Strange” from Painting the Dakota. ACTIVITY: Have students write their family members and Discussion: How have relationships between Dakota and non- friends traditional Dakota birth order names. Dakota people changed or not changed? 9. Traditional Dakota Fun: Objective: To promote teamwork and team play in the class- C. Dakota World: Beliefs, Family, Fun room. To ensure that a well rounded sense of Dakota people as is given. 6. Dakota Beliefs: Mitakuye Owasin Objective: To expose students to one part of a complex sys- • Collect (or distribute materials for the plum stone game. tem of Dakota belief and worldview. To provide a sense of the And play the game. (Instructions on page ***) Dakota people that is not dependent on a time line notion of history. • Show the video "Mitakuye Owasin." ASSIGNMENT: Read or reread Chapter 7, "Dakota Days" • Ask the students, "What did you learn?" • Read the article "Mitakuye Owasin" from page 9 of the DISCUSSION: What surprises you about Dakota life described in Unit Guide.