B5 ACAD 2016 Improving Instruction of the Utah State Core: What can Native Americans Teach us?

Online WA Native Americans: Utah's State Social Studies Core should include a more comprehensive study of Native Americans

All teachers in the State of Utah, must use the Utah State Core to dictate what they will teach. The core requires educators to do the following when teaching Native Cultures
Explore life among the various American Indian nations prior to European exploration of the New World.
Identify the major regional American Indian nations of North America

Write a persuasive essay to an educator, school board member and/or legislator explaining why the teaching of Native Cultures must be included in the Utah State Core. Please follow the format provided on the webpage to prepare, write and publish your essay.

Native American Media & Podcasts

B5 ACAD 2016 Improving Instruction of the Utah State Core: What can Native Americans Teach us?

10/13/2016

46 Comments

The question you will address is posted above, the instructions are on the right. Please review both PRIOR to posting your completed essay.

46 Comments

Nathan Imbler link

10/17/2016 08:02:58 am

Many schools often overlook the history of Native Americans, regardless of the fact that they are a crucial part of United States history. It is therefore imperative that we teach the story of the Native Americans in full. There are many reasons why, but I will look at three: One, it would take out a huge chunk of US history. Two, lots of people are of Native American descent, and preventing them from learning the Natives’ history would not allow them to learn about some of our history. Lastly, there were a lot of deaths, massacres, and wars between the Europeans and the Natives that are important to history. Native Americans are very paramount to US history and need to be taught.
If we did not teach the Natives’ stories, there would be a huge gap in American history that we would not be learning about. The Native Americans are believed to have started migrating to the United States some 12,000 years ago. That’s a long time to be taking out of American history. In 1492, Columbus arrived in America, which led to more and more Europeans to come to the US. And Native Americans were a huge part of the European’s settling in America. We simply cannot remove it from the curriculum. This would lead to hundreds, thousands of years of neglected history kids should be learning about. Neglecting to teach about Native Americans would result in losing thousands of history we should be learning about.
A lot of people in Utah, including me, are of Native American descent, or at least part Native American. If we neglected to teach Native American history, a lot of people would not be learning about their history. If we don’t learn about our history, we might as well not have history. In some religions, learning about history is a crucial part of their religion. The Native Americans are very important to a lot of people’s history, and we need to teach that history to all the children in the nation.
The Europeans and the Native Americans’ interactions were also a very important part in history. When the Europeans came to America, the Native Americans welcomed them with open arms. They were very kind to the Europeans and taught them about their cultures and survival skills. Yet they did not know that the very breath of the Europeans was killing them off very rapidly. The Europeans didn’t mean to do so. Although, eventually, the Natives made the Europeans very angry, and so the Europeans also had many wars and massacres with the Native Americans. This is very important because the Europeans did not like them very much after a while because the Natives did things that they didn’t like. It is imperative that we learn about things like this so that we can prevent history from repeating itself, or in other words, keeping things like that from happening again. Learning about conflicts between the Natives and the Europeans is very important to the history of the US.
Teaching about Natives to the students will help them to better understand their culture and history. If we did not teach this in all the schools, it would result in the loss of hundreds and thousands of years of the history. A lot of people in Utah are also of Native American descent, including me. We need to include this so that these people can learn about their history. Finally, learning about conflicts between the different cultures is vital. Involving Native Americans in the Common Core would greatly benefit Utah’s education.

Jacob Willford

10/17/2016 08:31:45 am

Native American Essay

Did you know that the Native Americans have lived on the American continent for 12,000 years? However, most United States History classes briefly go over their history so they can quickly get to subjects such as the Civil War. We have been here for less than 250 years, and Native Americans have been here for 12,000 years! We can’t simply briefly skim over their history. The Native American unit in the United States History class needs to be more extensive and important in the Utah State curriculum, because we students can learn important life lessons from the Native Americans’ experiences, religion, and cultures. Their experiences and trials teach us many morals and values that can be applied to our own lives. By learning about their culture and religion, we can change our perspective on other religions, seeing the good taught and similarities between our faith and theirs. Native American cultural stories have critical morals that can be applied into our lives, and builds up America’s youth to influence the future of our nation.

First of all, their experiences and trials teach us many morals and values that we can use in our own lives. One of these things is that many tribes were mortal enemies, and were constantly fighting. For example, the Cheyenne and Ojibwa were enemies, warring and fighting each other. However, they never really got anything accomplished. This proves that war is not the answer and teaches this lesson to us students. Another value we learn from them is that good comes from helping others. They taught the pilgrims how to live on the land, and in return got European items and supplies. Seeing this can help students to be more serving and helpful toward others. Also, we learn that peace is always better than war or fighting. When the Iroquois league was formed, there was a better, stronger culture between the tribes that were in it. This teaches us to make peace with our enemies and find better solutions to problems.

Secondly, we can change our perspective on other religions, seeing the good taught and similarities between ours and theirs. They believed that animals had spirits, and that they should only be killed for food. With poaching issues in many countries today, their beliefs support the movement of keeping species alive. For example, the Inuit thank the animals they eat for giving their life for them, and keep hunting very sacred. Native Americans also taught crucial values, which goes along with many of our beliefs. They wrote stories about being humble, selfless, peaceful, and many other good values. Most religions teach these kind of values as some of the most important things in life. The Choctaw’s story Grandmother Spider Steals the Fire teaches to be selfless and giving, which is one of the most important values in my religion. Native Americans had many other similarities in their culture that correspond with other religions. They believed in a higher power and in life after death, as do we in the LDS religion.

My third point is that Native American cultural stories have critical morals that we can use in our lives, and build up America’s youth to positively influence the nation. For examples, here are some stories with very important morals. How the Birds Learned to Sing was a story about how the birds who flew up highest in the sky would get the most beautiful song from the creator. Eagle boasted about his huge wings, and Thrush cheated to get the highest and the most beautiful song. For boasting, eagle didn’t get the best song, and for cheating, Thrush now hides in trees and barely ever comes out to sing his song. This tells us that bragging and boasting, as well as cheating, will never really bring you what you’re looking for. You could cheat your way to the top, but there are consequences. Another story is Loo-Wit, the Fire Keeper. This story is about two people on opposite sides of a river who are always quarreling. The creator tries many different ways to make them stop, but they don’t last. Eventually he takes away the fire. This makes the people’s world grow cold and dark. The people wanted it back, so he gave it to a girl named Loo-Wit to bring back to the people, and gave her whatever she wanted. She wanted to be beautiful, so the creator gave beauty to her. When she brought the fire to the people, the two chiefs fought over her because of her beauty. The chiefs were turned into mountains, and Loo-Wit asked to be changed as well, because she felt bad about what her looks had caused. We learn that finding peace will bring more happiness and goodness in life, and that looks and beauty aren’t everything. Both of these things are really big problems in the world today, and knowing these things brings a bright future to the next generation. The last story is Grandmother Spider Steals the Sun, which is about how the animals worked together to steal a piece of the sun from the peopl

Jacob Willford

10/17/2016 03:15:10 pm

e so that they can have warmth and light. Grandmother Spider uses her webs to make a bag for the sun, after many other animals tried and couldn’t carry it because it burned them. Then Buzzard carried it on the top of his head and flew it up to the sky to where it is today. But doing so burned all the feathers off the top of his head, and that is why he is bald today. Both Grandmother Spider and Buzzard received much praise and reward for their actions. The morals of this story are that you should think about the best way to solve a problem before doing it, and that sometimes self-sacrifice is necessary to bring a greater good to yourself and others.

To restate, we can learn many morals and values from the experiences of the Native American tribes. We can change our perspective on other religions after learning about and seeing the ways that our faith is similar to the Native Americans’ and other religions. The stories told and taught by the ancient Natives give crucial morals that can be applied into our lives. In conclusion, the Native American unit should be focused on more in the Utah State Core, because of all the things we can learn from their experiences, religion, and stories.

Chad Jones

10/17/2016 08:32:49 am

Native Americans are the majority of United States history, and it would be criminal not to teach their story, especially when we can learn tremendously from them. Native Americans have and will shape America into the greatness that we know it as today. For one, we can learn life lessons from their cultures, religions, and stories. Also, Native Americans taught the settlers and explorers the Natives’ way of life and helped them to survive. Last of all, the Native Americans have diverse cultures that still influence us today.
To start, we can learn life lessons from Native American cultures, religions, and stories. First, Native Americans have stories with morals that they use to teach one another. For example, the Haudenosaunee (the Iroquois) tell the story Why Owl has Round Eyes. In this story, Raweno, the Creator, is letting the animals choose what they look like. Owl is waiting his turn, but very impatiently. Raweno tells Owl to wait his turn and not watch as he does his magic. Owl closes his eyes, but he sneaks a peek at Raweno doing his magic. Raweno sees Owl peeking and grabs Owl and shakes him. Owl’s eyes grew wide in fear and stayed that way. While these kinds of stories explain why things are the way they are, they also have morals. In Why Owl has Round Eyes there are many morals that you can get out of it, such as do what you are told, obey your superiors, or even be patient. Everyone can learn from these stories. Second, we can learn not to stereotype anyone by learning about Native Americans. Many people think that all Native Americans are the same, however, that is quite the opposite. There are 520 culturally diverse tribes. Some of which include the Inuit, who live in the freezing north, the Plains Natives that live in the grassland plains, and the Eastern Woodland, who live in the eastern United States. All of these tribes live in different places with different climates and geographical features, causing them to have different cultures and ways of life. In California, more than 100 languages flourished, though most are lost today. Also, many Native American tribes have their own unique religion. When we learn about all of these different cultures, we realize that Native Americans are very diverse and we can stop stereotyping. Third, we need to learn history so that we do not repeat it. We can learn from the wars and conflicts between the Native Americans and settlers that violence is not the answer. In 1622, the Powhatan Confederacy attacked the Jamestown colony. Angered by all the fighting, Nathaniel Bacon and a group of people responded with more fighting by wiping out the Pamunkey Natives. Another example of this are the mission homes in California. California Natives were forced onto the mission homes built by the Spanish explorers. The Natives were then put to work, and were punished if they did something the Spanish did not like. This did nothing to make the Native Americans like the Spanish any better. From these experiences we can learn that violence does not solve anything.
My next point is that we should include Native Americans in the Utah State Core because the Natives helped the settlers and explorers to survive. To start, the Native Americans contributed many things to the settlers. For one, they contributed political ideas. The idea of a federal government, a central government with certain powers and the other powers reserved for the states, was borrowed from the government that the Iroquoian League of Nation used. Natives also gave explorers and settlers foods they had never had before, such as chocolate and tobacco. Also, Native Americans helped explorers to navigate, map, and discover more of the United States. Sacagawea, a Shoshone Native American, accompanied Lewis and Clark on their expedition. She knew the geography they were passing through, and she was also an interpreter for them. Lastly, Natives helped the European settlers to survive. When the Europeans came to America, Native Americans helped them to farm. They taught them to grow corn, beans, squash, and other foods. Without the help provided by Native Americans, the settlers most likely would not have survived in America very long.
Third of all, Native Americans have extremely diverse cultures that still influence us today. To start, Natives have many unique and intriguing religions. They have a numerous amount of religious stories explaining how things came to be in the world. One interesting story is the Inuit story The Legend of Sedna. This story is about a woman named Sedna. Many men want to take her to wife, but she refuses all of them. Then, a seabird disguised as a man sings Sedna a song promising her all of these wonderful things if she marries him and goes to his land. She marries him, but when she gets to his land, she realizes all of his promises, like she will never be hungry and other things like that, were all lies. They were the exact opposite. Sedna is starved, and sleeps on a ter

Chad Jones

10/17/2016 03:48:43 pm

rible bed, and that’s not all of it. Her life is miserable. Eventually, Sedna’s father comes and kills her seabird husband. As Sedna and her father are sailing away from the seabird land, the other seabirds see their brother dead. They go after Sedna and create a storm. Fearing for his life, Sedna’s father pushes Sedna out of the boat, hoping the seabirds will stop the storm. Sedna hangs on to the edge of the boat, so her father cuts off the first digits of her fingers. As her fingers fall into the sea, they turn into the whales. Sedna still hangs on, so her father cuts off the second digits of her fingers, and they become the seals and other sea creatures. The seabirds are satisfied, thinking Sedna will die, so they end the storm. Sedna survives, but she hates her father now. So when they get back to land and her father is asleep, Sedna orders her dogs to gnaw off her father’s limbs. Sedna and her father are both sent to the land under the sea, where Sedna controls the sea creatures. These kinds of stories help us to get a different point of view on how people believe things came to be. We can maybe even understand our own religions better by learning about Native Americans’ religions. Next, Native Americans’ cultures and ways of life help us to be better people today. Native Americans were very resourceful, but never wasteful. The Plains Natives depended heavily upon bison. They found a use for every part of bison, and they never let any go to waste. They would eat the meat, use the hide for tipis and clothes, use the bones for utensils and tools, and used the other parts of it as well. Every Native American culture was like this. They only took and used what they needed. When we learn about this, we can learn to be like this. We can learn to only take what we need and not be wasteful. Finally, by learning about Native Americans’ hard work and the trials they went through to survive, we can appreciate them and what we have more. Most of the Native American population were killed by diseases brought by the Spanish that their bodies weren’t used to. The most common estimate of the number of Native Americans when Columbus arrived is approximately 54 million people. By 1900, there were only 237,000 Natives in America. There would have been even less before they had that time to repopulate. The Native Americans were pushed off of their lands, some put into reservations, others put into mission homes, many were massacred. Learning about this helped me, and it will help others, to not only appreciate the Native Americans more, but to also appreciate what we have today.
Native Americans need to be included in the Utah State Core because they have formed and will continue to change and influence what we today call America. First of all, the Native Americans have stories that teach important life lessons and morals. In addition, they not only gave aid to the settlers and explorers, but were essential to their survival. Finally, Native Americans have diverse cultures that inspire what we have today. In conclusion, to not learn about Native Americans and the huge role they played in the history of the United States would be a disgrace to them. It is criminal to skip over everything that they did and are doing to make America what it is today. Do you want the next generation to be the one that does this?

Chad Jones

10/19/2016 02:19:54 pm

Sorry, I just noticed that it did not separate my first and second paragraphs. It should split between:

Last of all, the Native Americans have diverse cultures that still influence us today.
To start, we can learn life lessons from Native American cultures, religions, and stories.

Charlotte Lindeman

10/17/2016 01:30:37 pm

Ignoring a huge part of our history as a state, as a country, as people in general seems utterly irrational, right? Then why would we ever consider skimming through the fundamental lessons we can learn from the Native Americans? The teaching of Native Americans should not be removed from the Utah State Core, or skimmed over, because we can and should learn several valuable lessons from them as a people, and a culture. Every tribe has very complex and diverse cultures and religions. Also, by studying them we can open our minds and better learn acceptance of others. Lastly, understanding their story can give us a better appreciation for what we have today, and how they helped us move forward as a human race.
Like I stated earlier, every tribe of natives has or had different cultures, religions, and views on things, that when taken into account, aren’t as ridiculous as we stereotypically preceive them to be. It’s important we learn this to understand their fundamental role in history. Just as a starting point, they have varying religious practices. Such as the mounds built in the once thriving city of Cahokia. Large mounds, of different shapes, covering 6 square miles were built there. Many believe those mounds were built for religious purposes, like places of worship. That is just one example of the many religious practices the Native Americans had, each one as significant as the other. Most people are familiar with Native’s stories and theories about the way the world works, and why things are the way they are. But looking deeper into these we can learn valuable lessons, and see why they tell those stories to their young. One Iroquois legend, “Why the Owl has Big eyes,” teaches obedience, to listen, and to not be passive and get what you deserve and want. Considering the values from just a single story from one tribe, if we took more stories from all the tribes they would definitely teach us something about moral code. The Natives were creative and advanced in many ways, religiously, culturally, their way of life is something that can’t be ignored. They actually introduced democracy, and had well developed cities, such as the earlier example of Cahokia, a big and thriving city for more reasons than the mounds. These religious practices, stories and advances should not be glossed over, some are groundbreaking and almost all of them have something we can learn from.
Learning about all these diverse cultures and religious practices can help us break away from stereotypes and learn to accept others. Studying the past can help us diminish stereotypes, and there are numerous incorrect stereotypes about Natives. One common one is that all Natives are alike, which we can already see the inaccuracy of, considering the different cultures and religions I previously touched on. Another stereotype is the the Native Americans were conquered because they were inferior. When in reality they were conquered because they weren’t immune to several fatal diseases (unintentionally, but still) brought by the Europeans. Disease killed 96% of the population within 50 years. Furthermore, by analyzing and disproving these stereotypes in the classroom, we can come to understand the complexity of human nature, which is a key role in accepting others as a human race. Natives are seen as savages, that is no secret. In fact the Declaration of Independence describes them as, “...the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.” But if we take a step back, they were fighting to defend their land and lives, they fought to defend everything important to them. They weren’t/aren’t any more warlike and treacherous than Europeans. We need to teach in a way that illustrates that life isn’t a fictitious story, with a clear cut right or wrong, that can apply to the conflicts between Europeans and Native Americans and several other groups of people. Moreover, the Natives were not initially prejudiced against the Europeans. Which we could learn from, maybe use to help change our ways of snap judgements and prejudices, and hopefully learn that judging people by only their exterior can only lead to superficial conflicts, and never a happy ending.
Finally, studying the stories of Natives can give us an appreciation for what we have today. We’re built on the past, it's why we study history in the first place. Natives make up a good majority of our story as Americans. They’ve been here for tens of thousands of years, before and after any contact with Europeans. So just logically it wouldn’t make sense to not be taught about such a vital part in our history. They shaped our culture. We can’t forget how they helped the pilgrims, we can’t ignore how advanced they were, culturally, religiously, in their general way of life and thinking. Going deeper, we don’t want to rep

David Jorgensen link

10/17/2016 01:35:41 pm

Often, the solutions to our current world problems are found in history, we just have to look closely for them. Native Americans had and have very culturally different ideas that we need to utilize in order to solve these problems in America. Native Americans can teach us about political structure and about foreign policy, and how to handle it. They were extremely innovative and creative in their infrastructures, and way of life, they were just different from us. Native peoples conserved and minimized waste. Many of these great ideas would be lost if we were to eliminate the study of these peoples from the Utah State Core.
First off, Native Americans can teach us about how to manage and run a government. For example, the native peoples in Tenochtitlan (Current day Mexico City) taught us that you have to be kind to other cultures and peoples. Moctezuma II welcomed the Spanish explorers even though they thought the Europeans dirty. The Iroquois later referred to the explorers as “dog people”. Another example would be the Pilgrims. They could not have survived without the help of surrounding native tribes. The Iroquois taught us that democracy can work, that we do not have to resort to communism or socialism. They set up a government that ensured tribal cooperation, and kept it that way to the present day. Native Americans have taught us another important principle; you cannot let other people walk all over you. They have also taught us to fight for what you believe is right. Native Peoples have showed us this by their example of fighting for what they believed.
Secondly, Native peoples were immensely advanced, just in a different way that us. Cahokia, to list one, fits the description. It was a huge bustling city. It rivaled many cities of its day, including many cities in Egypt and Europe. In Cahokia, some people even showed knowledge of basic genetics. They would marry those from the slave class to those of the nobility. This prevented a sickness breakout that occurred in the royalty of pure-blood Europe. The Northwest Natives were also very creative and ahead of their time. They built massive fifty foot long boats for fishing; comparable to some commercial fishing boats of our time. They also built long wooden homes, much like the European settlers. In all, they were very advanced in their own way.
Lastly, Native peoples were content, and and used what they had efficiently. We can learn from the Navajos that you need to make where you live better. The Navajo believed they were put in their lands by the creator, and even though they were in a desert, they worked to make it better. Natives can also teach us to use what we have and to have a reason to not use more. They believe that animals have spirits, and they give thanks to the animals. We need to have a reason to be more conservation minded. In our case, it could be just being aware of species and protecting them. The plains natives also taught us something important: use only what you need. Their main food source was the bison, and they used every part in different ways and didn’t waste. We can learn from them in this way.
In conclusion, Native Americans had various political systems which can teach us how to run ours. They have taught us how to have a government that is kind, but firm. They were and are advanced, just in a way that is different from us. Their differences can strengthen us. Native Americans conserved, were conservation minded, and used resources completely and effectively. All in all, their ideas are important and can provide new insight into solving our world's problems. We need to teach the ideas of Native Americans in our state, because using these ideas will benefit us and the generations to come.

Kassidy Stauffer

10/17/2016 02:25:00 pm

Some people wonder about the following: Why do we study the lives of Native Americans? While there are many answers, one is, The Native Americans of the past and the present assuredly can and do shape our culture our way of life today; regardless of how little credit we give them. Our education system has a duty to be more thorough as we teach the story of the Native Americans of the past and the present. Some ways that they have influenced us include the physical aspect, the moral code from their stories, and the concept of acceptance and appreciation of others and their beliefs. Simply put, the Natives of this land impact the way we live our lives today, even though many tend to put this fact aside. It is plain-out cruel to do so.
First of all, Native Americans have changed the materialistic ways we live our lives. For example, they added and pulled from the diet of the Europeans. Some of the changes they helped the Europeans make were: using corn instead of wheat because corn would grow better, planting tobacco, and hunting the native animals. Another aspect they changed about the European culture is the power of cleanliness. There were studies done on ancient Native Americans and comparatively the Europeans from the same time period and from before they came in contact with each other; On average, they found that the Native Americans were 5 to 6 inches taller than the Europeans because they bathed and ate healthier, unlike the Europeans. Another thing they came across was that the Native Americans also had many fewer cavities than the other group. Additionally, they teach us that we can and should use all of the resources in the land and not be wasteful. For instance, the Southwest Native Americans were the ones to come up with irrigation systems for farming, the plains group was sure to make use of all the parts of the bison they killed, and the Inuit group were and are very conservative about the whales they hunt. All three of these are vital to our treatment of the planet today. As you can see, the Natives have greatly impacted many tangible features of this land.
Next, we can learn from the moral code of their stories and parables. The stories of Native Americans all have underlying meanings; some are thought provoking and not easy to discover without thinking closely about it, and other stories are very plain to see. When we learn about these stories, we can come to understand what our behavior should be like, even if we don’t agree with the “why” factor. To illustrate this point, when we read the story of Grandmother Spider, a story about how we got the sun by many animals sacrificing luxurious parts of them in order to collect the sun, we learn that, in order to have great things, it takes sacrifice. I can’t think of a case where this standard statement would not be true. Another example is, in the story of Gitchee Manitou, Gitchee Manitou makes life easy for the people. This story claims that maple syrup originally dripped from the trees and all you would have to do to get it would be to break a twig off of the tree. However, the people misused this power, and they would lie underneath the branches and let the syrup drip into their mouths all day. Because they didn’t have to work to get their food, they became lazy and wouldn’t work. Gitchee Manitou didn’t want this, so he dumped buckets of water into the trees to make the people work to get their food. The moral of this story is essential to the world we live in today: laziness always fails. Another lesson we can learn from the Native stories comes from the Haudenosaunee tribe, and it is called, “How the Birds Learned to Sing”. In this story, the birds are told that if they want a song, they should fly as high as they could, and the one who could fly the highest would be the one with the most beautiful song. The Eagle began to boast and brag, saying that he would be able to fly the highest because of his great, big wings. The Thrush didn’t like this attitude of the Eagle’s, so the thrush hid away in the pocket of the Eagle’s wing and waited for the Eagle to fly high as he could. When the Eagle could fly no higher, the thrush jumped out and and flew so high that he found heaven. Then the Thrush flew back down and he got the most beautiful song. However, when the Thrush wanted to share his song, no one would listen because they knew that Thrush had cheated. The obvious two morals here are, a) Cheating is not worth the end result, and b) Bragging will lead to others going to extreme measures to prove you wrong. All in all, there are valuable lessons to be learned from Native American stories, and if we don’t teach these effectively, we are robbing people of the knowledge of their stories.
Finally, the concept acceptance of others and their beliefs can be taught through learning the story of their contact with the Europeans. When the Spanish settlers came to the Americas

Kassidy Stauffer

10/17/2016 02:29:17 pm

along the west coast to the Natives, they had the “Missionary Mindset” in mind; they believed that their purpose was to bring Christianity to the Native people. The result of this one-sided mentality resulted in what became known as “Missions” where the Native Americans were, frankly, enslaved and forced to live a life of nothing but work and Christianity. From there, the Natives were not inclined to leave the Spanish with a good reputation; and you can’t exactly expect them to after what happened. Next, we must clarify that the Europeans were accepting in some aspects and the Natives were accepting of others. This particular example is of a Native being considerate of the Europeans. It was recorded by a Jesuit missionary called Jean de Brébeuf and it says: “You tell us fine stories, and there is nothing in what you say that may not be true; but that is good for you who come across the seas. Do you not see that, as we inhabit a world so different from yours, there must be another heaven for us, and another road to reach it?” In other words, this Native happens to not be putting down this foreign religion he has just heard about, but instead acknowledging that it is not a bad thing for people to believe different things. Lastly, in today’s world, there are Inuit tribes who still stand firm in their traditions. However, the thing I admire about them most, is that they have come to accept that the world around them has things to offer, and they accept those things while still being able to hold on to their traditions of the past. The reason I admire this is because there are people who are so concerned that the world is only changing for the worse and it has nothing of value to offer. While this can be true to a limited extent, there are some very technologically advanced things that can provide better experiences.
The Native Americans have done so much to shape our culture. They have impacted our systems and ways of life in physical ways that we almost never recognize. There is so much to be learned from their stories. Their rich historical story where they came in connection with the Europeans is beyond important. In conclusion, in our current world, we cannot afford to deprive students of the complete and full awareness of Native Americans.

Audrey Reece

10/17/2016 03:59:28 pm

There are always two sides to a story, therefore being educated about Native Americans and their story, is vital in understanding the big picture of American history. Do you want your students growing up believing stereotypical judgments about Native Americans, and not fully understanding American history? Native Americans have a very complex culture that many do not understand, or haven’t learned about before, and I believe that it is crucial to be knowledgeable about their culture to understand their history, and the way they live. They were very diverse, and different from the Europeans, and students can learn about how difference is an important role in a balanced society. Learning about the Native Americans, can give students a different perspective, and give them a more open mind. Hence, the Native American history is an important part of our historical education, and is essential in terminating the many stereotypes we have today.
Native Americans have a rich history, filled with the complexity of their culture. By learning about the Native Americans, we can understand their religions and beliefs which consisted of things such as, creation stories, historical religious stories, etc., contrary to the stereotype of Native Americans having no religion. Additionally, by being educated on the Native people, we learn about their civilization, and advancements. Although, when the Europeans first came, they believed that the Native Americans were savages, and uncivilized, such as the time the Plains Native Americans were their spiritual Ghost dance which they got killed for because it scared the travelers. This statement about the Natives being savages, was an untrue judgement,they were actually a quite advanced, civilized people who were very resourceful, and adapted to their uninhabitable environments, such as how the Inuits were able to survive in one of the harshest environments to live in,by thinking of new, innovative ways to live. If we continue to learn about the Native Americans we can also understand their ways of living. They also were able to build different homes, according to the environment, and they were able to grow food in difficult environments to do so, they were a very adaptable people. The Native Americans had a way of living in harsh environments, and by living in harmony amongst themselves, they adapted in all their situations creatively, such as how the Southwest Native Americans were able to figure out ways to grow crops in the middle of the desert, and I believe that we could learn from them. Therefore, the culture of the Native Americans show that they were very advanced in their society and had a complex culture that can teach us a lot.
The Native Americans were a very diverse people, and very different from the Europeans. As we are able to further our education on the Native Americans, we can learn about their religions that were very different from the Europeans. The stereotype is taught in society that Native Americans had no religion, although this myth was created by the Europeans because Native Americans weren’t Christians, therefore leaving the Europeans to assume that they had no religion. Additionally, we can understand the diets of Native Americans as we learn.They were very healthy and hygienic. The Europeans ate many unhealthy things, and they rarely took baths, on the other hand, Native Americans would regularly eat corn, beans, squash, and take regular baths in the streams near by. In our Native American educations, we are able to comprehend their different homes and groups they created. Many groups would live in villages, with family, and with many different types of homes, according to their environments, and would make it out of their natural resource materials, like how the Eastern Woodland Native Americans lived in big long houses with their families. So, Native Americans were very different from the Europeans, but that is why it is so important to learn about them, it is important to learn about things that we are unfamiliar with so that we can understand the world around us.
Giving the knowledge on Native Americans to students can change their mindsets and give them a variety of perspectives. Native Americans passed moral stories down from generations, these stories can give lessons to students as well. It was a very important part of Native American culture because it was how they would teach, and raise their children, thus it is respectful to educate students about their stories. Learning about Native Americans can change the perspectives of students because we can be taught about what Native Americans were fighting for during that time of history, such as how the Northwest Coastal Native Americans four to keep their spiritual totem poles that the Europeans were stealing. They fought for their family, beliefs, culture, and history of their people which was being destroyed, like how the California Native Americans had over 100 different langu

Ashlyn Barry

10/17/2016 06:34:36 pm

Did you know that a native american creation story includes a Fire god a water monster and a first being named Begochiddy. Native Americans are really important for us to be educated about. We gain many important lessons from Native Americans, so if we didn’t learn about them we would lose valuable life lessons. We can learn several things but I will only address a few, we can and should learn from their advancements. Second we can learn from their culture and what it can mean to us. Lastly we can learn from the conflicts they had with either other tribes or with the Spanish and Europeans. I hope that you will read something that will change your perspective about it.
One point that I would like to talk about is that we can gain from their advancements. We can learn to work together instead of fighting or holding grudges. For example, the Haudenosaunee (or Iroquois) were actually six tribes until they joined together to make one, big, stronger tribe. Before they combined all they would do is fight against each other, until a man came and said that it would be better to combine their tribes. That decision helped them so much later on. Secondly we can gain from their government or their political system. We got part of our Democratic and Republican system from their government. In their system they treated everyone the same and women got to vote for everything. Some women were in the council or became warriors. Some led the tribe and became great leaders such as Weetamoo. Finally we can learn from their inventions or their discoveries. We can learn that anyone can be clever or brilliant in their own way. The Native Americans built very unique houses depending on where they lived. Some lived in very warm houses because they lived in a very cold place. Others lived in tipis because they traveled a lot. The eastern woodland people grew their crops brilliantly as well. They would make a tripod and grow corn and beans on the same tripod because one sucks up the nutrients in the soil and the other one puts nutrients back into it.
My second point is that we can learn from their culture. First we can learn to live off the land and to become resourceful. They all knew how to live with what they had and it’s sad that we can’t do that now. They would figure out what plants would grow and what they could eat to survive. The Inuit had to whale hunt to live because they lived in really cold weather. The Plains would have to come up with creative ways to hunt for the bison, and the Southwest knew how to irrigate their land to plant their farms. Second we can learn to respect others and to accept differences. For example when the Christian missionaries from Europe came all they saw was a people without the Christian religion and so they wanted to convert those indians, killing hundreds in the process. The missionaries didn’t accept that they had a religion so they hurt a lot of people. Last we can learn not to stereotype, whether indians or not. When we are educated on the Native Americans culture we can understand that they were very diverse and through understanding that we learn that everyone else is very different. They believed in many different things, the Dine story of creation is very unique. There was the Fire god, Begochiddy, and all of his people. In the first land Begochiddy created mountains, one in the east, one in the west, one in the south, one in the north, and one in the middle. The first land was dark and the people didn’t like it there. So Begochiddy planted big reed and it grew up to the second land with them in it. The second land had cat-people and they fought with the people all of the time. So they went to the third land with the big reed. They were happy with the third land, but women and men fought all the so they were separated, but they weren't happy so got back together. Coyote was walking around and he saw a baby in the river. A few days went by and the water monster became angry and flooded the land. Begochiddy and the people escaped with the big reed. The fourth land was still wet so the winds went up and dried it. That was where they lived from that point on. As you can see they were very diverse in their cultures.
My last point that I would like to adress is that we can also learn from their conflicts with other people. First of all if we can learn how some of their conflicts got started we can prevent something like it from happening again. Everyone thought that Native Americans were savages and killed everyone, if we start thinking of other people like that we could end up having a big mess. Second we learn that there is no black and white, right or wrong. The world isn’t split into bad guys and good guys. For example everyone either thinks poor indians or poor europeans, that the other people were so mean. In reality they were both cruel to each other. Sometimes the Europeans attacked and were cruel, sometimes the Indians were cruel and attacked. Last

Abigail Shumway

10/17/2016 08:07:26 pm

Did you know that the Native Americans have 520 distinct cultures, and we can, and have learned from every single one of them? In the past, Native Americans influenced the world, and they need to continue their contribution to the world we live in today. First of all, they have shaped the culture that this day and age has come to know. Secondly, native people have a great respect for the earth, and we need to learn from them, and their beliefs. Lastly, those great people are responsible for the survival of the Europeans in the past. Children must be taught about these people and all of the things they have to teach us.
Firstly, Native Americans have shaped the culture we take part in. They have influenced the things that we eat. Before the natives and Europeans met, the Europeans didn’t have corn, or squash, or cows! Our culture, that is a democracy, came from the Native Americans. In the eastern woodland tribe, the woman voted, and men held office. Lastly, they influenced our hygiene habits. Indians in the colder regions learned to dry what fruit they could find in the summer season so that they would have those vitamins that they needed. The natives bathed quite often, and kept their hair well tamed. When the Europeans got to America, the natives described them as dirty, stinky, trolls because they had long tangled beards, hadn’t bathed in months, and I’m sure that their breath smelled like a mink that ate a deviled egg and then died! The natives even called these men “dog men”. So much of the culture we have comes from Native Americans.
Secondly, one reason Native Americans need to continue their contributions to society is because they have such a respect and connection to the Earth. These people used all of what
they had. They didn’t waste. When the plains people killed a bison, they used every single part. They used the brain to tan the hide, the meat to eat, the tail as a fly swatter, and there are many other examples as well. Native Americans were not recreational hunters. They only killed when necessary. They were also extremely resourceful. The eastern woodland tribe used wigwams, houses with a structure of two trees trained into a half sphere shape. Also the Inuit people made house structures out of whale bones because they had little to no wood. We need to learn from their great use of natural resources.
Lastly, Indians helped the Europeans to survive when they first discovered America. They taught the pilgrims how to get the food they need. Indians taught them how to grow corn, and how to hunt for meat. The Native Americans traded with the Europeans. They traded gold, seeds, and many other things. These people taught the Europeans how to use the natural resources around them. For example, the California Natives ate wild plants, they didn’t even have to grow their own. Without the Native Americans, there wouldn’t be the history that America has today.
There are so many reasons why schools need to learn about the Native Americans and their contributions. They have shaped the culture that we have today. Native Americans have such a respect for this planet that we really need to learn from. Native people also helped the pilgrims to survive in this continent. Native American history is crucial to the history of this country, and would be criminal not to teach it. Native Americans have, and continue to shape United States culture, and history.

Nathan Soderquist

10/18/2016 07:18:52 pm

Long before this land was the United States of America, there were people here and we need to learn their history. Throughout history they have been shaping US culture. They were around long before European settlers came to the Americas. We can learn a lot from them. I think we should keep a native american unit in the Utah state core because Native Americans have taught us in the past and we can still learn a lot from them today. In the past pilgrims and other early settlers were helped by the natives. Also pioneers going west were helped out a lot by them. One way we can learn from them is to look at their religious stories that teach good morals. We can also learn about their advanced technology and government. Many times we think they were a were primitive people but they were actually very advanced.
My first reason why I think Native American history should be taught in Utah is that we can learn from their religious stories and culture. Many of their stories teach great lessons. One story that the Inuit people teach is about a girl named Sedna. She was a beautiful princess and she had many suitors, but she did not think any of them were good enough for her. One day a bird came to her and sang a beautiful song about where he lived. She married him and they went to a horrible place that was not the one he sang of. Then her father came and killed the bird and tried to take her home. The other birds heard what he had done so they attacked the father. The father tried to give his daughter to them but she held on to the boat. He cut off her fingers but they made it back. Later the daughter made dogs chew off her father's feet for revenge. From this story we can learn that we should not be greedy as Sedna did because it will end bad also we can learn not to be selfish like her father. Another story a tribe in the eastern woodland area tell us about the creation of the world. At first the people lived in the sky but they came down and there was only water. May animals tried to swim down and get the earth that were very strong, but finally the small muskrat set his mind to it and pulled up the earth. From this we can learn that if we set our mind to it we can do anything. We can also learn from their culture. One thing we can learn from was their use of resources. They did not waste anything of what they killed. Plains people would use every part of the bison. They would use all the muscles for meat. They would use the hooves for glue they would use the horns for spoons and bones for weapons.
Another reason I think students need to learn about native Americans is that we can have and can still learn from their advanced technology and government. They had advanced governmental principles that can help our government today. Eastern woodland people had a treaty throughout the area. This was called the Iroquois League. These peoples (Mohawk,Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, and Seneca) were originally fighting a lot but they believed that their creator told them to unite and stop fighting. They had a road that went through each of their lands and there was a symbolic ever-burning flame in the center land. The two outside lands protected them. This made their lives a lot easier. We can learn from this that if we don't fight we can have more enjoyable lives. They used very advanced technology (for their time). In the southwest tribes such as the Navajo and the Hopi built irrigation systems that let them grow crops in the dry and arid climates of the southwest. Also natives of the eastern woodland area built tripods to grow corn and squash on.
My last reason that I think we should keep Native Americans in our education system is that natives helped early settlers and pioneers in post Columbia history. One example of this is Squanto. In November 1620 the Plymouth Colony was started. It consisted of pilgrims That came across the Atlantic on The Mayflower. When the got there they set up a small settlement and then the Mayflower and its crew left and they were cut off from Europe. They were instantly in horrible conditions. They did not have good sources of food or shelter, around this time a Wampanoag Indian named Samoset came into Plymouth and could speak English he introduced them to Squanto who had taught him English. Squanto could speak English because he had been a slave to a European but had escaped. The pilgrims not have likely made it through their first winter without Squanto. One of the main ways he helped the pilgrims was by teaching them the native’s method of growing corn which involved burying fish at their roots. Another native american who helped euro Americans was Sacajawea. She accompanied Lewis and Clark on their expedition. One major way she helped was helping them buy horsed after they had finished traveling by water. She translated for them and without her their expedition would have failed.
There are many reasons why we should learn about Native Americans is that their stories can help us in ou

Emma Whipple

10/18/2016 07:39:32 pm

Would your life be different if you had not learned about Native Americans in school? We are who we are because of Native Americans; their history is critical for this generation to acknowledge and understand. Native Americans can teach us many things that are of great worth to us. When we learn about Native Americans, we can understand what values we should have, what to learn from the past, and who we are today as a country and as individuals.

The stories from and of Native Americans can communicate values that are important for the students of this world to obtain. The stories that Natives have provided us with are very popular. To explain how something happened, they told various stories, but they also have a deeper message. Some of these stories include “How Thunder and Earthquake Made Ocean” and “How Grandmother Spider Stole the Sun.” These two stories explain how Native Americans believe the ocean was made and how the sun was placed in the sky, but the tales have more meaning to them.

How Thunder and Earthquake Made Ocean teaches us that anything is possible if we set our hearts on it. There are extra meanings that can be found in this story like the benefits of working hard. Students of this state need to know that they are capable of incredible things, if they try. How Grandmother Spider Stole the Sun teaches us that you need to give it your all, or in other words, you can accomplish anything if you try. Other meanings can be found as well, such as the importance of teamwork. These stories are just samples of many narratives they relate to their children. Although, parables are not the only method they teach by.

The lives of the Native Americans have significant lessons as well that teach us important characteristics. Giving up and giving in are not options, according to Native Americans. Several experiences can be told, but the people from the Plains Region have a greater significance which describes what it means to live. Having been forced off of their land by the white explorers they still managed to adapt to an entirely different environment. Becoming one with the land once again was their goal. The tribes in the Great Plains have given us an example of finding solutions to the unfair problems that are thrust upon us.

Along with the Plains people, we are impacted by the lives of the brave California tribes. Taken captive by the Spanish missionaries, the California fought back, despite their disadvantage. Forgetting everything they believed in, everything they worked for, and everything they were was not an option because they were locked in a mission home. Looking for other options when their attempt to escape failed was their way of life.

The Inuit are also an example of fighting for what is right. Despite the fact that they lived in a very harsh environment, they found ways to survive and make the best of it. Often wearing two layers of clothing and seal skins, the Inuit remained warm and dry. These inventive people were great examples of survivors.

Along with fighting for what is best, great respect was demonstrated by the Indians as well. Although the missionaries were coming to replace their religion, the Natives were respectful of their religion, but politely declined. A Huron Indian said, “You tell us fine stories, and there is nothing in what you say that may not be true; but that is good for you who come across the seas…” In this primary document that was recorded by a French missionary, the Native was direct but turned the missionary away. Even though the missionaries were not kind to Natives, the Native Americans were kind to them.

Another example of their respect was the situation with the Pilgrims. The Pilgrims were struggling and the Native Americans were extremely kind to them and helped them establish a civilization. The traits that we can obtain from Natives are without end. Having given us multiple things that teach us how to become better people, Native Americans can teach us more about improving the future.

Along with character, we need to consider why we need to understand the history of the United States of America. “The best way to know where the country is going is to know where we’ve been,” said David McCullough. Acknowledging the history of Native Americans will benefit the future of this country for several reasons. For one, Native Americans showed us how to be resourceful.The city of Mesa Verde shows us how they used their resources wisely. The Anasazi people that inhabited the area were able to make a city out of clay. The homes were chiseled into the cliff of sandstone and they made houses that fit their needs perfectly. Farming on the land was possible by making holes in the side of the rock for their fingers and toes and scaling the side of the cliff to get to an area with fertile ground. The Anasazi couldn’t use ladders because of the lack of wood, but they found a solution to thei

Emma Whipple

10/18/2016 07:41:03 pm

r problem, using the land provided.

The Inuit took advantage of the springtime and built their houses before they were completely necessary. Forcing the rib-cage of a whale into the holes they had dug previously, the Inuit were able to build with what they had around them. They then covered the bones with animal fat and brush to keep the bitter wind out. When the harsh weather approached, they were able to stay warm in their houses. These people can teach this generation many important skills that will impact the earth and our lifestyle.

Learning about the Natives will impact us in other ways as well. We will be able to understand the consequences of our actions. Working well together is an important trait we have learned from these people. The Iroquois were united even though they were originally separate, warring tribes. From our action towards these people, we can learn that when we fight with other people we regret our decision or we sever the relationship.

When we think of the Native Americans, we are forced to remember what we have done to them. We can recognize that we do not want to repeat this with other countries or our own people ever again. The results have been noted and they do not benefit us in any way. The many battles we had were not something to be proud of but they need to be taught so that we do not repeat history.

Native Americans also taught us how to advance in our economy and culture. Complex tribes and sophisticated civilizations were spread throughout America. The Iroquois had their own democracy which worked very well for their tribes. We can take note of their unity and how it affected the tribe and apply it to our country which is sadly falling apart. The Iroquois were great people and they had a lot of power, but they didn’t abuse it, unlike the United States. Comparing our ever-changing society to the lives of the Iroquois will help us determine what we can do to have a government that worked as well as theirs.

While recording history on golden plates, the people of Mexico City were attending colleges and receiving an abundance of knowledge. Intense education and creativity can be acknowledged and practiced throughout our daily lives to become better people. From the Natives, we know that we have to go to school and work hard so that we can accomplish great things.

Seeing that they are the past and we are the results of the past, they impact our lives today. Approximately 2% of America’s population are Native American. Our neighbors could be Natives and we could be depriving them of their history. Learning about the pioneers in at least a few months is necessary; therefore, we need to dedicate more than a few weeks to the Native Americans.

Understanding their history is crucial for our country, but the government could care less. The history of this country didn’t begin in 1776. Which race helped the Pilgrims survive? Which people died because of our selfishness? Who could live next door to us? Native Americans. We are disrespecting their sacrifice for this country. Learning about our ancestors is required to become more grateful for what they have done. We cannot turn them away and refuse to teach about their lives in our schools. Our family, friends, and neighbors could be Natives and it seems as if we want to forget about them. We wouldn’t be where we are without them.

Americans have been awful to the Natives at times and we should be ashamed of ourselves. Gathering tribes of Indians at Wounded Knee and shooting everyone on sight just because they were different. Is that who we truly are? People worshiping their God and we punished them for it. The Cherokee were forced to pack up all of their belongings and walk for miles to a reservation so that we could use their land. So many of them died. Living in Utah, we understand how cruel people are to people that are different and we can relate.

Our country has killed countless people and now we are trying to hide it from our children. Killing innocent people again and again, over and over. We can’t be that kind of people. We need to show that we have learned from our mistakes. We will never treat people like that ever again. We stripped them of their religion, culture, homes, friends, families, and lives and made them how we wanted them to be. We are not those people from the past. We can’t walk away from that past and say it never happened. Is that how we want this generation to be? We can sin and repent and then it will be acceptable?

In some ways, this country is falling apart and Native Americans are just one of the few things that is holding us together. Their history has to be taught in our schools. We need to accept that we did those things and apologize. We can make up something to them by teaching their history in our schools. They deserve at least that much for taking everything away from them. By teaching their history, we are slowly giving tiny increments of life

Emma Whipple

10/18/2016 07:41:53 pm

back to them, even if it will never be the same.

This generation needs to know about the Native Americans because their story is our story. Native Americans can teach us values, how to learn from our mistakes, and who we are. Forever changing our future because they shaped the past. Thank you Native Americans for bearing the weight of the world on your shoulders so that I could live a life like this. I will forever be in your debt.

Téa Randall

10/18/2016 08:55:09 pm

Without knowledge of our prior interactions with Native Americans, the coming generation will not get the privilege of studying amazing peoples. Native Americans will make us better people if we learn their story; if we do not teach this critical piece of our history, these remarkable examples will fade away. These people are examples to us by teaching values through their stories and respecting those they come in contact with. By learning of their religion, we can open our minds and be more accepting toward other people.
The first point I will address is that Native American stories can teach us values. Take the Eastern Woodland story of Manabozo. Manabozo’s people were lazy and did not work for their food. Instead, they would lay under a maple tree and have the syrup drip into their mouths. Manabozo saw this and took away the gift of syrup. The people finally had to hunt and gather. Although this may seem harsh of Manabozo, his people became hard working and strong. This and all Native American stories can have many different meanings depending on who is reading it. Manabozo may teach someone to be grateful for what they have been given, while it may teach someone else to work hard. If we take these stories and find the deeper meaning of them, we can use them to become better people.
Another story I would like to point out is the story of How Grandmother Spider Stole the Sun. This is a Plains Native American story that tells us how the sun got to be in the sky. The animals wanted to get the sun to share with the people. Grandmother Spider stole the sun by weaving a basket. Buzzard said that he would put it in the sky because he could fly the highest. He took the sun in the basket and put it on his head. The sun burned his head badly when he put it in the sky. To this day, his head is bald because he was burned in order to bring light to the people. We can learn through this story that we can be strong and sacrifice for others.
These stories can teach anyone who is willing to have an open mind. Those in Junior High, Elementary, or High School. The Utah State Core needs to include these beautiful stories that can help us change who we are. Some stories are completely different from others. For instance, the Inuit story Sedna, the Woman Under the Sea is a harsh story - similar to the Inuit environment. A girl named Sedna went with a bird to an island he said was full of beautiful things. When she got there she realized she had been tricked.There was nothing good there and she was not happy. Her father came and rescued her, but on the way back, he flung her out of the boat to save himself. He also sliced off her fingers which became the sea creatures. She survived and got back in the boat. Upon returning, her dogs gnawed off her father’s hands and feet. The Earth opened up and Sedna fell through. She lives under the water to this day, controlling the sea creatures whenever the Inuit need to hunt them. The lessons this story teaches are many, and they would be lost without the teaching of the Inuit people.
Another thing I think some Natives were a prime example of respectful people based on the way they treated people. The first example we have of that is the way that they respected the European religion (Christianity). A Huron Native whose name we do not know was confronted by a Jesuit missionary Jean de Brébeuf. Jean recorded the Huron’s response to Christianity. He said, “You tell us fine stories, and there is nothing in what you say that may not be true; but that is good for you who come across the seas. Do you not see that, as we inhabit a world so different from yours, there must be another heaven for us, and another road to reach it?” I believe that this was a wise and respectful response to the missionary. The Natives were not forced to be Christian, but they listened and responded in a way that makes them seem like the bigger person. We can all learn from this example and alter our attitude.
In addition to this aspect, the Native Americans learned to band together after bloodshed. Some of them were able to get over their differences and fight together for what they believe in. One example of this is the Iroquois League. In the beginning, they were five tribes that warred against each other so much that the death toll was grotesque. Finally, a man was able to bring them together to form the Iroquois League. They formed tribal councils and had a great council between the five tribes. The political system they came up with was a democracy that gave the people power - respecting their opinions and preferences. They also had great respect for women, for they were given the power to vote and own the longhouses. If a man was misbehaving in office and the women agreed upon the need for him to go, he would have to go.
Furthermore, these indigenous people traded with whites. Some didn’t see the whites as dangerous - they saw them as people to trade with. Because of

Téa Randall

10/18/2016 08:57:25 pm

this mutual respect, the Plains people were introduced to the horse from the Spanish. It forever changed their lifestyle. They were free to roam wherever they needed, could hunt buffalo easier than before, and it made their nomadic lifestyle less of a hassle. While trading with whites was easy for some, it wasn’t possible for others. The Inuit were not close to any Europeans for a long time. They traded amongst themselves. Traveling across the frozen tundra of Alaska was a sacrifice that they were willing to make to keep up the trade between the two Arctic tribes that lived there. The respect between them was great because they traded what goods they had for goods they didn’t. They kept the trade fair, and never stole because they had what they needed. We could all use the reminder to respect one another at all times, and in all things.
Still, we can be better people by accepting cultural differences through learning about the Native American religions. As demonstrated by the Europeans when they met the Northwest Coastal group of Native Americans, people don’t understand the importance of certain objects in Native religions. The Northwest Coastal group of native Americans believed that totem poles could house the spirits of their ancestors so they could talk to them. These totem poles were so important to these people. They portrayed their family history and gave the people hope that they would see their ancestors again. The Europeans saw these as beautiful works of art to be displayed in their homes. There was no religious importance in the totem poles to these foreigners, so they stole some and took them to their homes. The tribes were devastated, so much that they even burnt the rest of the totems. In their minds it was better to burn them and set their ancestors free, than to have their ancestors taken from them. Their genealogy is gone now because the first people to come in contact with them did not learn or understand their religion. When we learn of the Native American religion in school, we will be more aware of cultural differences. We will have an open mind and not be quick to judge when seeing or hearing of different religious practices or objects.
Another reason we need to learn about Native American religion is the fact that people are afraid of what they do not understand. For example, the Plains Ghost Dance. This came about when a Native man had a dream in which he saw his world restored and the whites gone. This dream was a hope for many Plains Natives and it evolved into action when he said that the only way to get that world back, was to do blood sacrifices. Now, these people did it willingly and believed that through their sacrifice, their ancestors could come back and life would be as it always was. They would purify themselves, and then dance around a fire for several days and nights. They would attach fish hooks to their bodies and literally dance until they died. The Europeans who saw this were horrified at the grotesque scene. They were, frankly, scared for their lives. What they saw were crazed Native Americans that were willing to take their own lives. Who was to say that they wouldn’t kill the whites, too? After all, they were angry with them. From the perspective of the white people, it was appalling.
Equally important is the way that knowledge of other religions ties into respect of people. For instance, the California Natives were treated so horribly by the Spanish missionaries. They created missions and took the Natives from their homes, made them Christian, and forced them to work as slaves. These people are almost wiped out because the missionaries were too involved in their own religion to respect the religion of these indigenous people. We have to be aware of religious differences to we do not make the same mistakes as the Europeans.
These Native people have brought so much to this world. Without them, we would not have our freedom, our land, our lives. Teaching values through their stories, setting a humbling example of respect, and helping us develop a new mindset are part of their legacy. We must honor the great sacrifices they have made to make the world a better place. They went through so much, that not teaching their story is as much of a crime as Wounded Knee.

Annalee Gray

10/19/2016 05:28:58 am

How much did you learn in school about the hundreds of diverse and rich Native American cultures in our nation? Native Americans are a huge part of our culture in both the past and the present, it is a shame and an embarrassment that our Utah schools tend to overlook and push Native history aside. We must recognize these people for who they were, and who they are today. First, Native peoples have a rich and diverse history that spans across hundreds of thousands of years. Second, our culture is full of wrongful, racist stereotypes and it is important to correct them for future generations. Last, American Indians helped the European explorers, and the Pilgrims. Without them, Euro-American people would not be here today.

To start off, we need to acknowledge the people that existed for years before modern America began. First, for thousands of years the Native Americans occupied the North American continent, they developed extremely diverse cultures, religions and built separate nations with their own diversified governments. To give an example of one of the many ways that the Natives culture was not all the same, is that the Eastern woodland Natives lived in wigwams, longhouses, and developed a democracy government system. The Southwestern people built massive cliff houses, hogans and had a government deeply rooted in religion. Next, these people had built cities and constructed civilizations as large as some of the cities we have today, and more advanced than the European cities of the same era. For instance, Cahokia, the largest city of Ancient North American times had an estimated 40,000 citizens at it’s peak, not counting the populations of the small farm villages that surrounded the outskirts. Native Americans were very clean and healthy people. They bathed daily, and had a more balanced diet, while the Europeans thought it was bad for you to be clean because it washed away protections from the devil. Third Native Americans had learned to shape the environment to fit their needs, not destroy it. The Eastern Woodland people built wigwams out of trees that were still growing in the ground. The people known as the mound builders built massive hills that look like a natural part of the environment today. We can’t forget about how much these amazing people have shaped our world.

Second, our modern world is full of racist stereotypes that we need to correct. To begin, many people are not open minded because of a lack of education on the realities of Native American life and tend to group Natives into a group of braid wearing, tipi dwelling, horse riding primitive people. In reality, both modern and ancient natives lived very differently than we imagine. They invented things, had diverse religion and cultures. Second, Native Americans are unfairly used as poster people and advertisements. For example, in class we learned and discussed the use of Indians as sport mascots. At first, I didn’t really realize how much of a big deal that it was, until I thought about how mad everyone would be If we used African Americans as mascots. We need to show the Natives more respect. Lastly, A lot of the world thinks that modern Native Americans still live and follow their old ways. This stereotype is partly true, because they do still for the most part honor their ancient religions and practices. But most of the time, they live normally, they attend school, go to work and live in regular houses. The stereotypes need to be corrected and we can do this by teaching about the native history in school.

Third, the native culture is so intertwined with the Euro-American traditions, that we cannot teach United States History without teaching Native history. First, they taught the pilgrims how to have balanced diet on this continent. Also, European foods mixed with Native foods created the modern diet. For instance, the natives had chocolate, but they needed milk and sugar to make it what it is today. Another example is that the pilgrims did not know how to grow corn and they kept trying to grow wheat, but it wasn’t working. They would have starved the first winter if it wasn’t for the natives, who taught them how to farm on North American soil. Second, our nation is built on the fundamentals of the Democracy invented by the Iroquois league. The Iroquois is a band of tribes who developed a democracy government based on the peoples votes. They gave the founding fathers the ideas of our government. Third, Native American traditions have made their way into our modern world. For Instance, the Eastern woodland people invented the game of Lacrosse. Lacrosse is still a popular and widely played sport today. Also, the morals in their stories, we try to live by in the modern world. Native Americans have shaped the modern culture.

To conclude, teaching Native American history is just as important as teaching the American revolution, and needs to be a necessity in Utah schools. One, they were here thousan

Trevor Smith

10/19/2016 07:23:48 am

Why Native Americans?
By Trevor Smith

What if I told you that Native Americans didn’t exist? Of course, this is not true, but wouldn’t it be an interesting notion? Would we even exist? Then again, life without the natives would mean a very different life than what we have today. Native Americans exist, and their history shapes our histories. If all this is true, then why would we not study them? Natives Americans are essential to the past of the United States, shaping our nation in ways that we commonly overlook, but in ways that we may have never thought of before. Native Americans can teach us a lot about anything you can think of, but one of the biggest parts of the history of Native Americans is an overall understanding to accept others. The natives were looked down upon by the settlers as savages and barbarians. However, the natives invented many things that are now key necessities in everyday life. Their innovation helped form our society today. Learning about the natives is crucial to our understanding of the past. We can learn about the benefits and mistakes that formed from the interactions and relations between the settlers and the natives. We can learn important lessons about common, everyday life, even from uncommon ideas proposed by natives. Overall, a history without natives is no history at all. The natives were not just the people who lived here before the settlers. They were the people who thrived here before the settlers. I believe that studying the religion, innovation, and interactions of and with the natives will benefit our ability to understand others and and make us become great learners and important factors to our modern society.

Firstly, I believe that the study of native religion can teach us a great deal of important knowledge that can be applied to our futures. One such life skill taught by the study of natives is an understanding of others with religious beliefs. Natives believed many things. The California natives believed that Thunder and Earthquake, living beings, created the ocean. The Inuit believed that sea animals came from an ancient woman who had her fingers cut off to save someone on board a ship. Others still, such as the tale of How Owl got Big Eyes, an Iroquois (or rather Haudenosaunee, because Iroquois means “snake people”) legend, tell of certain characteristics of animals. While it is true that very few people still believe these legends, understanding the beliefs of these people will allow us to acknowledge and accept the beliefs of others within our modern-day society. Another important part of native culture is the attributes and morals preached among their stories and legends. Who can forget the story of “How the Birds Learned to Sing”? This story tells about a competition among the birds set forth by the Creator. The birds would see who could fly highest, and the highest-flying bird would earn the best song to sing. Before the competition, Eagle would wander around bragging about how he was the strongest and would go the highest. This annoyed the other birds, particularly Thrush. Thrush, being unnoticeably small, decided to hop within the feathers of Eagle and hide there. When the competition came, Eagle reached his peak, and thought he was the highest flier of all the birds, but Thrush jumped off. Eagle could fly no higher, so Thrush earned the best song. However, when Eagle told the others of what Thrush had done, nobody wanted to listen to Thrush’s song. This teaches us important morals about cheating. The first moral tells that there is no cheating for a good cause.

Secondly, contrary to what we would like to believe, cheaters sometimes prosper; but cheaters, as teaches this story, don’t get respected. Cheaters are frowned upon by the world. A final important lesson to apply in our everyday life is more related to eliminating racist stereotypes. Common stereotypes among Americans include many things, from natives not having religion to natives all being brutes and savages. Studying the cultures of natives will prove that these stereotypes are entirely fictional. Natives had many religions and applied those religions every day within their lives, the natives were less brutal than the settlers (considering how certain groups of settlers enslaved them), and lastly more natives died than settlers in the early years of the United States. These stereotypes must be proven false for the safety and peace of our culture and nation.
Secondly, I believe studying the innovation of Native Americans will improve the benefits of society. The Native Americans were seen as simplistic by the settlers, but in truth they had many hidden secrets. Some of their creations were among the greatest ancient architectural feats of time, such as the Mayan temples, which rivaled, and in some cases beat, that of the Egyptian pyramids. Even simple homes are better than one might expect, at least for the time frame. While native ho

Trevor Smith (continued)

10/19/2016 07:26:08 am

While native homes are often seen as primitive and made of dirt, the poorer classes of Europeans also had dirt homes at the time of Columbus. Some natives, like some Europeans, had wooden homes. Other inventions from the natives affect our everyday lives, like that of chocolate. Natives also created interesting tools, such as that of canoes, weapons, writing utensils, and more. Overlooking natives, even when they invented so many wonderful objects, foods, tools, and other items, would be detrimental. Moving past the architecture and objects of ancient natives, we encounter political systems. Natives had unique and interesting ways of choosing leaders, and one of which, the Haudenosaunee democracy, was one of the base factors for our nation, and involved not genealogy for supremacy, like those of Europe, but instead it involved voting. It also included many chiefs meeting in courts, much like those of our courts and senates today. Lastly, a very important factor taught by the natives to the Europeans involved bathing. Europeans did not bathe before discovering natives. The natives had bathing houses, sweat lodges, and any other means of simplistic hygiene imaginable. Certain tribes even had animal skins designated as toilet paper! Overall, the natives had many small secrets that we must understand and not overlook. These traits must be viewed with a historical respect that can only happen with the knowledge of the natives’ past.

Thirdly, I believe that studying the interactions of the natives with the settlers will help our futures. One factor of this that I believe to be true is the negative stereotypes among natives and settlers, directed at each other. The Declaration of Independence, the very document upon which our nation was founded upon, labeled Natives as “merciless Indian savages.” We must correct the mistakes of our forefathers and teach of good among the history of natives. Otherwise, we are no better people than we were two hundred and forty years ago. We must also not believe that European settlers were perfect. They were seen as dirty and hairy among the natives, and the Haudenosaunee word for settlers means “dog people.” There was negativity on both sides, and bias of history must be invalidated. Another point I consider should be taught among us is that of the unjust and racist laws created against natives in earlier history. Such laws forced natives into reservations, the initiation of the Dawes Act, and the inability of Natives to vote until 1924 are all important examples of how racism has affected us in the past. We should overcome the past and allow ourselves to learn and grow as a culturally diverse nation. I believe that the massacres are critical to stopping death counts in the future, especially ones due to racism. Natives have experienced as much death, probably greater, than America ever did. According to the article by Lewis Lord, there could’ve been anywhere between 500,000 and 70 million natives existing here before Columbus. It is commonly assumed around 10 million, however. According to most sources, disease wiped out about 90% of natives between the time of Columbus and the time of the United States settlers. If we use the speculated number of 10 million, and multiply by 90%, we get 9 million fatalities. The total number of war-related casualties (according to civilwar.org) in the entire United States history is barely over 1 million. And natives were slaughtered in many other ways besides disease. The massacre of Wounded Knee had around 125 native casualties, 50 at the Tiguex massacre, and around 250 at the Pamunkey Peace talks. The Trail of Tears had an estimate of anywhere between 5,000 and 25,000 deaths. The total number of deaths among natives is extremely high, and this needs to be taught in hopes to avoid anything like it ever happening again. We teach of deaths among U.S. citizens, it should be our priority to teach of even more deaths among the ancestors of U.S. citizens, the Native Americans. Death is an event that must not be repeated, and teaching of the past will help us avoid such repetitive mishaps.

To conclude my remarks, the natives are a people of this country that are crucial to the understanding of America’s history, are benefactors to equality, and provide us with the means of becoming greater beings. The study of these people will help us work together as a society. These remarkable people of marvelous works are a people worth studying, and a people that has set forth our nation, and driven us to where we are today. Let us not forget them, but ponder them, and realize what we did well, and what we did wrong. Let us learn about the religions, innovations, and interactions of the natives to benefit society, and use the past to generate the future of us, and the future of U.S.

Nathan Imbler

10/19/2016 08:44:52 am

Many schools often overlook the history of Native Americans, regardless of the fact that they are a crucial part of United States history. It is therefore imperative that we teach the story of the Native Americans in full. There are many reasons why, but I will look at three: One, it would take out a huge chunk of US history. Two, lots of people are of Native American descent, and preventing them from learning the Natives’ history would not allow them to learn about some of our history. Lastly, there were a lot of deaths, massacres, and wars between the Europeans and the Natives that are important to history. Native Americans are very paramount to US history and need to be taught.

If we did not teach the Natives’ stories, there would be a huge gap in American history that we would not be learning about. The Native Americans are believed to have started migrating to the United States some 12,000 years ago. That’s a long time to be taking out of American history. In 1492, Columbus arrived in America, which led to more and more Europeans to come to the US. And Native Americans were a huge part of the European’s settling in America. We simply cannot remove it from the curriculum. This would lead to hundreds, thousands of years of neglected history kids should be learning about. Neglecting to teach about Native Americans would result in losing thousands of history we should be learning about.

A lot of people in Utah, including me, are of Native American descent, or at least part Native American. If we neglected to teach Native American history, a lot of people would not be learning about their history. If we don’t learn about our history, we might as well not have history. In some religions, learning about history is a crucial part of their religion. The Native Americans are very important to a lot of people’s history, and we need to teach that history to all the children in the nation.

The Europeans and the Native Americans’ interactions were also a very important part in history. When the Europeans came to America, the Native Americans welcomed them with open arms. They were very kind to the Europeans and taught them about their cultures and survival skills. Yet they did not know that the very breath of the Europeans was killing them off very rapidly. The Europeans didn’t mean to do so. Although, eventually, the Natives made the Europeans very angry, and so the Europeans also had many wars and massacres with the Native Americans. This is very important because the Europeans did not like them very much after a while because the Natives did things that they didn’t like. It is imperative that we learn about things like this so that we can prevent history from repeating itself, or in other words, keeping things like that from happening again. Learning about conflicts between the Natives and the Europeans is very important to the history of the US.

Teaching about Natives to the students will help them to better understand their culture and history. If we did not teach this in all the schools, it would result in the loss of hundreds and thousands of years of the history. A lot of people in Utah are also of Native American descent, including me. We need to include this so that these people can learn about their history. Finally, learning about conflicts between the different cultures is vital. Involving Native Americans in the Common Core would greatly benefit Utah’s education.

Tyler Doyle

10/19/2016 08:45:30 am

Native Americans are a unique and diverse people and are an important part of United States history. It’s well worth taking the time to study and receive a further education about these people. They have shaped the world and our culture. Most teachers don’t take their time teaching about the Native Americans, if they rush through the unit then stereotypes can be developed and students will never truly understand the diversity and culture of Native peoples. Native Americans are an important people to study because over time they have shaped, molded and influenced our culture and the way we live today, they have paved a path for us, they have set examples, and we need to continue following. They have stories that are unique, they teach us important morals and values that can strengthen the community and will overall improve life, they influenced the way our political systems and government is ran, we can still learn from their political systems today, and they taught the pilgrims important survival tactics that played a vital role in European survival.

Native stories are very unique, they all have a moral or a lesson to be taught. I will share a few examples of Native stories, point out the lessons they have to teach and explain how we can learn from them today. Let’s now take a look at the Dine story of creation. In this story there are six figures, Begochiddy was the strangest of them all. Begochiddy started to create a world with people and land masses such as mountains. These people decided they didn’t like this world so they went to a second world. They decided to leave the second world because people were already living there so they went to a third world. This world was the prettiest of them all, however, the people started to quarrel with each other. Begochiddy decided to separate the men from the women to stop the contention. However the people couldn’t live without each other so they went to Begochiddy to solve this problem. He said they could be together but if there were any problems then they would have to leave the third world. All was fine until coyote went looking for trouble. Coyote started causing some mischief and Begochiddy made them leave the third world. They came to the fourth world which is now our world today, although it was not as beautiful as the third, they decided to inhabit there, they lived in peace in harmony. This story teaches us that if we live without contention then you will be rewarded. Today there is a lot of contention between everybody, we need to learn to get along and become united. Another story is called “How the Birds Learned to Sing”. In this story the creator tells the birds that when morning comes, they are to fly as high as they can and listen to and memorize the song they hear as they soar down from the sky. “Whoever goes the highest would get the highest would get the best song. Eagle started to brag that he would go the highest, when he walked over to a group of birds to hold up his wings a small tiny bird would jumped into the armpit of Eagle. Eagle didn’t notice this bird had jumped onto him. When morning came Eagle had gone the highest and started coming down when he noticed this bird had jumped off him and started flying up, Eagle was exhausted and could go no higher, this tiny little bird got the best song and started to fly down to where the birds were counseling. They kicked this bird out for cheating. This story teaches us that cheating just for success will only lead to a worse outcome. These stories come from the a group of the Iroquois, they would tell these stories to their kids to teach them these values. These values that Natives teach can help us become a better people.

Native Americans influenced our political systems and there are still things we can learn from them today. Native Americans lived in unity. Take the Iroquois for example, they used to be five separate nations and they were not necessarily allies either, every neighboring tribe was a threat. However these five tribes, the Mohawk, Oneida, Cayuga and Tuscarora came together and lived in unity. They formed clans and spread across the land living in longhouses. They spread far across the Great Lakes region and each clan helped to defend the land that belonged to the confederacy. They had a constitution which stated procedures for choosing leaders and conducting business. These tribes worked together and were able to be a very successful and powerful confederacy. In America today we also have a constitution, and are a very powerful nation. However America is becoming corrupt, we can no longer trust our leaders and civilians have betrayed the pedestrians that are supposed to protect this land like our police force. We need to look at the example of the Iroquois and get rid of the contention in our nation today. Another way we can follow the Natives example is by letting everyone in the nation and community contribute to the

Tyler Doyle (continued)

10/19/2016 08:51:40 am

well being of the United States. Citizens living in Native communities were engaged and involved, everyone contributed not just the men. Natives were some of the very first people to respect women, in some cultures women had considerable power, they could vote and hold office hundreds of years before Europeans allowed them to. Take Pocahontas and Sacagawea for example, both were very wise and both had a considerable amount of power and respect. Also Native cultures government was never corrupt, they ran a strict democratic government and every one held each other in check. Today in America our government is slowly and surely becoming more and more corrupt. We have fallen away from our values and are electing candidates that go against majority of people’s beliefs.

Native Americans helped play a vital role in early European survival, if they weren’t here or refused to help when the pilgrims came we probably wouldn’t be alive today. Pilgrims had no idea how to use the resources and crops around them to make food. Natives were there to help them find, hunt, and plant food that were all crucial to the survival of Europeans. One example is Squanto of the Wampanoag tribe, Squanto could speak a decent amount of english and was able to communicate and befriend the Europeans. His tribe helped Europeans learn to plant corn, beans, squash, fish and hunt the land. Another way Natives helped Europeans is they showed Europeans essential tools to complete these tasks. They showed them things like traps that helped with fishing and hunting. In exchange Europeans gave them materials that only they had, things like metal. Also the Natives helped us explore the land. They knew had to navigate around the world using stars and rivers, they helped explorers establish the world we have today. Sacagawea helped Lewis and Clark navigate west, she was very wise and served a vital role in navigation.

In conclusion Native Americans shaped our culture through their stories which teach us morals and values. They shaped our political systems which are very similar to the government we run today. They played a vital role in European survival and helped natives explore, hunt and farm food. Therefore Natives were an advanced culture that shaped the way we lived today.

Daniel Prestwich

10/19/2016 08:52:18 am

Native American Essay
Daniel Prestwich B5

Native American’s history and culture is a big part of why America is America today, so we must teach students about them to honor that. It is fundamental to teach our students that we need to honor their world for being so advanced and different then ours, we need to tell our students how they helped the Spanish and the Europeans survive, and how they influence our lives even today.

First, we must respect and recognize their world for how advanced and different it was. They have made amazing architectural feats without any of the machines or equipment we have today. For example, they built Tenochtitlan which was around 15 km sq. which is very large back then but not nearly as large as Orem, UT which is about 29.451 km sq. They also built Pueblo Bonito which was made up of 350 ground rooms, 32 kivas, and 3 great kivas. Pueblo Bonito also rises up to 4 stories tall! Native culture was not only advanced but diverse. Take the example of the Dine story of creation. It starts with 6 beings in the first world 3 worlds below this one. The beings were called First Man, First Woman, Salt Woman, Fire God, Coyote, and Begochiddy, child of the Sun. The first world was completely dark. Begochiddy made 4 mountains. But the first beings still did not like the first world, so Begochiddy made a large hollow reed and gathered everyone inside. The reed began to grow into the 2nd world. The 2nd world was blue and inhabited by the cat people. The first beings and cat people fought for a long time. Finally, Begochiddy gathered all the beings again into the reed which grew into the 3rd world. The 3rd world was beautiful! Everyone was happy there and lived there for a long time. Then one day as Coyote was walking along the river he found the baby of the water monster. So Coyote hid the baby in his blanket and walked away. The water monster was very angry when he could not find his son so he started to flood the third world. Begochiddy gathered everyone into the reed and made coyote give the baby back. But, the 3rd world was already flooded, so they moved into the 4th world which is where we live today. We also have to many stereotypes for the Native Americans. Not all natives lived in tipis, rode around on horses, and hunted bison. For example, some natives lived in houses called wigwam, which was a house made of bark and grass. Another example is the Inuit natives. They are what people call today Eskimos. They actually don’t always live in igloos like some think, but rather live in a house made of wood and whale bone. The Inuit live in the North pole which is the harshest landscape in the world. We have to give natives credit for how amazing their civilization was and is.

We also have to recognize them for how they helped the pilgrims/settlers survive. They taught the Europeans what to grow here. For example, when wheat would not grow here they taught the Europeans how to grow corn. They also tried to extend friendship to the native Americans. For example, a speech by the native chief to the Europeans says, “Why will you take by force what you may obtain by love? [...] We are unarmed and willing to give you what you ask, if you come in a friendly manner…” They also gave us what we needed. They could have refused to trade with the Europeans but they didn’t. They welcomed our trading. So, we must teach our students that we would not be here if it was not for them.

The Native Americans also influence our lives even today. They invented the political system we use today when they formed the Iroquois league. The Iroquois league was our first democracy and we need to remember that. We can also prevent future fighting by learning about them. We could stop another Wounded Knee from ever happening, which would be a good thing. It would stop us from doing it and the natives from doing it. They teach us morals in their stories as well. The thresh and eagle story for the Iroquois league teaches us not to boast or cheat. The How Rabbit Got Long Ears story tells us to follow directions and to be brave as well. And those are stories from just one tribe! We can learn many good things from the Native Americans and have already learned them, if we just pay attention to them.

Overall, we need to teach our students about native Americans more. They make up a good chunk of America’s history. We need to start respecting that by doing these three things, We need to honor their world for how advanced it was for the time period, we need to tell our students how they helped us in the past, and how they have helped us today, and how they help our civilization to this date. Therefore, if we learn about these people and respect them we will be giving our students a greater understanding about how are nation is how it is today. Thank you for listening to my essay today. I hope you take my points into consideration when you make your decision.

Ammon Grover

10/19/2016 08:54:37 am

Did you know everyone makes mistakes? Enough people have made mistakes, that people have started making quotes for mistakes, some people put posters of these quotes on their walls or make them the wallpaper for thier phone. My point is, people make mistakes. That’s okay, as long as we can learn from them… but how can we learn from mistakes if some people don’t know that some of these mistakes exist. I believe it would be crimeful to not learn about Native Americans. Because of this I believe that we must keep Native Americans in Utah’s learning curriculum.

It might be embarrassing or hard for people to accept mistakes that have been made toward the Native Americans but without accepting these mistakes we can not learn from them. Albert Einstein once said “A person who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.”. I believe that quote not only applies to people with neophobia, but to people who won’t accept that they made a mistake, just like we would be doing if we took Native Americans from our learning curriculum.

Many people agree that our mistakes are what define us, so if we take Native Americans out of the learning curriculum we are deleting possible opportunities to learn and grow, such as Custer's last stand, or the Cherokee Trail of Tears. For many people mistakes are at the core of their identity, without mistakes they have nothing to learn from, without something to learn from, they have no identity, without identity they are nothing. We need to make mistakes, have mistakes, and learn from mistakes.

Did you know that some Germans don’t learn about the Holocaust in school, does that seem like a crime to you because it does to me. It we be just as big as a crime if we take out Native Americans from the learning curriculum. Many people believe it is unnecessary to learn of Native Americans but it is the contrary, they have enough to teach us we could base our society off of their nations. Which we partially have with the Iroquois Nation.

So in conclusion I would like to say that we should keep the Native Americans in Utah's learning curriculum, because we need to remember the mistakes of our past whether their hard to admit or not, our mistakes are what make us who we are, and what we are, and it would be a crime not to learn about Native Americans. Now with that I must end, I hope you will take this essay into consideration when you decide what to do with the what we learn about the Native Americans.

Grace Meservy

10/19/2016 08:55:38 am

Dear Common Core State representative:
Thank you for helping shape our curriculum into a better learning situation, and for taking the time to read this. And thank you for considering my opinion on the value of learning about native cultures.

Native Americans were and are an advanced and complex people, and it would be criminal not to include them in our school curriculum. They have valuable stories and beliefs that we can learn from and reflect on today. They have advanced and meaningful lifestyles that are both intriguing and informational. And most noticeable, but also most overlooked, Is that the Native Americans have left a resounding impact on past and present america, even after many of their cultures and people have faded.

Native Americans have valuable stories and beliefs. In many origin stories, the native people are descended from beings of the sky. This has a significance that leaves many bewildered, but really, it is quite straightforward. If you believe in a heaven-like utopia and an all-powerful being or assorted deities, then it is a similar idea, because most divine association is with heaven, or the sky. We want to be of the sky, or more like our divine beings, and so do the Native Americans. It is not odd or strange or even wrong to be descended from the great sky chief and his wife, like the Onandaga on turtle’s back, or descended from the the eggs of a great and powerful Thunderbird, Like the Clatsop-Nehalem Chinook. And there is nothing wrong in being brought into existence through the efforts of the birds and sky animals, like the Cherokee. Once you take that step back to look at a bigger picture, You may see that we are all the same.

The Native Americans have diverse and meaningful lifestyles. Many people have skewed stereotypes or even hurtful ideas about who the natives were, are, or will become. If when you hear the words “Native American” You picture some skinny guy in braids and a loincloth atop a pinto horse riding around a camp of tepees, then you are clinging to some serious stereotypes. There is only one culture out of 520 different cultures that even used tepees. The tepee was a way to be nomadic. Before Europeans started to settle, All native Americans lived in permanent homes. The Iroquois league, for example, lived in longhouses; oblong, multi-family units made of wood, Whilst the Pueblo and southwest people lived in Adobe homes, houses made of layers of clay and mud. Both of these examples are permanent homes and neither ever used tepees. The only region of Native Americans who used tepees were the Plains people, who followed the herds of buffalo across the great vast prairie. The clothing and hair styles varied from region to region, but a loincloth was not substantial covering for the swamp region with saw grass, or the Inuit region of ice. One Iroquois tribe had a hairstyle still used today: the Mohawk.

The native People left a resounding impact on America both in the past, and the present, Even after a majority of the original population is gone. At the slaughter of wounded knee, a group of selfish cowards who were soldiers captured a peaceful tribe who had no hostility and herded them into a valley. They forced the peaceful tribe to get out all their weapons and give them up, holding them at gunpoint as they did so. Then the soldiers rummaged through their belongings and took many simple household items, like sewing needles and cooking knives. Then they opened fire and massacred those innocent people. They killed them. For absolutely no reason. Can we look back on that slaughter and see a learning opportunity? If we don’t see one, there is no purpose in human life and conflict. And when the United States was barely being explored, who led Lewis and Clark? Sacagawea did, of course. She guided through rivers and mountain passes, and helped map out a great chunk of the US. She was an interpreter and peacemaker. Clark raised her son. And who saved the pilgrims from death when they did not know how to farm? Squanto and his Pawtuxet tribe, who taught the pilgrims agriculture and survival skills. These Native Americans are some of the first sculptors of this country. Why can’t we respect that? Because we are under-educated.

If you still think the natives were savage brutes, think about it like this: guess how many Native Americans we killed with disease before we even settled america? Ninety-six percent of five hundred and twenty nations that had once thrived, some 54 million people. Who killed in fear when innocent citizens were practicing religion? The European settlers. Who had advanced cities and governmental systems? The Native Americans.

I’m not saying the Native Americans were perfect. They weren’t. But that doesn’t mean that we can’t learn from them. The only way we can avoid leaving this great people ignored and dismissed is by learning about them. They have similar values to us, and even wha

Grace Meservy

10/19/2016 08:57:42 am

They have similar values to us, and even what is different can bridge a gap. They were not simple or even similar to each other, except in very minor ways. They impacted this continent very profoundly, and came to our aid at many times. They taught us many valuable things, and if I learned anything from them, it is that I will not go down without a fight. Do not let these stories go untold, these messages unread, or these cultures unknown. If a filing cabinet is where this this letter goes, unread, then what is to say that we will ever learn from our mistakes? Nothing.

Tyler Trane

10/19/2016 09:03:49 am

The Importance of Education on Native Americans

Today, there are many people that aren’t educated on Native Americans, and their history. The question has been asked, is the study of Native Americans important? If we don’t learn about Native Americans stories, and experiences, then we won’t be able to understand very much about Native Americans, and America's past, therefore we need to learn about Native Americans in our schooling. If you think about it, learning about Native Americans and their way of life can lead to an end of stereotyping. Over the years, Native Americans have had to adapt to survive, and this can give us information about America's history which will help us understand more about United States history. Native Americans stories and teachings can teach us lessons to help us in life such as the morals in their stories. Overall, it is very important to learn about Native Americans while at school.

We need to learn about Native Americans, so we don’t stereotype them and their people. Because of the short time we take to learn about Native Americans, many people think that all Native Americans were terrible people, but in reality, that is not true. Just one example of Native Americans being a very peaceful people is the story of the California Natives. They were a very peaceful people, and they were very inviting when the Spanish missionaries first came to California. They helped build missions, but then the missionaries forced the California Native Americans to go to the missions so they could learn about their religion. The Spanish even separated the children from their parents. It was actually the Spanish that were the ones being cruel to the Native Americans. This is just one example of Native Americans being good people. Without the correct information, people also assume that all Native Americans are the same, and they are still primitive people today. The Native Americans changed when the explorers came, and now most Native Americans live more of a European lifestyle just like you and me. Without the education to teach us about this, people will just assume that Native Americans are still all living in tepees, and wearing headdresses, when they are actually just like us.We need to learn to respect Native Americans and their culture. We can see some of the disrespect for Native Americans in sports teams, and other such things. Without learning about Native Americans, we will overlook them, and what we can learn from them.

Native Americans had to adapt to survive, in all circumstances. Learning about the different Native American tribes can teach us about the environments in different areas, and what allowed people to survive there. In different groups of Native Americans such as the plains and the Eastern woodland groups, we can see how different environments can impact how they live, such as houses. This is important in United States history, because we can see how Native Americans were able to help the English explorers survive. It is important to know that when the English came, that the Native Americans had to change their way of life, in order to survive. When the English came to America, they brought horses with them and the plains Native Americans adapted, and actually started using horses to give themselves advantages in hunting, and escaping from other people. When we learn about native Americans, we can see that they are a very diverse people. Just in the California Native American region, there used to be more than 100 different languages. The people that lived in different areas, or regions were actually very different from each other. They were different because they lived in different places, and had to adapt to their surroundings. We can even see the differences in things such as their houses. The plains Natives lived in tepees, because they had to travel, while the Iroquois lived in longhouses, because they lived in the same place, in a very permanent dwellings. Altogether, by learning about the Native Americans, we can learn of their diversity, how they adapted to their surroundings, and changed over time.

Native Americans stories, legends, and way of life can teach us many things to help us with our world today. By studying Native American’s stories, we can find deep meaning in them. For example, in the Native American story, How the Birds Learned to Sing, a creator decided to have the birds fly as high as they could in the sky. The higher you went the more beautiful your song would be. An eagle was boasting and bragging, and so a little thrush got mad at him, and decided to hide in his feathers, and get a ride up high in the sky. All the birds flew, and as it would happen, eagle was the last one in the sky. As the eagle got tired, thrush flew out of his feathers, and he went higher than eagle and got the most beautiful song. All the other birds were unhappy with thrush, and so to this day thrus

Tyler Trane

10/19/2016 09:10:31 am

thrush, and so to this day thrush hardly ever sings his song because he feels guilty when he sings. This can teach us to not brag and boast, and most definitely to not cheat in things. The Native Americans religion, and culture is very interesting to learn about, and it can teach us things about life. The Southwest Native American culture believed that there were multiple gods and they would take all their creations, including us into different worlds when the world they were in was not fit for them. Eventually the gods brought us to this world, and the Native Americans say that when the people become bad again, then the gods will move us again. This shows that we need to stay a good peaceful people. Their stories can also show us consequences of decisions. The Northwest coast Native American group believe that if you quarrel then you will have negative things happen to you and your people, and your creator will give you the consequences. This can teach us that when we fight with one another, it can make others around us unhappy and annoyed. Overall the Native Americans have some very good stories that we can learn from.

Altogether we can see that learning about Native Americans in today's schooling is essential to learning about our history. With learning about Native Americans we can help eliminate Native American stereotypes today. If we learn about Native Americans, then we can see how they have adapted to their surroundings, and how they changed when the English came to America. When we learn about Native American stories, experiences, and religion, we can learn lessons to help us in life to make decisions. As we can see, if we don’t learn about Native American’s and their past, then we won’t be able to understand very much about Native American’s and our past, therefore learning about Native Americans is essential in our schooling. Overall we need to learn about Native Americans, so future generations can see what happened in the past, and not make make the same mistakes in the present.

Jonathan Hall

10/19/2016 09:03:50 am

Why Teach About Native Americans?

Native Americans through all of our country and truly the whole continent of North America have lived here far longer than anyone of any other origin, because of this, they know what is best for the land, and animals, so we can preserve them as long as possible, they are also one of the sole reasons that the European explorers survived, and the reason our Society is the way it is. This seems reason enough to have a section of our time in a History classroom devoted to the study of Native American people and cultures. The Natives have been living in the Americas for a far greater amount of time than the French, Spanish, or English that came over by sea. The Technology they had enhanced the Europeans ability to survive, giving them better ways to hunt and farm. We can learn what to do in certain situations by studying their behavior, whether that be for better or for worse.

Native Americans have been here tens of thousands of years longer than anyone else. They had lived here so long that they may not have been able to comprehend a different lifestyle before explorers and settlers came. Some tribes have been here for upwards of 30,000 years, that amount of time is exponentially larger than the age of the United States. They know how to properly use the land, to utilize all of their resources, but not waste anything. They know how to grow their beans and squash the best they will grow, by using the natural resources, and whenever they catch an animal whilst hunting, they use every part of it, from their hide to the meat to the organs, and they used them sparingly. With all of the information they had, they helped the ever-coming explorers; without the help of the Natives, none of the Europeans, or Asians, or Africans would have survived. They helped them in many ways, by showing them how to hunt the best in their environment,and how to make tools and grow crops. With everything that they have done to everything they have, they know what should be done to keep balance between the people and the land.

The technology that the Native Americans had, that they shared with the European explorers aided them in surviving through times that they otherwise wouldn’t have had a chance at, so we are indebted to them, the least we could do is teach children how and why they helped us. Because the Natives aided the settlers in finding and growing food, they were given the possibility of surviving the potentially deadly climates of the Americas. The Natives showed settlers how to best grow the crops that would actually grow, and better techniques to hunting the animals they needed for a source of meat. The Native Americans were (almost) always willing to trade anything they had, that the settlers/explorers needed. They would trade their furs and skins for metal knives, cooking supplies, etc. They were very hospitable with most whites that seeked help, shelter, help, or practically anything else. Without the help of them, we wouldn’t be here today, they helped the earliest settlers survive, we are indebted to them, so the least we could do is make it known what they did and how they helped us.

By looking back at what the Native Americans did, we can learn how to better the outcomes of problems we may face, we could look at what they did, or didn’t do, and how it may have affected them; if we aren’t well taught about these things, though, we can not prevent any of these potentially harmful things from happening. They have had many experiences that no other ethnicity could’ve possibly had. They have lived in different environments than anyone else in the world, so their interactions with animals and each-other would change their perspective in certain instances. Also, by studying the way they handle anything they face, we can better our understanding on how to cope with our problems better, so we don’t go to war because of a small misunderstanding. We also are able to look at any wrong decisions they may have made, or any wrong we have done to them, and learn from them, too. We have wronged them many times, and we may learn from those, so we don’t have another Massacre of Wounded Knee. We can find new solutions to old problems, which in turn, could make us more innovative, which could raise our economy.

To end, We must continue to have native americans in the Common Core teaching standards. Learning about them just seems fair, as they have been here tens of thousands of years longer than anyone else. They are part of the reason our society is the way it is. Additionally, we could learn from any mistakes they may have made, or even anything they may have done correctly. In conclusion, the Natives have a rich history that must be taught in all schools.

Jaysten Larsen

10/19/2016 09:04:46 am

Native Americans have been intertwined with the history of this land since the start. They have been living in America far longer than any European colony. This land has been their home for as long as they can remember. But yet the Utah Legislature are considering taking the study of Native Americans out of the Utah State Core, even though this culture is the real history of our country. I personally believe that we need to learn about Native Americans in our schools; because the media's view of Native Americans has changed the understanding of Natives cultures and beliefs that Americans have. We need to learn about Native people so we can get rid of those wrong Images of Native Americans, before it is too late. Firstly, we have a lot of false Stereotypes of Native Americans. These stereotypes must be changed and the best way to do that is to teach their history in schools. Second, despite popular belief Native’s were extremely kind to early Europeans and where better to teach that then in US schools. Lastly, many people think about Natives as primitive cave men, but in reality they were and are an advanced people. We need to teach all of those thing in schools so we can know the truth about Native Americans.

Today in america the majority of our citizens have a false understanding of how Natives lived and acted; those stereotypes must not be continued in our children, the best way to stop those stereotypes is through the continuation of studying Native peoples in schools. Despite the common belief of today's naive people all natives were and are the same. However, as I have learned in my studies of Natives, there were and still are many diverse Native tribes and nations. All of these tribes had many different cultures and beliefs. For example there are the Eastern Woodland Indians. This nation, also known as the Iroquois league, lived in the Great Lakes region of the United States. This people lived in long wooden homes called Longhouses and circular Wigwams, which were made by bending small trees to create a root foundation. These people also were farmers and fisherman. Next there's the Southwestern Native peoples, this people consists of tribes such as the Navajo, Hopi and Anasazi. These people lived in adobe, mud brick, homes. They created large adobe cities, this people also farmed, gathered and hunted. This people were great farmers and grew a lot of corn. As you can tell those to peoples are very different from each other. As you can see they have similarities but they are not the same people. Many people today have the same image of Native Americans. Most people believe the Natives have red skin, long brown hair, feather headdresses, animals skin skirts, ride horse and live in tee-pees. This however is not true, the only natives that lived in tee-pees are the plains people. These people have a mixture of many different cultures. This group had a survivalist instinct and were formed to survive the invasion of the disease carrying European “dog people,” as called by the Eastern Woodland people. These people had to flee their homes when Europeans first came here. Because of that we have had that stereotype wedged into our minds, when in reality that stereotype is only of the plains people. Many people have a single idea of natives. People who haven’t had the opportunity to study Natives usually think the were far on one side of the spectrum. Either good or bad. However all of these tribes acted differently. For example, the north western Indians were very very peaceful whereas the north eastern were very war like.

These Native Americans also all acted very differently with the Europeans. These Natives, despite common belief, were not savages with Europeans. For example, many people belief their ghost dance was an evil war dance, but this dance was a spiritual ritual to bring back their old peaceful life. Natives were also very helpful to the new European settlers. They thought the new settlers how to build and grow plants in this new environment. For example, in the Northeast on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean these natives taught the Europeans how to grow corn because all the settlers knew how to grow was wheat, and in the Americas wheat doesn’t grow the best. On top of that the natives taught the settlers how to survive in this new harsh environment. They even let some people into their tribes, for example Pocahontas married that English settler. We need to inform our youth about all of the great ways the Natives acted with the new Settlers and the study of their actions will lead to those acts going into the minds of the children of today.

This people was also a lot more advanced than common belief, and with the teaching of this students will be able to understand that we are not that much different than American Indians. These people created large spiritual structures without the help of electricity and yet there formations are larger than the common US hous

Jaysten Larsen

10/19/2016 09:06:30 am

e. For example in the Great Lakes area the Natives created large mounds which were shaped like animals or other spiritual symbols. We believe that they lived on some mounds and worshiped on others. But one thing we do know is that people must be advanced to build such large structures. These peoples also had large cities, such as Cahokia. This city is believed to be the same size as large American cities. It was a huge city with a large temple and many homes and as we have trouble making large cities with machinery they created them with their hands and elbow grease. These people were also very good at surviving. They were all able to survive in the area they lived. The Inuit, for example, were able to survive in the cold, harsh alaskan wilderness. They even learned to build homes out of whale bones and dirt. The south west were able to live in an extremely dry desert. They learned to grow corn and even live in cliff homes, they literally carved homes out of cliff walls. We need to teach our students about these advanced people to teach them you can do hard things.

To conclude, we have to teach our students about Native Americans for all of the following reasons. First of all we need to destroy false stereotypes of Natives, we also need to show how well these people acted with Europeans and lastly, need to show how advanced this Native culture was. The study of these people will lead to better age of children and will help with everything students will do later on in their lives. Thus, we need to help our students know the whole truth, without any lies or falsehoods, so our nation can grow and be more opening towards many different races and religions.

Hunter Nelson

10/19/2016 09:06:20 am

Most curriculums in United States schools briefly review the history of Native peoples, I strongly oppose this and believe something must be changed. It should be apparent that Native Americans deserve more recognition and of course there is overwhelming evidence for this extremely sensible claim. Natives have been here for more than 30,000 years and over that time have created massive amounts of diverse cultural history. As result of Natives having been here much longer than us, the United States’ creation was deeply impacted by them. Natives have been here for so long, we have absolutely no right to insult and stereotype them. These points alone should be proof enough, but there is evidence to reinforce their truth. The story of Native Americans builds the majority of the history of the Americas, therefore, respect and education of these good people is of the utmost priority.
Natives have 30,000 years of diverse cultural history inside Northern America, we, the United States of America, only have 240 years. In the 30,000 years the Native Americans controlled the land, they created monuments that, in my opinion, are as tremendous as the pyramids of Giza. Cahokia is a strong example of this. Cahokia is a man-made mountain, used a supercity. At one point thousands of people lived there. There are also other man-made hills that are of a more religious use, such as Serpent Mound. There is also scientific proof that shows how long Natives have been here, and where they came from. We have found bones of early humans in North America that date up to 33,000 years old. The most likely possibility of Native origin is that they came from across the Bering Strait, a narrow passage of water that separates the Americas from Asia, at the end of the last Ice Age. Oceans surrounding the strait at the time were frozen, revealing land that they could walk across, this is known as the Bering land bridge. Ensuing their arrival in the Americas, Natives spread across the land to find food and homestead. One final topic is that we, in modern society, spend months learning about periods of time that lasted hundreds of years, meanwhile we only spend days to weeks on these periods that lasted thousands of years. Indigenous people have been here for an extended period of time, superseding things such as the middle ages by thousands of years, and yet we spend a fraction of the time on these Native teachings. Plainly there is a mathematical error here, and it needs to be solved. If not, 30,000 historical years of distinct indigenous culture is forgotten and lost.
30,000 years is a long time, and it's no surprise that the creation and fortification of this mighty county was greatly influenced by these mighty people since they had been here so long. Think back to the history of the pilgrims. This is a very straightforward example of native influence. Pilgrims came across the sea on the Mayflower and when they arrived, none of their crops were growing very well. Natives in the area taught them to grow corn instead of wheat, and this allowed them to survive. Pilgrims were a major section of United States history and it’s creation, and without Native Americans, they would have died. Even though the warfare and violence between the Natives and the Settlers is not the finest subject to focus on, it is still history, and some of these battles and/or massacres shaped the United States. The worst of these is the Massacre of Wounded Knee. In the words of history.com “On December 29, the U.S. Army’s 7th Cavalry surrounded a band of Ghost Dancers under Big Foot, a Lakota Sioux chief, near Wounded Knee Creek and demanded they surrender their weapons. As that was happening, a fight broke out between an Indian and a U.S. soldier and a shot was fired, although it’s unclear from which side. A brutal massacre followed, in which it’s estimated 150 Indians were killed (some historians put this number at twice as high), nearly half of them women and children. The cavalry lost 25 men.”. This was the final conflict with the Native Americans, it changed both sides of this conflict, as result we erected peace and came to amends. In the time that Natives maintained control here, they shaped the United States, and the rest of the world.
If the Natives have been here so much longer than us, then by no means do we have the right or reason to insult and stereotype Native Americans. You should not insult anyone, and you should explicitly not insult someone who’s ancestry exceeds yours by 29,750 years and shaped the entire country you live in. One in four Americans have any amount of Native ancestry, insulting Native Americans is the same as insulting 25% of the country. At the same time as disrespect of others is the fault of the accuser, false stereotypes are greatly the fault of inadequate education of native teachings. Stereotypes of native peoples are disrespectful and unsound, these are created by common misconcept

Hunter Nelson (continued) link

10/19/2016 09:10:40 am

ions and inadequate understanding of native people. If a deeper and fuller education unit for Native people were in place, the disrespectful stereotypes would become much more limited. By eradicating these stereotypes and rude conjectures, 30,000 years of native teaching can be brought to light and commonly accepted.

All in all, a greater education must be put forward due to the facts that, one, they have been here over 25,000 years longer than us; two, in the time they were here they shaped the creation of our nation; and three, a further education of native people can eradicate disrespectful stereotypes and comments. If these can happen our country can more thoroughly understand its history. We need to learn about Natives because it is also our history. Lastly, if native people have resided in this country for such an extended period of time, our duty, as residents of their land is that we must completely understand them.

Jackson Wight

10/19/2016 09:11:41 am

Have you ever thought that all Native Americans lived in tepees and were nomadic, or heard someone else that thought that? This is common among American citizens, and even more so among people in other countries. Some people even think that Native culture and history shouldn’t be taught in our school curriculum because it’s not important. I say that is ridiculous. Natives shaped our history and future to such an extent that it would be a crime to not teach it. This is why I believe that Native American history and culture should be taught in all schools in depth because they had gratitude towards settlers and their goals, they taught us very important lessons about life and the environment, and they were very advanced in religion, culture, and lifestyle.
My first reason why I believe Native American history and culture needs to be taught in all schools in depth, is that they had lots of gratitude towards all settlers. For example, the Wampanoag tribe was in the area that the pilgrims first came to. The settlers thought they were savages and tried to kill them. Through all of this, the Wampanoag still ended up helping the pilgrims survive. In fact, I think the settlers would have died if it wasn’t for these Native Americans. They taught the settlers how to grow all kinds of food, like corn, beans, squash, etc. The taught them how to catch fish in the most effective way they knew. The pilgrims were struggling to survive until the Natives came and helped them. The Natives also helped the settlers by teaching them how to make and find tools and supplies. They taught them how to live off of the land and be conservative. For example, they taught the settlers to only kill what they needed to survive. We may not have remembered this, but they did try to help us understand it. So my point is, we wouldn’t be here without the Natives, because the settlers would have died.
My second reason why I believe Native American history and culture needs to be taught in all schools in depth is that they taught us a lot of valuable lessons about life and the environment. For example all of their stories have lessons and teachings behind them, whether they’re true or not. The Iroquois story of how rabbit got long ears and how owl got big eyes shows this. In the story, the creator came down and decided to give all of the animals one wish of how they want to look and make it come true. Rabbit got to go first and he wanted his legs to be long. Owl was impatient and kept interrupting the creator. When the creator started using his magic, he told everyone to close their eyes, but owl didn’t listen and looked. When the creator found out, his magic made owl’s eyes big. This story shows that you need to listen to your elders or you will be punished. The Natives were big on protecting the environment. They thought that the settlers were destroying their home and the environment, so they fought back. This means that Natives also taught that we need to fight for what we believe in. The Natives fought until they were on the ground dead. Even though they knew there was no chance to win. They were dying of all of the diseases we brought, but they held onto that memory of things being the way they were before the settlers came. We can also learn from ourselves with the relationships we had with the Native Americans. We treated them so badly. We massacred them for absolutely no reason at all. We killed whole tribes at once after we told them we wouldn’t hurt them if they gave up their weapons. For example, towards the end of the Native American and Euro American battles, there was the story of Wounded Knee. In this story, the American soldiers came upon the Sioux tribe. The tribe was very worn down from all of the death in their tribe. The soldiers told the tribe that if they gave up their weapons, they would let them live. The Sioux gave up their weapons and they started to see the soldiers pull up heavy cannons onto the hillside. The soldiers loaded them and began to fire them at the defenseless Natives. Some children escaped, so the soldiers told them that if they came out, they could live, but then they shot them. They buried everyone in a big pit. One of the soldiers heard a baby crying. He saved it and felt so bad about what he had done that he raised the baby. We now know never to treat human beings (or any living thing) like this again.
My third reason why I believe we need to teach Native American history and culture in all schools in depth is that they were very advanced in religion, culture, and lifestyle. They weren’t all nomadic and they didn’t just wander around killing things. For example, they had very advanced homes. They had complex ways of making them, and shaping them to how they wanted. The Eastern Woodland group using large tree trunks to shape a house that it actually pretty nice. They covered them in grass and other materials too, so they were efficient and stu

Jackson Wight (continued)

10/19/2016 09:12:53 am

rdy. They had to make them like this to survive the hurricanes in their region. They also had very advanced supplies and ways to get them. For example, the Eastern Woodland people put tomahawk blades into trees when boys were born. By the time they were eleven, the tree had grown a handle for the tomahawk. Native Americans had very advanced lifestyles as well. They actually invented the democracy government we have today. The Inuit people lived in the harshest environment on the planet. They lived in upper Canada and Alaska. They couldn’t use the same supplies as other Native People. They used seal and whale fat for fuel for their fires. They had very advanced religions. Like the Dine tribe. Their creation story is very complex with multiple worlds and first beings. So Native Americans were in fact very advanced and contributed to our society a great deal.
In conclusion, teaching Native American history in depth in all schools is essential. Their history takes up most of our American history, because they were here thousands of years longer than we have been. I hope this influences all schools to teach about Native Americans more, because they had gratitude towards the settlers and their goals, they taught us valuable lessons about life and the environment, and they were very advanced in religion, culture, and lifestyle. They shaped our history and future.

Andrew Smith (continued)

10/19/2016 11:26:40 am

The baby was the only survivor. Unless we want something terrible like the Wounded Knee Massacre to happen again, we need to learn from what we’ve done and how we think about it.
The Native Americans are important in many ways including helping the settlers to survive, influencing our political systems and they were here, thriving, long before the settlers. In conclusion, not teaching about the natives culture would be leaving out an important part of our American history and how we became the nation we are today.

Andrew Smith

10/19/2016 10:16:56 am

Native American Walkaway
By: Andrew Smith B5
The Native American culture is a gigantic part of the origin of the United States of America. Teaching this subject to students is essential. There is no way we can skip over this subject without a second thought. Most schools today will teach about a week of their “Native American unit” then go on to teach for months about the pilgrims and European settlers, when they should be giving the Natives more time and credit. Without the Native Americans, the settlers would have died and our current political system would be very different. They were here long before the pilgrims knew that the American continent existed. We need to educate our youth on the importance of the original inhabitants of the new world.
When the first European settlers arrived on the continent they were not the most successful survivors. The Europeans were dying extremely fast because disease, overpopulation and many other factors were destroying them. One of the most important of these issues was starvation. The Europeans didn’t know how to hunt or farm on this new frontier. Then the natives stepped in to teach them their techniques. The settlers brought wheat, which does not grow on the east coast, so the Natives gave them corn. Corn could grow and it gave them a reliable food source for the coming months. Navajo Indians gave cotton to the nearby settlers and taught them how to make clothing out of it. In addition, the Native Americans were valuable trading partners to the settlers, if they were out of food they could just walk over to their Native American pals and give them some metal tools or glass beads for some food. In the northern parts of the United States tribes like the Red Cliff introduced the French to fur and the fur trade in North America.
The Native Americans were able to construct societies that could work together to create a good life. Their example had a large impact on the systems of government we currently have in The United States. For example, the Iroquois League was a combination of multiple tribes including, Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga and Tuscarora. They banded together to make a strong group that had great morals and survived for a long time. We based a lot of our rules and systems on the Iroquois, in fact our voting system is similar to theirs. One thing the Natives taught to us is the love of freedom. At the time we were enslaved by the government of England. Some of the colonists drew inspiration from the free native peoples. Without that inspiration we might not have attacked or fought against the tyranny. If we didn’t revolt then we might be living in New England, or some other nightmarish country where our personal rights and freedoms would be limited. In addition, the natives had some very interesting and useful rules. One example is that the Iroquois League gave their women the power to vote for and choose the people they wanted to protect them and their children. There was no way to inherit power in the Iroquois League, there was always a vote. If you were a tyrant or unstable you were voted out of power.
The native cultures were very important to the survival of the Europeans, but one thing often overlooked is the time they spent here before the settlers and pilgrims thought this continent existed. The settlers are part of around one thousand out of the last thirty thousand years of this continent’s lifetime. If we spend three hours talking about the natives and their cultures there is so much that is left behind. It is not possible to learn all about Native Americans in such a short time. It’s like throwing away a bunch of North America’s rich history. Their society was so complex for their time period and isolation that it is cool that they could make so many inventions and have such solid ideals. Although the Natives did not have a written language, they spoke thousands of languages among the different tribes. Sadly, most of these languages have been destroyed over the years. The natives had effective architecture and technology that was inventive. The European settlers did not embrace these innovations and after their arrival most of it is gone. For example, giant mounds of cahokia, wider than the base of the pyramids, were made by piling up dirt over and over until they were five stories tall.
History tends to repeat itself, which can be a good thing or a bad thing. In the cold December months of 1890 the US 7th regiments found a group of Hunkpapa and Miniconjou Indians. The troops took the natives 5 miles from their homes to Wounded Knee Creek in South Dakota. The soldiers lined up the helpless natives, then mowed them over by the dozens. Men, women and children were murdered right there. As the soldiers carried the bodies to bury them in a giant trench, one noticed movement. As he uncovered the cloth, he saw a small baby by the side of her dead mother. The baby was the only surviv

Blake Hill

10/19/2016 02:25:56 pm

Native American Essay

The question has been asked, is the study of Native Americans important? Native Americans can teach us about their experiences, religion, and stories. Therefore, schools should be well educated in Native American history. The Native Americans have a very rich history and we can learn from their good and bad experiences so we can repeat the good and stop the bad from repeating. We can also learn from their religion and it can open our minds to new ideas. They also had very interesting stories that have very meaningful morals that we can all learn from.

The first reason that we should learn more about Native Americans is that they had good and bad experiences that we can repeat or stop from repeating. Some of the Native Americans got massacred and we need to learn about it if we want it to not happen again. This is a story from the California Natives. When the Spanish Missionaries came to California they started teaching them their religion. But the Native Americans didn’t really want to know any more about it. The Missionaries then captured all of the Natives and made them work really hard to build big buildings called Missions, which was a place where the Spanish people practiced their religion. Thousands of Native Americans died from this. If we learn about this we can stop this type of thing from happening again. Native Americans also learned to live off the land. They were never lazy and never took more than they needed. They would only kill animals if they needed it for food, and they only cut down trees if they needed to build fires or for their houses. We can learn to be more conservative if we learn about this aspect of the Native Americans.

The second reason why we should learn about the Native Americans is because we can learn about their religion and it will open our minds to new ideas. Most of the people in the U.S. have Native American ancestors at some point in their family tree. If we learn about the Native Americans than most kids will be learning about their ancestors, and to some people learning about ancestors is part of their religion. Native Americans also have very complex religion and ideas. Some people think that Native Americans don’t have a religion, and learning that they actually have a very complex religion will help diminish those stereotypes. Native Americans also have a lot of religious procedures that show that they have a very advanced religion. One of these is called the “Ghost Dance”. This is where the people don’t eat for a long time and make themselves as pure as they possibly can, and then they get drunk and put these hooks all over their bodies. Then they dance around the fire until one of them died from bleeding so much or from exhaustion. They would also have a buffalo skull on a pole by the fire. They would do this because they thought if they sacrificed themselves for the people that they would stop the white expansion and the buffalo would live strong again.

The last reason why we should learn about Native Americans in schools is because their stories have great morals that we can all learn from. The first story is from the Inuit tribe about a young woman named Sedna. This story teaches a lot about the Inuit culture. It tells about the animals they eat and the types of homes they live in. One day a bird comes disguised as a handsome young man, and convinces Sedna to go live with him. When Sedna gets there everything the bird told Sedna was false and she had to live with him for a long time. This story teaches us to never trust anyone unless you know what their true intentions are. The second story is about the Eastern Woodland Natives and a man called Monoboso. In the story Monoboso goes to check one of the tribes in that area. He found that they were all laying down and letting the sweet, thick syrup drip from the trees into their mouths. When he saw this he was angry, and went and got buckets of water from the river and dumped them through the tops of all the trees, making the syrup watery and not very good. This made the Natives work for their food and they could never be lazy again. In this story we learn to never be lazy and to always work for what you need. The last story is about how the birds learned to sing. One day the Creator noticed that is was very quiet in the forest so he told the birds to fly as high as they could fly and the higher they flew the more beautiful their song would be. Eagle was the strongest bird and he went around bragging and boasting that he would get the best song. Thrush was the smallest bird and he could not fly very high so he was hurt by all of eagles bragging and boasting. So he decided to hide under a feather in Eagles wing so he could get the best song. When all the birds went flying up to get their song Eagle flew the highest and then couldn’t go any higher and came back down. Then thrush flew out from under his wing and flew even higher so he got the best

Blake Hill (continued)

10/19/2016 02:28:13 pm

song. When he got down all of the birds were very angry with Thrush and he was very ashamed of what he did. Now Thrush barely ever sings his song even though it is the most beautiful. This story teaches us not to go around bragging and boasting and also not to cheat because they will both backfire on you.

These are all reasons why we should keep teaching about Native Americans in our schools. We need to learn about Native Americans in schools. The Native Americans have a very rich history and we can learn from their good or bad experiences so we can repeat the good and stop the bad from repeating. We can also learn from their religion and it can open our minds to new ideas. They also had very interesting stories that have very meaningful morals that we can all learn from. Do you want your kids to know about the history of most of the U.S.? If so, do not take the study of Native Americans out of Utah’s public schools.

Abigail HAmpton

10/19/2016 03:01:26 pm

Native Americans teach us a more purposeful and better way of living our lives They show us purposeful living showing how their diet sustained their lives,how they taught morality and religion and taught that diversity was encouraged. They knew how to live their lives with purpose.

Their diet was an important part of their lives. They never wasted any of their food and conserved what they had. The bison wat a crucial part of the Plains Natives lives. They used every part and they were all used differently. The Inuit used all of their sacred animal, the whale. Their bones were used for housing, and they never wasted what blessings the Gods had bestowed upon them.
They taught stories of morality and religion because that was their life. Their children knew how to work hard and knew that if they didn’t do what they were told and didn’t help gather corn or whatever their job was then they would suffer. The story of Manabozho teaches that if you don't work hard for the thing syou have and take the things they have for granted then you can lose this thing sand have to work harder for those things. The people were lazy and would lay on their backs and drink the maple syrup to their heart’s desire, which was never filled. The creator became upset and made it so the syrup only came once a year and was bitter and had to be cooked down with more effort than just laying on your back and getting fat as it says in the story. They made their children aware of their creator and the religion in which they believed in. The

The NAtives taught that diversity was important among religion, tribes and people. They knew that they were all different and accepted that and embraced that. The Iroquois League was made up of multiple different tribes to make peace and help each other. Each tribe put into the League brought a piece of their religion and created a new religion. Not all Native Americans got along in perfect harmony but they accepted that they weren’t always going to get along and tried to live in peace. The different tribes had different resources and ways of tanning skins and utilizing their furs and other parts of the animal or in the case of the California, cotton. They all had different clothing styles and it made them all different and they adapted to their environment.
The culture of the Natives is a rich story full of amazing lessons and arts that we as humans in this era should take into our lives and tryto

Elliot Grace

10/19/2016 04:41:24 pm

Through native americans we can learn to improve morals and improve the world through their advancements and technology. I believe we can do this through Native American Technology and complexity, Letting their culture to help our morals and health, and native struggles

Native american technology and complexity. Natives made mounds and pyramids and through evidence we have seen today we have seen, they would be the bigger than the pyramids at egypt. Made canoes out of trees and logs without a lot of tools. They still do it today they burn out the middle and that waterproofs it. Last they were able to make a simple government and lead the people.

Letting native culture into of lifes to help and improve our morals. When natives taught they would sometimes use parables and stories. Each tribe had different stories and morals. For example the eastern woodlands people would used the story of how owl got big eyes teaching kids to listen and do what you're told.

We can learn to improve the world though native struggles and pain.In a few native cultures we have seen death destruction. The natives we can learn to stop and learn 2 avoid them.

To conclude natives can help society today Through native Americans we can learn to improve morals and improve the world through their technology their culture and their struggles and pain.

Avery Takahashi

10/21/2016 07:28:25 am

In the past Native Americans have impacted our world in more ways than one, and they can still influence our lives today. Previously they helped the pilgrims survive in the foreign land and have shaped our culture today. Now the present-day world needs their help again. Using their moral code we can solve many world wide problems.

When the pilgrims first arrived the Native Americans helped them survive in the land that the pilgrims didn’t understand. The pilgrims never would have been able to endure the rough winters had the Natives ignored them. The Natives taught them how to plant crops which would be very crucial for their health. The pilgrims learned how to plant corn, beans, and squash using mounds that were fertilized by fish and blessed by powered tobacco, which happens to be a natural insect repellant. The Native Americans also taught the pilgrims where and how to hunt certain game. They taught them where to fish and hunt beaver, and how to smoke and dry indigenous meat. Another survival tip they showed the pilgrims were how the herbs of the valley could be used. The Natives taught them how to identify toxic plants and berries and explained the medicinal and culinary use of indigenous herbs.

In more ways than one, Native Americans helped shape our culture and lifestyle today. One of those ways isare how we find food. The four basic ways for the Native Americans to find food were hunting and fishing, gathering, farming, and raising domestic animals. These are all still partially used in our modern day lives. In addition, some of our governments have a resemblance to some Native American government. For example, the Paiute held council meetings with males and the older women of the group making major decisions. The leader of each community was called a Niave. He was not a decision-maker. Instead he gave advice and suggestions. He led by example and by consent, and he worked to carry out the decisions made by the council. This is much like our present-day Representative Republican. Our ways of hygiene can also be led back to the Natives. In some Native American cultures, they would bathe daily. The Powhatan tribe who are part of the California (west) region, despite not having soap, washed their hands before eating. There is also the bad hygiene we got from them. Most Natives never bathed and smelled very bad. We all know those certain people who still carry on that tradition.

The Native Americans can still impact our world today. Their moral code can help solve some of our problems today. They had respect for all things, and this could help with our modern world. One major modern day conflict is religion. The Natives respected other cultures and religions. For instance, when the missionaries from europe tried to teach them Cchristianity, the Natives didn’t want to change their own religion. Although they didn’t want to change their own religion, they accepted the fact that the explorers had a different religion than their own. The Natives also respected the world. They didn’t pollute the rivers and leave waste on the land like we do today. They used all parts of the Earth in as many ways as they could, not wasting anything. For example, when they killed an animal they would use every part of that animal, not letting any of it go to waste and not taking anything for granted. The Natives didn’t have boundaries for certain genders. Everyone had a job whether they were male or female. The men weren’t seen as a higher authority. Everything was equal. They were also very selfless. They aren’t greedy and want everything to themselves. They act as a tribe, united as one. No life is more important than another. They do what is best for the tribe, not for themselves.

In conclusion, the Native Americans have changed our world in many ways. The founders of this country survived because of them, and they helped our culture in many ways. Their moral code may be able to help us survive now. They helped the generations in the past, maybe they can help our future generations endure as well. The Natives have helped us before;, let them help us again.

Ashlyn Barry

10/24/2016 09:35:36 am

Lastly we can gain a knowledge that there are better ways to solve somethings other than fighting. The ghost dances for instance, the Europeans were scared that the Indians were going to attack them when really the Native Americans were just dancing because they had a sliver of hope that things could return back to normal. The Europeans didn’t talk to them at all they just attacked and killed a to of people. From this we can prevent another Wounded Knee from happening. The Indians have probably done something like that too, and it just isn’t the way to resolve things.
We can learn so much from the Native Americans and we don’t do them justice if we don’t talk about them. They are part of our history and our story. We learn things and gain things from their advancements. We also learn from their culture and how they did things. And finally we learn from their conflicts with others. In conclusion we learn many valuable lessons from Native Americans

Assignment

This essay is open note, as such you may reference (not copy) your notes (both from class and outside research) in writing your essay. Prior to publishing your essay online please:

Write an outline for your essay
1) On the template provided organize your essay in a rough draft of a five paragraph essay, be sure to include:
a. An introduction (including a powerful thesis & introduction)
b. Three main points that support your thesis
c. Three supporting points for each main point.
d. Historical evidence to support each supporting point/
c. A clear conclusion
Completed outlines are due 10/13 (B days) 10/14 (A days)

Write a Rough Draft of your essay
1) Use your oultine to write your Rough Draft.
2) Type your essay in google docs within your school provided google account.
3) Be sure your Rough Draft includes all of the elements included in your outline. (see the attached rubric)
4) Title your Rough Draft, "Period, last name, first name, Native American WalkAway, exp.... A4, Getana, Iwanna, Native American WalkAway.
5) Share your Rough Draft with the instructor. Share address [email protected].
Rough drafts are due 1st of class 10/17 (B) 10/18 (A)

Polish and Publish your Final Draft

1) Use the attached rubric to ensure your paper includes all of the required elements. Make any required changes.
2) Use the rubric to complete a self-evaluation- this will go on your grade.
3) Allow your partner to read your essay. Have your partner complete a peer evaluation. This in conjunction with the instructor and your own self- evaluation will be reflected in your final grade.
3) Copy and paste your submitted essay to the website.
4) Turn in hard copies of your evaluation and your outline to the instructor.
Final Drafts must be published online by 10/19. Evaluation and outlines are due 10/17 (B) 10/18 (A)

Online WA Native Americans: Utah's State Social Studies Core should include a more comprehensive study of Native Americans