B6 US History 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

B6 US History Improving Instruction of the Utah State Core. What can Native Americans Teach us?

10/13/2016

27 Comments

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

27 Comments

Brayden Nelson

10/17/2016 09:41:35 am

The Native American Cultures Are Dying Out And Without Some Help It Will Be Gone Forever And That Would Be Terrible.

Did you know that more than 50 percent of Native Americans died in a very short time? Some of my main topics are that 90 percent of the Native American are dying out from the European sickness and murder and that was super sad, We’ve learned a great amount of stuff from Natives, and their religion is slowly going extinct from all sorts of different things, and that is terrible because we are loosing info that is helpful. I will tell more about this tragedy further in this essay.

How did all the Native Americans die exactly? Well they died from murder and Europeans diseases. How? The European came to the United States and the Native American’s were there and they didn’t have a immune system to that. So when the Europeans came the Native Americans got sick and died from all types of diseases mainly smallpox and chickenpox. They died from murder because the Native Americans did something called the ghost dance it was part of their religion. Settlers came and saw them doing that and were scared about what they were doing, so they came back with more soldiers and killed all the Native Americans, there are only a few survivors today.

What did we learn from the Native Americans? We learned many things, we learned how to make stuff, like homes, toys, furniture, and tools. Some of the games we play today were made from the Native Americans for example lacross, canoeing, relay races, ball games, and tug-of-war. We also learned how to farm because of them, a lot of the foods we eat today were made from the Native Americans. So if they hadn’t helped us learn all of these things it would be extremely hard for us to live today.

What information do we not know about them? Some information we don’t know is all the Native American Cultures or what language they spoke, we don’t know some of their cultures because it’s all going extinct, because of the sickness, and of being murdered. For example the California Native American cultures are going extinct we don’t know much about them, we have no idea what language they spoke because it went extinct, and to this day we will never know what language they spoke and that is very sad.

In conclusion, it’s terrible that 90 percent of the Native Americans died from disease and murder, we’ve learned an amazing amount of information from Native Americans, that if we never found out about them our lives would be hard to live, and we don’t know everything about certain Native American tribes, and the information we lost would have helped us a lot. That’s my essay about the Native Americans and I think that no more Cultures/Native Americans have to die out because they are really important in our lives today.

Dylan Pantier

10/17/2016 09:42:38 am

Native American Cultures
The Native American culture is dying out and without some help it will be gone for ever, and that would be a devastating loss to the history of America. From the time Europeans first arrived in the Americas to about the 1900 over 90% of the original 100 million people in the population died from disease and murder. The hope I have for you is that after reading my essay is that you will realize why teaching about the Native culture will change the lives of students everywhere.
On the Historic day in 1492 when Columbus First stepped foot in the Americas it would change life as they knew it. For all of the Natives they never had any of these diseases that the Europeans had because they bathed constantly and were not used to the diseases that the Europeans had. The natives started getting sick and soon enough it was like the plague. They had no idea what was going on.
Almost the entire native population dead, the future of their culture was unsure. The Native Americans had many unique and special stories. About their history and creation story. From all of the amazing stories that I have learned in school. It makes me wonder how many of their other stories will never be told again. We need to share their stories with everyone so the rest of the life lessons you can learn from them won’t go extinct.
There once s] were people that we called the California Native Americans. Nobody knows what their language was or much about their culture at all. If we don’t help other tribes then all of their stories and history could be gone too. If the history of the Native Americans is not taught in school then no one in America will know about the history of the america’s.
We as a people can learn many great life lessons from their stories and past. The tribes would have all of the people come to the fire and listen to people talk about their stories. For example one of their stories is about how all of the people used to sit underneath maple tree’s and drink syrup, until one day when the Manabozho came down and made it hard to get syrup so that they had to work for what they got. That is just one of their many wonderful stories that is to tell about them.
With many of their culture gone the least that we can do is try and share what they really were. They were not just a bunch of cannibals running around killing children. They were a respectable people who helped each other out and were destroyed by Europeans. Today I think it is important that we look back on our past and try to help people know about the history of our continent and know the truth about what really happened.

Brynnleigh Ellsworth

10/17/2016 09:43:06 am

If you were to describe the Native Americans in three words or phrases, what would they be? Do you even know enough about them to be able to answer that question? Many people would say no, they don’t know much about the Natives. Learning about the Native Americans is beneficial to us because we can learn from their tragic and wonderful experiences. They made the best of what they had, we can learn morals from them, and we learned there is a purpose for everything. The Native Americans were important people and we need to know about them in order to be successful in life.
The Native Americans used the best of what they had. They learned to survive on very little. The Paiute and Shoshone would wash their hair with a hot infusion that was made from sweetroot. They didn’t have shampoo. The Native Americans adapted to their surroundings. The Inuit people used whale bones to stabilize houses. They hunted whales that were around them. The Natives took horses to their advantage. They were able to move around more easier. They could kill more bison.
We can learn valuable lessons from their stories. A lesson we can learn is to not cheat or brag. “How the birds learned to sing” is a great example of this. Another moral we can learn from the Native Americans is to not lie, or do what you are told to do. “How rabbit got long ears and owl got round eyes” is a perfect story for this. Another thing we can learn from them is if you are lazy, things will be taken from you. “Manabozho and the Maple Trees” is a great story for this lesson.
The Natives taught us there is a purpose for everything. They didn’t waste any animals. The Inuit Indians used every piece and part of the whales they hunted. Other Indians used all of the bison they had killed. The Natives used bison for clothes. They would use it to make blankets, clothes, shoes, and other accessories. The Natives also gave appreciation. Some Indians would leave something like cigarettes behind after they killed an animal because they thought it had a purpose too.
We should learn about the Native Americans because we can learn many important things from what they had experienced. We can learn how to make the best of what we have, like they did. We can learn life lessons by their stories they told. We can learn that everything has a purpose in life. To not know about their story is not knowing about the truth. We need to learn more about these extraordinary people and their history.

Chloe LaRiviere

10/17/2016 09:43:17 am

Chloe LaRiviere B6

We must learn about Native Americans and their culture because they respect our planet and humanity and we need to follow that example in our current lives. Have you ever thought about how much our planet has changed and worsened since white men? Well it’s because we don’t have the respect for nature that the Natives did. First of all, they used every bit of their kill very wisely. Second, they respected the animals they killed because the felt a very special relationship with them. And third, They used the nature around them, they didn’t destroy it. They were very careful with what they touched. With these three things, they set a very good example for us and we need to learn more about them and how they respected nature.

First of all, we need to learn about Natives Americans because they would use every bit of their kill wisely and that’s an example we should follow today. For example, when the Plains Indians killed a bison (buffalo) they would find some way to use every little bit of the animal. They would use the skin and fur for clothes and shelter. They would use the hide for teepee coverings, bedding, moccasins, and robes. The hair was used for ropes and halters. The hooves were used for rattles and the horns were made into dishes and rattles. They didn’t let any of the buffalo go to waste, they found some way to use every little bit. It was the same way with any other animal they killed; rabbit, deer, whale, etc. They would be very wise with their kill, they wouldn’t waste any of it. Doing this shows how much respect they have for our planet and we need to follow their example.

Secondly, we need to learn about Native Americans and how they respected the animals they killed because of the special relationship they felt with them. An example of that would be the Inuit Indians. They hunted/survived off of whale. When they hunted them, they felt strong relationships with the animals and had so much respect for them. After they kill the whale, they say a prayer for them because they feel such a strong friendship with them. They believe that all animals have a soul and spirit. Many Natives believe that all spirits are as one. After death, you come back in a different form, could be human, could be animal. Everything living thing has a soul and spirit. They think of them as brothers and friends. To me, this shows so much respect to animals and nature and we need to follow this example.

Lastly, Native Americans used nature instead of destroying it and we need to learn from that. They were very wise about what they touched. One thing that showed this is how the Northwest Coastal Indians would adapt to their environment instead of destroying it. For their houses, instead of cutting down trees to build, they would just build inside of the tree. That shows that they respect nature and don’t want to destroy it. They also adapted by changing the forest so that the deer would come to them to make hunting easier. They didn’t destroy the forest, they just changed it. All natives respected nature and their housing showed that. None of their housing required destroying nature, just adapting. They have the longhouses, tepees, tree houses, dome houses, underground whale houses, and many more. None of these require destroying nature. We need to learn from them to adapt to nature instead of destroying it.

In conclusion, we must learn about Native Americans because they respect nature and humanity and we need to follow that example today. They used every bit of their kill wisely and didn’t waste anything. They also respected the animals they killed because they felt a strong friendship/relationship with the animals. And finally, they used nature instead of destroying it and they were careful with what they touched. Overall, learning about Native Americans is essential because there is so much to learn from them and they set such a great example for us that we must follow.

Rylee Preston

10/17/2016 09:43:31 am

We must learn about the Native Cultures because they enrich and influence our daily lives and make our lives better. Do we think that Native Americans are not important? They were the first people that lived in America. They had already lived here for thousands of years. Columbus was not the first person that many of us, including myself, had been taught. The Native Americans are a very large part of our past. They give us a great example on how to treat animals and the world around us. They also contributed many ideas to our government and our constitution was actually based on one of these Native American tribes constitution. Last but not least they have gone through things that none of us today could even think about doing. Over 96% of Native Americans died after Columbus came to America. The few survivors carried on the culture that they had in the past. We need to correct the stereotypes and learn the truth about the huge culture that once ruled America.

Native Americans respect nature in a way we don’t and are a good example to us here in the present day. One thing the Native cultures did was they used every part of the animal when they killed the animal. Nothing ever went to waste. For example the Inuit people would hunt and kill whale. When they would build their houses they were made out of whale bones. They also used the whale for food and many other things. Many of the Native American tribes would hunt buffalo. They respected the buffalo by using every part of it and never letting it go to waste. They would use the fur as clothing, the meat as food, the bones as weapons, etc. Native Americans believed all people and animals had a spirit. The California natives believed that all horses had spirits and you had to look into the eyes of your horse to understand them. Another main part of the Natives respecting nature is that they would, use the nature rather than destroy it. For example the Eastern Woodland shifted the forest and made it so that the deer would come to them. They made the forest different, they did not destroy it. All of these are great examples of how Natives used the nature rather than destroy it.

My next main point on how Native cultures influence our lives today is that there political ideas were very different than the englishman were used to. The Eastern Woodland had something they called an Iroquois league. This league was very much like our government body today. They had a congress like the United States of America’s congress. We got the idea of congress from the Eastern Woodland Iroquois league. Another thing this group had that we also have today is a constitution. There constitucion is actually what our constitution is based off of. Without them we might still have a king like the Englishmen had back in England. Another thing that needs to be discussed is how Native Americans valued and empowered woman. A stereotype of Native Americans is that they did not empower women. That is actually false. The weetamoo tribe actually had many women political leaders and some women would lead their tribes to war. Some great examples of powerful women is Pocahontas and Sacagawea. These women did the unthinkable. Sacagawea sacrificed her when she went on her journey with Lewis and Clark. Pocahontas did what she needed to do in order to save her tribe. These are great role models and still looked at as heros today. Another tribe actually only had woman vote who their next leader would be because they were the ones that would have their son’s be sent to battle so they would vote for who they wanted to lead them to war. It was there children that would have to fight. Without these Native Americans we might not have the same government body we have today.

The main reason why I think we need to learn about Native Americans is that they made meaning out of a devastating tragedy they had to go through. After the englishmen came to the Americas they spread their disease so fast because they Natives were not immune to the same sickness the English were immuned to. The Natives did not know how to fight it. They were dying by the millions. By the time it all ended over 96% of all Native Americans have died. For the 4% to still living life would be unbearable. LIttle children would have to live the rest of there life without their mother or without their father or both. Everything that they had ever known was ripped away from them. All of their loved ones had now passed on. One of the most devastating massacres was, the massacre of the wounded knee. The englishmen came to a village and slaughtered an entire village. Killing everyone they saw. Little children ran and hid so they wouldn’t be killed like the rest of their family. The englishmen later told everyone to come out because they would be safe. As soon as the little boys and girls came out they slaughtered them. Is that story not important? Do we not care about what happened when these Native families were ki

Hannah Harris

10/17/2016 05:37:13 pm

Native Americans are people just like us. They have a history just like us. We must learn about native Americans because they represent a major part of the history of America. To not know their history is to not know the truth. We must learn about them because their morals and stories help us with our problems today and back then, they had and still have their own religions even though they were different than ours, and the other cultures could not have survived without the Native Americans help. We need them.
Their stories share morals with us that we can use throughout our lives. They are sort of like Aesop's fables. Some teach us not to be lazy, like the story of manabozho and the maple trees. Manabozho people were lazy and so he made it really hard to get maple syrup which was the cause for the laziness and the people had to work to get what they wanted. Laziness is a problem with teens today. We need to learn this story. Another story teaches that you can't just sit around. You have to take action to get what you want. The animals in the story of Grandmother spider wanted to get a piece of the sun so se went and and got it for them. We have to learn to take action and not fall behind. In the story Spring defeats Winter I think there is two meanings. You can do hard things because Spring defeating Winter must have been hard and the other is: the sun will always come again because the animals were losing hope and then the sun really did come out again. We need to know that there is still hope in the world even when we can't find it.
Some people don't believe that Native Americans had their own culture. That fact is false. They did have a religion, though it was different from ours. One example is animals. They believed that animals had spirits and that they were living beings unlike the white men, who believed that the horse was nothing more than a animal used to carry weight. When they had to kill animals for usage, they always thanked the animal and then never let the extra parts not used for food go to waste. Like the plains people. They used all of the bison for food, clothing, and utensils. Something that happened was the white men stole some of the native americans because they thought they had no culture.They turned them into Christians against their will. The other Native Americans did something called the Ghost Dance to bring back their land, the bison, and their families. Men would get hooked to a pole and dance until they fell unconscious or the wooden hooks were ripped out of their chests. They also believed about where they came from. The Dine or the Navajo believed that the earth was formed on the back of a turtle. All of the different cultures have a different story.
The Native Americans were key to our survival. They taught us how to grow crops which we did not know how to do. They also gave our country some political ideas on democracy. They also taught us how to use everything everything in nature
Native Americans are a part of our past because they teach us with their morals, they had their own religions, and they helped us live. Native Americans lived and helped us live, too.

Alli Bradshaw

10/17/2016 07:05:24 pm

Native American WA
Have you ever wondered why the Native Americans used every bit of the animal they killed and didn’t throw away anything? We must learn about Native Americans because they respected everything around them and we can learn to be respectful of everything as well. Some ways that they were respectful is instead of tearing nature down the Native Americans adapted to the harsh environments they chose to live in. Another way is the Native Americans respected all of the animals that nature provided for them. The third way that Native Americans were respectful is they used everything that nature provided and they did not waste any of it. Those are some ways that the Native Americans respected everything around them.
The first way that the Native Americans respected everything around them is instead of tearing nature down the Native Americans adapted to the harsh environments they chose to live in. An example of this is the Inuit tribe. The Inuit tribe lived in very harsh, cold, and freezing temperatures. Instead of trying to get rid of all that ice, they adapted to it. For instance, they used the whale for almost everything. They used the whale bones to hold up their houses, the whale skin or blubber for clothes and the meat for food. Another example is the Cahokia tribe. The Cahokia made hills for graves and they used hills for defense so they could see their enemy coming. They also may have used the hills for houses. The third example is the Plains tribe. The Plains tribe was very grateful for the horse and they used it very well. They used it to hunt, travel, and they used it in war. They also used all of the buffalo. Those are some ways that the Native Americans adapted to the harsh environments.
The second way the Native Americans respected everything around them is they respected all of the animals that nature provided for them. An example of this is the horse. The Plains indians respected the horse very much. They used the horse to hunt, battle and to travel. The Plains indians once said, “Can you see the spirit in their eyes?” The Plains people believed the horse has a spirit and that it’s not just this stupid animal that doesn't understand what it's doing. Another example is that they included the animals in their religious stories. They used them in almost all of their stories including How rabbit got long ears and owl got round eyes, How grandmother spider stole the sun and Sedna women of the sea. If they put the animals in religious stories that means they honored and respected the animals very much. The third example is the Northwest coastal tribe. The Northwest coastal tribe had totem poles. Totem poles are what the Northwest coastal tribe used to honor their deceased relatives. The animals on the totem pole is what they would use to represent each relative. This is also another way to show great respect towards animals.
The third way that the Native Americans respected everything is that they used everything that nature provided and they did not waste. An example of this is they used all of the bison that they hunted and killed. They used the bison horn for a spoon, the bones for painting tools and needles, the teeth for necklaces, the hide for mittens and clothes and teepees, the bladder for a medicine bag and the tail for a game wheel/hoop. Another example is they used all of the whale. They used whale bones for houses, skins and blubber for clothes and meat for food. The third example is they used all of the tree. They used the wood for homes and for fire for warmth, they used the leaves for medicine and for beds, also they got sap from maple trees to make syrup. These are some ways that the Native Americans used everything and did not waste.
The Native Americans respected everything in so many different ways but these are just the main three that I picked. Using everything that nature provided and not wasting any of it, not tearing their environment down and adapting to it, and respecting all of the animals plays a big part in respecting everything around them. We can learn so much just from them respecting everything because in the present I feel like we take so much for granted and by learning about the Native Americans we might take less for granted and be more grateful for all that we have.

Ethan Evans

10/18/2016 08:50:43 am

Evans,Ethan B6: Native American Essays

Influence of Native Americans
By Ethan Evans
America was not founded by Columbus a lot of people don’t know this but the Native Americans did. And I believe that we take too much credit for that and that’s wrong. They deserve more credit than we do. We just take that for granite. They gave us a way of life and we don’t even know that. Are we any better than they are?
The Native Americans were kind people and meant no harm. We came in, meaning no harm, but bringing disease with us. They gave us a way of life and used stories to teach us morals. They brought joy to the people and taught life lessons even the children used these lessons for their lives. The natives used traditions to stay strong through survival of disease. People got worried when they were doing traditions like the ghost dance. One thing that we can learn from them is to stay strong in our beliefs.
The medicine man came from a far to teach the youth of the tribe by the fire a story that involved morals that taught life lessons. Although the children were taught, the adults and tribe leaders learned morals for themselves. The medicine man helped people with many troubles. Those morals made us more aware of what we do and made us more peaceful. It makes us think more about our decisions. This gave us a new way to think in our daily lives. When we do things, we think of the morals from the medicine man’s stories.
We remember natives in different ways. Each of us remember them differently. We have to respect their traditions and their culture. Their traditions made them peaceful and heartfelt people. Their traditions are super cool and interesting and I would like to learn more about it. The traditions they once had still are used today. At a marriage, sometimes they use traditional clothing from back then. They were very strong in their beliefs. Some stereo types are that natives do not have religion and they are wrong. They are a very religious people. Natives had different thoughts about things like, we believe that a horse has no soul. They believe that it does have a soul. They say that if you look in the eyes of a horse, you can see the soul. The natives to me, are a very peaceful and religious people. People may say they are bad and evil, but one rotten egg won’t ruin a carton.
The Native Americans did a lot for us. They created inventions that we use today and wouldn’t be alive without their survival skills. They created the needle injections to help administer medicine. Every year people get flu shots. We would be dead from the flu without injections. What we don’t realize is that they provided a lot for us and I’m very grateful for that.
For thousands of years, the natives have lived in America and prospered in the land. Then the Europeans came and brought disease and sought gold. They stood their ground and survived and adapted, but this wiped out 90% of their population.
We need to respect the natives. They discovered America and brought inventions, traditions, and morals. Today we wouldn’t be as we are without them and their way of life. They have influenced me to learn more about their culture and their effect on America. They struggled through racist people and people who mocked them. When you read a child’s book, there is usually a moral to the story. The natives brought a lot of morals to them and the children of the world.

Cortlyn Moyes

10/18/2016 02:25:38 pm

Did you know that none of us white americans would be here today, if it weren't for the Native americans? The way we live, our resources, and what we eat came from the Native americans. They were here long before the Europeans came, so the Native Americans found plenty of ways to survive and adapt to their surroundings. We must learn about Native Americans so that we don’t repeat mistakes made in the past, and so that what we learn about them can help us in our lives. Native americans can teach us a lot if we choose to learn about them. First Native Americans made mistakes, and we can learn from those mistakes. Second, Natives were always working together, and we can learn from their example. And third Natives were all different from one another, And we can learn about them to correct stereotypes about them. Learning about Native americans can teach us new things, and is very fascinating.

Everyone in the whole world will make a mistake at sometime in their life whether it's a big or small mistake. Everyone can learn from their mistakes, and other people can learn from others mistakes. Native Americans made mistakes and we can learn from their mistakes. Some indian tribes despised each other. Like the Eastern woodland tribes Iroquois and Algonquin. These two tribes fought a lot, and started wars with one another, because they could not learn to get along. What we can learn from these two tribes is that, if we learn to get along we can work together and get things done faster. Natives have many stories that can teach us morals. In the story “Owl got round eyes and rabbit got long ears” the moral of the story is that if you want something it’s better to be honest so that you can receive what you want, instead of be dishonest to get something faster. When the native americans made a mistake they would do a ghost dance to cleanse themselves, almost like repenting but just a different way. Learning from the Natives mistakes we can learn a lot about them.

Working together is crucial for survival. Working together is how most people survive. Natives worked together to to get food and to go hunting. For example the plains people worked together to kill buffalo for food. They had to work together to build houses and shelter to live in too. The NorthWest Coastal tribes lived in longhouses. Long houses were huge so it took a long time to build one, so the whole tribe had to work together to build one. The Natives needed clothing and it wasn't easy to just have clothing, they had to work for it. The Natives worked together to kill animals for their hides for clothing. Working together to survive is very important. Working together can build cities and man made lakes.

Natives were not all the same. By learning about them, we can correct false stereotypes. Natives all had different diets. The California Natives diet consisted of fish, and the Eastern Woodland ate deer. Where they lived was not the same. The California Natives lived in California and the Eastern Woodland lived by the East coast. What they lived in was different. Not all Natives lived in teepees. The California Natives lived in round, thrush homes. The Eastern Woodland lived in Wigwams. Although there are many more tribes to compare and there different ways of life, these two tribes seemed very different, almost different enough to show that not all Natives are the same.

Learning about Natives can help us have a better understanding of them, and we can learn from their mistakes, we can learn how to work together, and we can correct stereotypes about them. Natives history is very interesting and can help us in our modern day lives. We must learn about Natives so we can learn from their experiences, and so that it can help us in our own lives.

Ellie Hatch

10/18/2016 05:52:14 pm

“I do not think the measure of a civilization is how tall its buildings of concrete are,but rather how well its people have learned to relate to their environment and fellow man.”
-Chippewa Tribe.
This quote really describes how Native Americans wanted to live.They didn't care how civilized their tribes were. Natives cared about living and surviving and having peace in their tribes. Native Americans thrived and lived a meaningful and successful life. There were many fascinating things about Native American’s lives.First, they learned how to adapt to their surroundings.Second, they collaborated and worked together.Third, they had many trials but overcame them.
They learned how to adapt to their surroundings, which made a very interesting feature about their life. Native Americans had to know what their environment was like so they could adapt and live. For example, the California natives built houses in a way so that the cold winds from the Pacific Ocean couldn't get through their homes. They also used the resources from their environment. Another example is the the plains natives who would hunt bison and use every single part of the bison’s body for things that they needed. Lastly, they used religious stories to help them adapt. For example, the Inuit tribe believed that a young woman named Sedna was the woman of the seas, and she would provide food from the sea for their tribe. This why Native Americans lived a very successful and meaningful life!
Native Americans collaborated and worked together to make their lives better. The natives worked together to create tribes. For example, the Inuit tribe worked together to hunt food, to survive in the harshest environment in the world! Native Americans depended on each others skills to work together and survive. For example, in the Eastern Woodland tribe, the men would make weapons and the women would tend the garden. But the most important part of working together was their lifestyles and beliefs. In the Eastern Woodlands the Iroquois League tribe was based on a constitution and they had a governmental body similar to congress.
Native Americans had many trials but overcame them. Many natives developed diseases and illnesses and died from them. For example, the California Indians had 60% of their people die from diseases caused by Spanish missionaries and later by gold miners. The natives also had many things taken away by force. The plains Native Americans were forced to live in the plains by European settlers that kicked them out of their original homes. Also it was very hard for the natives to learn how to live in new environments that they had never lived before.
Natives Americans were successful in how they lived and how their lifestyles and beliefs came to be. They learned how to collaborate and work together. They learned how to adapt to their surroundings. But most important Native Americans had several trials but overcame them. Native Americans were amazing, because they were some of the first people who learned how to adapt to the conditions they had. Native Americans are worth learning about because they lived a very meaningful and successful life!

wilfred agbamey

10/18/2016 07:10:24 pm

Native Americans
Did you know the native Americans shape our world that is now of this today well i’m gonna explain to you what native Americans did to shape our world from the past to the present. I’ll tell you this they wanted to become better people by religion because they thought their religion sacrifice would make the world better. Another thing that they were thankful for is that they were grateful for what they had. They also had to do anything to survive if they want to lived for example they would have to kill the americans if they tried to take their properties and lands. How come the settlers wanted the indians land they shouldn’t do that

First of all they forced religion on other people including kids and more religious processions and they had had religious mortals. For example the ghost dance they did for religious beliefs. They forced people to religious precautions especially kids they had to do more they would lock them up in cells we a bible and they would have to pray. Women's and men's would have their own separate religious things in fact man would have to do more than woman. l

Second most of all how their lifestyle is different from our lifestyle as of this day and most of there clothes were made from animal or buffalo skin and now of this day most of are clothes are made of leather materials and cotton. They lived in teepees and hogan's that were made of leafs and other materials now our houses are made out of cement,woods,bricks. How they hunted animals with other animals including horses and now we use special weapons that they didn’t have in the past to hunt animals more easily.

Third of last most they would have to provide for their family in a nature lifestyle. Men were hunters that provide food for their family and only men would have to provide for their family. Woman would have to plant food and take care of the family and only woman would have to do those precautions. Men would have to build weapons out of stone and much more things and the kind of weapons they had to build was stone knives bows and war clubs.

In conclusion that how native Americans shape our world as to this day and proven to brave and fierce warriors of many generations.they were strong through tough situations they got land stolen by Americans and they are conquered and not afraid from most people And probably natives can still shape are generations to more superior.

jaggar smith

10/18/2016 07:15:45 pm

Jaggar Smith B6

Native americans never take anything for granted and I think that a lot of people should should follow that example. One of the ways that native americans never took anything for granted is when native americans went hunting they used every part of the animal native americans never wasted anything. Another reason is that native americans thanked their gods for giving them a deer or whatever they killed. Another reason is native americans made the deer come to them by kind of redid the forest to make it work for them.

When native americans went hunting and killed something they used every part of the animal. One example of this is the Inuit tribe one of their main source of food is whale meat. That whale meat can feed the hole Inuit tribe for the rest of the year. But that is not all they even used the bones from the whale to support their houses. Because they didn't have trees around them. The Inuits used seal skin to make clothe because it was waterproof and worm. The eastern woodland tribe used deer hide as clothes in the winter and in the summer they pretty much didn't wear anything. The extra was used for their homes. Of course they ate the meat to.

Native americans thanked their gods for providing them a deer or whatever they killed. One example is the Inuit tribe when they killed there whale they have this big party and thank their gods for providing them with there food. Same goes for almost all other tribes.

The eastern woodland made the forest so the deer would come to them. So what they did is they went through the forest and gather all the brush and food that the deer and other animals eat. Then they went through and cut the bottom branches of all the trees so the deer couldn't eat off the trees. Then they put all the stuff they gathered from the forest and put them into a pile. Then as the deer come by to eat they shoot them and they do that every season.

So i think that native americans should be part of the curriculum because is a huge part of our history. The example that they set for us was huge. I think we should follow that example but if we don't teach it we won't know that example. That is why i think that native americans should be part of the curriculum

Isaac Elwood

10/19/2016 08:35:57 am

Native Americans we don't really understand them. Most people think they are drunk evil savages that is just not true and we need to learn about them to stop this stereotyping. Natives are our nation's history forgetting them is the same as forgetting your grandparents. Natives had a great understanding of the earth and we can learn from that, Natives provided many resources that help us even today, and they were very religious people and had great values.
There vast understanding of the earth is something that we can all learn from. In the west tribes they would use yucca and they would make boast and shoes from it they new of nature's plants and what they are good for we can learn from with our own lives. The animals they hunted were used completely they would use the hooves and tongues of animals they would use the meat and bones no part of the animal was left unused they were very resourceful. Some of their stories explain things that we needed modern day technology to discover. In one story of creation then it explains how there were four layers of the earth that the gods went through to find the perfect world to live in and they settled on the fourth layer. We have found the earth has four layers the inner and outer core mantle and crust. It amazes me that they have some stories about that and we need to teach people about things like this.
Natives provided many resources to the english settlers. They would trade with the mountain men and they would trade with the steelers they also helped in the east by giving them a place to stay. They did not just help the us by giving us resources they also did things like farming they made great resources available. Some plants like corn were changed to be better for people corn was a smaller plant but the natives made it bigger and better to eat. They also had great irrigation for there crops that was very helpful to the growing of the crops and they were very wise to make things like that when they did not have the same kind of community that the people in the europe did. Some things that they made were so astonishing aswell they made great topaz jewelry and they had magnificent sand art. These are not the only things that they knew how to make they made great longhouses and homes that were underground to protect them from the cold but these are not there most amazing creation they made giant homes in caverns that people could learn about architecture from. Through all this they still had a great religious aspect in their lives.
Some of the driving forces behind the natives was their religion and the values that they had. There was a great connection with all of the animals. When a buffalo was killed they would be very respectful and thank it for losing its life to help them this would be done to all animals and not just the bison. They were also very respectful with kin who had died in the north western tribes they would build totems to hold the spirit of the fallen family member. This is what they would use to seek advice for things in there life that were troubling them. They were also very kind and grateful because they taught good values many times a story teller would come to villages and tell great stories all of them had hidden messages like the story of the thrush. When all the birds were told they would get a great song if in the morning they all flew as high as they could and glided back down. Great big eagle started boasting about getting the best song because he could fly the highest. That made the little thrush upset he was small and new he could not beat eagle so he jumped in a little pocket of skin under eagle's wing when he came around to boast some more. The next day when they all started to fly up and they started to go up and up some of the birds started turning back and gliding back down to the ground but eagal kept going higher and higher and soon enough he was the last one flying when he got as high as he could he heard his song and that woke up the little thrush under his arm and he jumped out and started to flap his little wings and he went higher and higher. He went higher then the eagle and heard his song. When he landed then all the animals did not want to hear it. This is a story that teaches people not to cheat. This is only one story that the native americans had and we can use these to teach kids today about values.
These are all reasons that it should be required to teach students about the native americans lifestyle. There connection with the earth is amazing and we all can learn things about the world around us. The new creations that the natives provided to us are still used today and we can learn the origin of things we use today. Natives most important aspect is what we all need to prioritize in our own live. There religions and values we need those in our lives to help make sense of the things around us. That is why it is detrimental to our state that we learn about who was here before us.

Micah Fletcher

10/19/2016 09:27:39 am

Native American
Micah Fletcher

Have you ever been working on something and just given up, and just called someone to do it for you? Natives didn’t have that option, they had to do everything by themselves.

Learning about Native Americans will help us later on in our lives.
Natives adapted to whatever lands they needed to. Natives created or invented their own ideas. Natives used every resources they had.

Natives adapted to whatever lands they needed to.
Natives lived in dry lands in the desert, Southwest climate land was hot and most of the land was desert. Natives had to go and stay on the water for a period of time, Natives had to Fish and they stayed on the water while they got their food.

Some natives lived in the harsh arctic lands, they lived in lands that some people don’t even live in today.

Natives created or invented their own ideas. Natives made boats, they had to be able to get the food they needed in the ocean so they needed a way to be on the water. Natives hunted their own food, Natives hunted animals like elk and deer and used them for food and resources. Natives made their own weapons and hunting gear, Natives needed to get some animals from a distance so they made a bow and arrow to shoot the animals from a distance, they also had gear like camo suits to get the animals and sneak up on them.

Natives used all the resources they had. Natives used deer and elk bones to make knives, the Southwest Natives used the knives they made to cut things they needed to. Natives manipulated trees to bend in a sideways form so they could build their houses, Natives put pressure on the tree so it would grow sideways and put different branches on it to form a house. Whale bones were also used to make houses, Natives used whale bones to form the top part of the house when it was built into the ground.

Natives adapted to whatever they needed to. Natives made all the things they needed to. Natives used all the resources they had
When we learn about Natives they teach us about how life is a great thing and they can show us how it is and help us in our lives today.

Maddie Ehat

10/19/2016 09:34:36 am

We can learn so much about how we should live our everyday lives from Native American’s experiences. Before we started the Native American unit in our 8th grade history class, whenever I heard “Native Americans”, I imagined people who wore feathers and ran around hunting deer and bison. This unit has helped me understand that Native Americans are much, much more than people who live in tepees in the middle of the desert. Students should learn about Native Americans in their history class for three main reasons. One, we need to correct the stereotype for Native Americans because currently, nobody thinks much of the topic. Two, we can learn so many helpful life lessons from the stories they told. Three, we can learn how to enjoy life even when we don’t have much and we can still be positive.

A major stereotype for Native Americans needs to be corrected. Like I said before, I thought of Native Americans as people with feathers and lived in tepee houses. This is how a lot of people think of Native Americans, and it needs to stop. A few years ago, there was a girl who had just finished the Native American unit in her history class. She got home from school, and she told her mom all about Native Americans and how their stories were really inspiring. Her mom replied and told her that Native Americans are all terrible and uneducated. This gives you a tiny little glimpse of what society thinks of Native Americans. The best way to teach the next generation the truth about them is during school. It is completely necessary to correct this stereotype so that people won’t think negatively about Natives.

Native Americans are known for their amazing stories. They might be unrealistic and unbelievable, but they have very important life lessons that will make us better people. An example would be the Native American story “How Rabbit Got Long Ears and Owl Got Round Eyes”. This story is about how the creator pulled on the rabbit’s ears to make them longer, and the creator told nobody to look. The owl, however, looked anyways. The creator caught him looking and got very angry. Basically, it tells you that lying and cheating can lead to regret and consequences.

From Natives, we can learn how to be positive no matter what. They went through a lot of hard things, but they still found a way to be positive. During the whole wounded knee experience, children were getting pretty much getting kidnapped. The Native Americans still were happy and found joy in their lives. Their lives were not easy, but the pushed through and were a happy people and still are today.

Native Americans are very interesting groups of people and they have lots to teach us. We can learn so many valuable lessons from the stories and their beliefs. It is essential to correct the stereotype so people will know the truth about Native Americans. Finally, they were always positive and optimistic. They are amazing people and can help us become better people.

Aubree Hunsaker

10/19/2016 12:56:42 pm

Native Americans
By: Aubree Hunsaker

The Native Americans have one the biggest stories in all of history, but the schools aren’t teaching everything. There are many reasons why we should tell the true story, but here are just some reasons. One, they had better politics then we do now. They were more civilized than we are now. Two, they had very interesting ways of life. And last, they all had their own religion and beliefs.

Politics were very important to the natives. For example, the eastern woodland allowed the women to vote and choose their leader. The reason behind this was, the women bare the children so they can choose who leads their sons into war. Also they had fair leadership. Multiple tribes joined together so they could live in peace and win the war against the pioneers.

Second of all, they had special ways of life. The way everything is the way it is. The way they dressed, it was all different from other tribes. For example, one of the tribes that lived in the colder climates, wore whale skin, with seal and whale blubber . Underneath that they wore a very thin layer of cloth. They all built houses differently. Some would build wigwams, teepees, longhouses, etc.

The natives had very strong religions and beliefs. People say they didn’t have a religion, because they didn’t believed in what they did. They had stories on how this world became the way it is and more. One tribe had the ghost dances that would last days on end. They even used every part of the animal they killed.

So in conclusion, the school system isn't teaching us everything. The natives have a true story. Natives had politics, ways of life, religion and beliefs no one is telling us. They told us that the first pilgrims and the natives were friends with each other, but now we know that was not the case.

Mary Burnham

10/19/2016 01:08:30 pm

Native American past is focused strongly by some and ignored by others. The quote,“Healing doesn’t mean the damage never existed,It means the damage no longer controls our lives.” From Akshay Dubey, speaks a lot about Native American past. It shows a great example of the Native Americans on how it's okay to forgive, but you never really forget. The Native Americans lives and history aren't just the past, they are the future too. Natives taught us things we still use and rely on today, Native lives aren't the stereotypes many people see and believe, and we need to learn about the history of the Natives for many reasons.

Natives taught us valuable subjects we can use in our lives today. Stories and morals were told and taught in almost every tribe. One story from the Eastern Woodland Tribe starts off in a life that is very easy, thanks to a man named Manabozho. The people of a village find a grove of trees near their homes, that is so rich with syrup that all you had to do was snap off a branch and thick syrup would pour out. They became lazy and no longer worked in the fields and fished, instead they sat under the broken twigs and drank the liquid. Manabozho saw the effect of their laziness and decided that it would be best to thin out the syrup this way the people have to work to get it. Many morals come from this story, but one of them is that working and trying, will get you more than what you intend to receive you will get stronger and will learn a lesson. Morals were and still are very important ways of learning. Next, the Europeans were taught how to stay healthy. The “newcomers” sometimes only showered and bathed about once a year. Natives were very hygienic people and taught the Americans that it was good for their bodies to be clean. It was healthy. Then, the Native Americans taught the people what was easy to grow ands how to survive in the climates. In the long run, they wouldn’t have survived without the help of the Natives. The last reason is in fact that many objects were created by Natives (or the idea of them).The Natives were very advanced in many aspects, One example shows sharpened, hollow bird bones used as syringes! Another is bunk beds. Studies show that Native Americans had two beds stacked on top of each other in some homes. We learned more from Natives than we think.

Native Americans shouldn’t be defined by the stereotypes many people suppose. One thing many people assume is that all Native Americans are the same. That the people wore braids, lived in teepees, and ride horses. After studying the Native cultures, I have learned that Native Americans weren't what people assume today. We also need to understand that Native Americans today live just like us, or live on reservoirs. Next, many people assume Natives all lived in the same environment, ate the same thing and dressed alike. This is also a false accusation. They lived in separate places in a specific tribe. There was Natives living on the West Coast, East Coast, the Plains, and many other areas. As you can assume, they lived in different climates, they had different diets, clothes, and homes because of this. Lastly, they all had different beliefs. This is something I hope all people will recognize. Each tribe had a strong religion that meant dearly to them. The stereotype of all Native Americans believing the same faith should be understood as false.

I strongly feel that we as American students need to learn about Native history for many reasons. Many awful events happened in the past involving Native Americans. This is something nobody can change. This is not only their history, it’s ours too. We can’t change the Trail Of Tears, the shootings at Wounded Knee, or any of the other massacres. But, we can change what we learn and therefore not repeat the past. Next, we need to learn the truth. In stereotypes, history, and lives of Native Americans. Lastly, we must remember history. We can’t ignore the past or else we will forget about it. Tribes and languages have been lost because of forgetfulness. We can’t continue to leave important things behind or else they will disappear.

Native American past is something we can't keep ignoring, it’s the present too. We have learned valuable messages and things we rely on today, the stereotypes of the past and present need to be acknowledged, and the history of Native Americans is something that must be taught.

Kaijsa Campbell

10/19/2016 01:19:47 pm

Native American
Kaijsa Campbell
What do you think of when you read/hear Native American?. So many people think of filthy people that are living off the government. Students need to be learning about Natives and their history, maybe then the world will realize how important they are. The story of the Natives must be remembered because people fail to realize how incredible their history is, and people spreads rumors about them before they hear the truth. Natives used the materials they had available and made the most out of everything, Natives had values and were grateful for what they had, and people that have never learned about natives believe rumors about them that have not been proven to be true.

Natives used the materials they had available and made the most out of everything. Their housing was unbelievable they used stuff like bones, grass, straw, trees, mud, and clay. They also used every piece of a plant or animal until it was it was all used. Plus even when they had nothing they made it work like the Inuit tribe, they dug holes in the ground and used whale bones to keep them standing. They used the land, they don’t destroy it.

Natives had values and were grateful for everything. Their stories show that there are values and morals in life. Native women were valued because most of them wielded power, they did things men do to this day. They were grateful for their religious beliefs. They honored their religions and respected their family morals.

People that have never learned about natives believe rumors about natives that are not true. One of the biggest rumors is that they have no religion. They are very religious for example, the Northwest Coastal culture believed that totem poles were a way to contact their ancestors. Another rumor is, how they are supposedly treacherous and warlike in all reality they are no more or less warlike than any other person on earth. They only fight when they are being attacked, but wouldn’t you do that too? People also seem to think that because they are all the same. That’s not true there are 520 culturally diverse tribes. For example, the Shoshone and the Navajo they are both Native tribes .The Shoshone believed in supernatural power from of the world spirits and the Navajo believed in gods.

As a result, don't you think that we should be learning about these cultures and how they lived and what they did to get us where we are today. Natives used the materials they had available and made the most out of everything, The Natives had values and appreciated everything, and yet people that haven’t learned about the Natives believe rumors about them that have not been proven to be true. To not learn about them is to not know the truth.

Angel davila

10/19/2016 02:06:44 pm

Angel Davila

Native Americans W/A

Native Americans can teach us About Important life lessons. They Have Great Morals, Respect for All living things, And they all had different religions. If we didn't know about Native Americans we wouldn't learn from our mistakes. Native Americans Are a big part of history. Thats where we have most of our traditions today.

First of all, Native Americans Have great morals to some of their stories. For example, In how owl got big eyes and rabbit got long ears, owl peaked while the creator stretched out the rabbit's legs so the creator saw him and gave him big eyes instead of what he wanted, the moral there is to be honest. Also, loo wit and the fire keeper they were fighting because they each wanted each others things so they got turned into mountains, the moral was not to be greedy. Another story is how the bird learned to sing, the tiny bird went into the bigger birds wing and went the highest and got the best sound, moral is don't cheat. Native Americans can teach us a lot through morals and stories.

Also, they have respect for all living things. The plains Native Americans believed the horses had a soul, there was a quote one of the plains people said that went kinda like this “ you think your horse has no soul ,have you never looked into the eyes of your horse’. Also they used every part of the animal that they killed, like for the skin they made movable tepees. We can learn to be kind to living things like the native Americans.

Lastly, they all had different religions. For examples the California Indians believed in the ghost dance. The ghost dance was a belief that they could bring back their relatives back from the dead. Also, the Plains Indians believed that horses had souls. Native Americans can teach us about the different religions they had back then.

In conclusion, native Americans can teach us about respect for all living things, All the morals from stories, and the different religions they had. If schools stop teaching us about native Americans then we wouldn't know all those things. Native Americans are a big part of history, if we stop teaching about them there wouldn't be any history.

Jameson Sutherland

10/19/2016 02:14:16 pm

What do you think of when you think of Native Americans? Do you think of Pocahontas? Or maybe horses? Well that is not how it is. That is a common misconception. We need to educate Utahns about Native Americans. After what we have learned about Native Americans, Native life, culture, and past is way too important to ignore. We have to learn about the Native Americans. The Native’s daily life has improved our culture and made it way better. Native culture was very rich. Native Americans were 95% of the history in the Americas. So to not know the past is to not know the truth. The daily life of the Native Americans is interesting and has benefited us a ton.

The daily life of natives is very interesting and has improved our culture a ton. The natives have helped our lives by helping the pilgrims at Jamestown alive. Pocahontas and the rest of her tribe welcomed them and helped them. There is written evidence of this in the englishman's journals.With the columbian Exchange, the natives gave the rest of the world so much. They gave the world potatoes, blueberries, strawberries, big corn, turkeys, huckleberries, grapes, chocolate, and so much more! They got lots in return. If you look at Ireland in the 1840’s, it’s population lived off of the potato. The natives in the west (California) helped the Spanish build their beautiful missions. They were just trying to “save their souls”, but they were actually kind of getting into slavery. They also wreaked havoc on the peoples of California. Their cultures were just as rich as the daily lives.

The Native culture was diverse and beautiful. It was very rich in artwork, religion, and ideas. The first thing that I think of is definitely the artwork. The pottery from the southwest is beautiful. The clothing from the California and Northwest is beyond description. The Cahokia finds are amazing. The art is rich. The religion in native cultures is diverse and interesting. If you look at some stories like Manabozho and the maple tree. They explain things around them using stories. The story about Manabozho and the maple tree was about how the natives were being too lazy and they now have to work for the maple sap. The stories also teach you morals. The Founding Fathers even admired the Native culture and ideas. They took pieces of the Iroquois constitution and made it into ours. The iroquois nation is a nation that made a peace treaty within 5 tribes. They gave us many of the ideas of how to set up our country. The past is so rich though. These are like the ancient Egyptians of Egypt, but in America!

The natives were most of our past, so to not know about them would be a crime. Cahokia, or the mound builders had a thriving past. They traded with everyone. They built pyramid like mounds with bases as big as 6 acres. The mounds could be as tall as a 10 story building. Chaco Canyon was another thriving city. In Arizona, these 6 story buildings still stand. This was a huge town of up to 2,000 people. This great history had to come to an end. In a not so distant past, the US army slaughtered 100 innocent natives. This was called Battle Creek. This marked the end of native culture like it used to be because the natives were too afraid to keep practicing their beliefs.

The natives are too important to be forgotten. Their history needs to be taught. They had (and still have) a great culture, daily life, and a great past. We have to learn about them no matter what. Native Americans are amazing and have to be included in common core.

Sage Gotfredson

10/19/2016 02:22:40 pm

Most people think that all Native American groups are the same. But in reality, they are all different. Some made homes made of wood, others lived in Teepees, Some lived in dome shaped homes to stand the forces of winds coming from the oceans or mountain. All of them ate different things according to their environment. They are all different. Their stories give us guidance now and in the future. They teach us how they had to adapt to their surroundings, and how their mistakes should not be made again

Their stories are meaningful pieces of the puzzle to understand their area, their diet, and the conditions of their land. Earth On turtle's back is how the Native American believed that their America was made from a piece of the Earth under the sea. A women fell through the sky, two swans tried to catch the woman, but she was too heavy for the birds to carried. The animals in the water saw this and started to panic. They started to think of a plan. They then realized that at the bottom of the sea. If they pulled up a piece of the Earth, then the woman can have a nice place to rest. Many animals tried and all failed. Then, in the noise of the crowded, a little voice spoke up and said, “ I will go and get the Earth, or die trying. “ It was the muskrat, the muskrat dove into the water. Down went the muskrat, he swam and swam until he reached the bottom. Almost out of breath, the muskrat grabbed a piece of the Earth and swam back up. When he reached the surface, the animals realized that the Earth could not float on its own. Then turtle volunteered to have the Earth placed on his back. Muskrat climbed on top of turtle’s back. ( that is why the turtle has scratches on his shell. ) Muskrat put the piece of the Earth. When he placed the Earth on turtle’s, it grew into an island with trees, mountains, rivers and streams. All of the people in the sky came down and live there now. The morals of this story is that we should help everyone and everything, not matter what. How would we learn that lesson if we don’t teach their stories to others?

There is another story of Loo-wit, the fire keeper. Long ago, two brothers wanted to control the land. The creator was not pleased with their fighting, so the creator took the two brothers to a land not yet discovered by others. The creator shoot two arrows into the sky wherever the arrows landed, that was the area of which each brother controlled. The brothers agreed and they formed a civilization in which each brother controlled.They lived in harmony for many years. One day each village looked at the others land, they were jealous of the others land. The creator was not happy with this, so he took fire away. The people were could and could not find there way. The creator saw this, so he went to Loo-wit, an old woman that was the only one who had fire. The creator told loo-wit that if she would take the fire to the bridge that divided them, and tell them to not fight, he will make her young and beautiful again. She agreed, the creator turned her young and beautiful and she went on her way. She went to the bridge with her fire in hand and told them to not fight any more. They stopped the fighting and got their fire back, but when the brothers saw loo-wit, they began to fall in love with her. They both asked her to marry them, but she did not love them. The brothers began to fight until the creator noticed and turned them into mountains. They are still mountains today. When the creator came back to the village, he saw loo-wit, crying. The creator asked her why she was crying, she told him that she no longer wanted to be young and beautiful. So the creator turned her into a volcano, right in between the two brothers. The brothers learned that they could not fight or else something bad will happen.

Native Americans varied not only in stories, but with their area also. The California natives mostly lived on the coast line where most big cities are today. They built their homes with trees, mud and sticks. They shaped their home in a dome shape to withstand strong winds. Because of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, they did not get much deer, elk or bison. Their diet contained with nuts, seeds, and lots of fish. These people learned how to grow, harvest, and spin cotton into clothes. Above the California Native Americans were the Northwest coastal people. They lived in what is now Washington and Oregon. If you know that area, then you would know that their area was wealthy in wood, wildlife and fish. Scene they were wealthy in many ways, they would show others of their wealth that they would hold special events called pottatches. At these gatherings, they would give all the people who came a gift. When you are alive, you are given an animal spirit that lives inside of you. When you die, your animal spirit still is around. When your family or people need you for guidance, they would ask you to come down, but the only way for them to help you is of a carving of

Jake Sparks

10/19/2016 02:34:02 pm

Native Americans
Jake Sparks

There is a quote by Edmund Burke that says, “Those who don’t know History are destined to repeat it.” This is why I believe that it is important to learn and study about the Native American Culture. When we learn and understand the history of the Native Americans we won’t wrongly judge, We will understand more about their way of life in the past and present, and we have knowledge to teach and pass on the truth of the history of the Native Americans

People might judge native Americans if they don’t know the true story behind what happened when the early white settlers came. They might judge them because maybe they don’t have all the facts. For example there is a common misunderstanding when talking about early American history that many of the settlers died within a few years after they arrived. Many might believe that the Native Americans savagely killed these first settlers. Those that haven’t studied may not realize that these settlers died mostly from diseases that they brought with them theirselves. Yes, there were some problems between the settlers and the Native Americans, but they weren’t all bad and many tried to help the white man learn how to grow things and hunt to stay alive.

There has been much mistreatment of the Native Americans throughout U.S. history. As America moved west there were many wars against the native Americans as they tried to defend their land and their way of life. Much of that land was taken from them by the U.S. government. Nowadays, most native American tribes live on land that the U.S. government gave them, called reservations. Many of these reservations are lands that are in dry climates making it hard to have agriculture. As a result, the government gives these people money to live on. It seems that they are not motivated to work or go to school. Sometime people make judgement on the Natives for this. But if we educate ourselves we would better understand why the majority live as they have in the past and now in the present. People can get the wrong idea about natives because they get taught wrong, they hear wrong, or they just make assumptions. There is always more to the story.

Learning about Natives not only helps us now, but if we become teachers, we can be educated in order to teach the real truth. It is our responsibility to not only learn the truth, but to pass the information on to future generations. Then people many, many years from now will know the truth about Native Americans.

I feel like our education of the Native American is important. As we learn the accurate history of the Native Americans we will not judge them wrongly, we will understand their culture better, and then we will have the ability to pass on their history for generations to come.

Elizabeth Call

10/19/2016 02:46:03 pm

Native American
Elizabeth Call

We need to learn about our Native American history, because they have a giant impact on how our lives ended up today. Native Americans adapted to their environments. They used skills that we need and use today. The Native Americans lives changed because of the settlers.

The Native Americans adapted their lifestyles to fit the environments they lived in. For example, the Eastern Woodland Native Americans lived where there was lots of water, so they were farmers where plants could grow easily. The plains Native Americans lived in wide open spaces. They hunted buffalo and rode horses because there was room for the buffalo to roam. Because there are lots of trees and fish for the Northwestern coastal Native Americans they were very prosperous.

The Native Americans used so many skills that they teaches and that we use today. The Native Americans grew crops of corn and beans that the settlers had not previously grown. That was a new skill that the settlers learned and we still use it today.The California coastal Native Americans made clothes out of cotton. Clothes by the settlers were made of wool and silk before. Another great skill we learned from the Native Americans. Lastly we learned about the adobe mud houses the Native American used, the mud helped us develop stucco, which is widely used today in home building.

As much of a difference the Native Americans made in our lives, the settlers had an even bigger effect on the lives and habits of the Native Americans. The Native Americans had to give up so much of their land when settlers came. The farmers and ranchers in the plains area did not like the buffalo stampeding their crops or running off with their cattle, so the farmers killed thousands of the buffalo. With the buffalo gone, the Native Americans suffered loss of food, The settlers brought diseases with them, the Native Americans could not fight off the disease and they died.

The Native American History is so important to us because we learned they adapted to their environments and we can too. The skills they showed us have lasted and we used them so often in our daily lives. How did we thank them for all they gave us? We destroyed their land, jobs and health. By learning all these things about the Native Americans, our lives will be better.

Bailie Jensen

10/19/2016 02:52:44 pm

Do you have a culture, is it important to you? Have you ever thought about other people's culture? We must learn about Native American culture because it can teach us life lessons. Some of the main reasons are Native Americans respected life and was thankful for all they got, Native Americans story’s can teach us life lessons to learn, and Native Americans keeping their culture alive for others to see. Native American culture is an important concept for many geanashions to learn and remember. Native Americans have a very interesting backgrounds about their ancestry. There are many Things to learn about Native American culture but I’m going to talk about a few thing about their culture.
Native Americans respected life and was thankful for what they got. Native Americans Used the animal that they hunted, they believe that the animal has a spirit and was sacrificing themselves for them to to survive. Native Americans perceived their land, Native Americans know how to use the land without distorting it, a certain Native trade called the Eastern woodland they would clear the the ground from leaves and broken tree branches and cleared the underbrush. Native Americans learned to adapt to the claimant and did what it took, Like the California people their houses were made to have to harsh wind go around it. Many Native Americans have different homes that was helpful for their surroundings.
Native Americans stories teach us life lessons like being honest like in the story How Owl got big eyes and how Rabbits long ears. The story is about how to be honest Owl wanted to get a whole bunch of thing and the God choose the Rabbit and he told everyone to close their eyes and owl acted like he was but he was looking. The god saw him look and got mad and that is how owl get big eyes. Another One is Grandmother spider it is about the animals wanting the humans to get some sun so they tried to steal so of the sun and it is about how to work for it and not to just sit there and think someone else to do it. Another one is about Sedna the sea women it is about Sedna that went with a men she did not know that told her that if she married him she would get all these thing but that was not true, when she dad can to see her he saw what she was living, he took he r home and the story is about how the whales and seals came to be they were made from her fingers, the moral of the story is to be wise.

Native Americans survivors keep their culture alive. They keep their religion alive one of the things that they do is the Ghost Dance it is when the tribe gets together to dance and to be clean they would sacrifice themselves to get the Buffalo back and to get their life back. Another one is their Clothes they would wear the same clothes out of whale skin for the Inuit people and the plains people made their clothes out of Buffalo skin. They have many different clothes that their ancestors would wear. Lastly the way they do things Native Americans will still get together and do the things they use to do like have parties they would bring presents or give presents to their gest.

In conclusion we need to keep Native American culture alive we can learn from them because they respected life and was thankful for what they got, Native Americans stories can teach us life lessons, and Native American survivors keep culture alive. Do you care about your culture?

Elizabeth call

10/19/2016 02:59:00 pm

McClain oviatt

10/19/2016 11:05:55 pm

Why We Need To Talk About Native Americans
We must learn about the native americans because they are important and a big part in our history?
Native Americans are survivors in our history
Native americans are survivors because they know how to live in some of the harshest environments,like the californian lived in bad wind so they build homes that were arrowdynamic, that is crazy that they could understand what they had to build there house so they could live,another way they are survivors , is they made tools like nets, fishing poles, knifes, weapons,ect, they made these thing so that they can live but other natives had to make other tools because they all live different life style another thing is they lived off their religion is what help them because they believed that will help them and, it seems like it help them at work.
Native americans respect everything in life
Natives are important because they never let any thing go to waste like the eskimos lived in a could place so they killed a whale and the hall work on it so everyone got to help and get something and they used the bones for their houses also they shared with everyone so they were kind people and they respect every thing I their lives they were deep in their religion so they know how to let everyone live so the natives were kind nice people if they were not there would be no natives americans we could not learn about them. They no how to act because they are just nice people.
Natives have several beliefs we learn to day
The natives had good beliefs and they used them every day to help them find food and if someone got hurt they would talk to who they like our worsept that help them alot because they know that if everything was ok they could live and if someone was sick they would put them in this cool sand paint circle and that is where they would die but then nobody would get the they would love and they let everyone join there get stuff from other groups, and they new if they were nice they can .

Native americans are a huge part in are histories and if we don’t learn about them then they will not be respected and if we don’t learn then we don't learn about our future and they teach us how to act like they were nice kind sharing do if we did not know that then the world would be not good.that is why i think we need to learn about native americans.

Alyssa Buck

10/20/2016 07:41:09 am

Native Americans Rough Draft
Alyssa Buck

How much do you really know about the lives of Native Americans? Native lives matter and their stories are more meaningful than what most are aware of. Native lives are not as stereotypical as most think. Natives are genuine to lives, tribes, and they have respect for everything. Natives are survivors, if people from our century lost everything we have, we would not survive. But Natives grew up like that I believe they could and most likely would survive.

Natives are not the stereotypical Indian, there are over 520 different tribes. All natives were not just born and raised in the Great Plains they came from different countries, different cities, different states.One sterotype is that Natives died from war. They actually died from disease, most natives were not immune to disease so when Europeans came majority of all natives got the diseases Europeans had and that took out 96% of the Native nation. When you think of a Native American what do you picture? Mostly likely in your head you said, darker skin, teepees, feathers in their hair, etc. well there is a tribe like that, guess what they also eat corn, bean, and squash! Well that is one tribe out of the 520 tribes that I told you about!

Natives truly are true and genuine to their tribes, leaders, and others. Most of all Native Americans have great respect for their tribes and tribe leaders, they worshiped their tribe leader. Because of this great respect there are still some many tribes out there today. They practiced something called the ghost dance. The ghost dance was to sacrifice yourself to show the creator they care and want their families and old tribe ways back. I believe natives also taught their children great manners. I also believe most families would not have polite and respectful kids if natives didn’t teach their children that, I think we have learned a lot from natives.

Natives can and will adapt and survive on any type of land they lived on. No matter where they lived they always hunted for animals, when they killed something they used every part of the animal because they were smart and knew they would regret it if they didn’t. they made homes based on the weather in the area they lived in, for example in a cold area like Alaska they made homes underground using whale bone so the roof would not collapse when it snowed, it would also keep them warm during harsh winters. Natives did not need anything we have today to survive. Well yes of course I’m guessing they would have wanted it but I think they could survive without it. They survived off of things they made by hand if you ask me I would say that is amazing!

In conclusion, Native lives do matter and they are worth learning about. People need to know that not all natives are like that stereotype. Natives are and were genuine to their tribes and leaders. Natives adapted and survived based on land they lived on. Native lives matter and people of the present need to be aware of that and should learn about their great ways and possibly change their lifestyles. So tell me do you think we still should be learning about corn, bean, and squash?

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 cness@alpinedistrict.org.
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