national park service u.s. department of the interior … pi 4...american indians of the great...

National Park ServiceU.S. Department of the Interior

Jefferson National Expansion Memorial11 North Fourth StreetSt. Louis, MO 63102

American Indiansof the Great PlainsTeacher Activity GuideGrades 4-6

E X P E R I E N C E Y O U R A M E R I C A

2 American Indians of the Great Plains TAG

American Indians of the Great Plains TAG 3

Program Description .............................................................................................. 5

Curriculum Objectives............................................................................................ 5

Pre-Visit Activity #1: Let’s Make History (suggested) ............................................ 6

Pre-Visit Activity #2: Interpretive Discovery (suggested) ...................................... 8

Pre-Visit Activity #3: What’s in a Name? (REQUIRED) ........................................... 10

Museum Experience: American Indians of the Great Plains ............................... 12

Post-Visit Activity #1: Another Point of View (suggested) .................................. 14

Post-Visit Activity #2: Artifact Recovery to Museum Discovery (suggested)..... 16

Post-Visit Activity #3: What (or Who) is in a Place? (suggested) ......................... 18

Careers .................................................................................................................. 20

Character Education ............................................................................................ 24

Multiple Intelligences .......................................................................................... 25

Appendix............................................................................................................... 26

Reading List .......................................................................................................... 29

Additional Resources ........................................................................................... 30

TABLE OF CONTENTS


PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

This forty-five minute museum program focuses on the traditional cultures and lifestyles ofAmerican Indian tribes on the Great Plains during the nineteenth century.

As nomadic hunters, Indian tribes of the Plains relied on roving herds of buffalo for food,clothing, and shelter. Before the 1800s, thousands of buffalo roamed the Great Plains grazing onextensive tall-grass prairies. As the United States expanded Westward, buffalo populationsdwindled and the traditional lifestyle of Plains Indians tribes was dramatically altered.

At Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, a park ranger will lead your group through theMuseum of Westward Expansion. He or she will interpret this period in history by usingeducational activities and museum exhibits, such as the American Indian tipi, bison, and peacemedal exhibits. Students will participate in a hands-on, cooperative activity demonstrating theaffect of Westward Expansion on the traditional cultures and lifestyles of Plains Indian tribes.

To prepare your group for their museum experience, please complete PRE-VISIT ACTIVITY #3.The ranger will connect to this activity during your program. Use the suggested POST-VISITACTIVITIES to expand and reflect upon your visit.

CURRICULUM OBJECTIVES

The following tested objectives for the states of Missouri and Illinois, as well as National Standardsfor History and Social Studies, are addressed in this program and guide.

Communicate effectively and work with others. (ILS 4, 21; MAP 2.3, 4.6; NCSS IVh) Compare and contrast features of everyday life today with those of the past. (ILS 4, 21; MAP

2.3, 4.6; NCSS IVh) Construct and interpret timelines. (ILS 16.A; MAP 1.8; NCSS IIb; NSH 1E, 1F) Describe and compare major ideas, beliefs, values, and attitudes of various cultures.

(ILS 16.D; MAP 1.9; NCSS Ia; NSH 3B) Draw upon visual data in photographs and drawings. (ILS 25.A; MAP 1.5; NCSS IId;

NSH 2S) Examine issues regarding the use of land and other resources from multiple perspectives.

(ILS 16.A; MAP 1.6; NCSS Id, IIIh; NSH 5A) Explore career opportunities in the National Park Service. (ILS 18.B; MAP 4.8; NCSS Vg) Interpret historical quotations. (ILS 2.B, 16.A; MAP 1.5; NCSS IId; NSH 2, 3) Locate places, identify features, and draw conclusions using maps. (ILS 17.A, 17.C; MAP 1.4;

NCSS IIIb; NSH 2F)

ILS: Illinois Learning StandardsMAP: Missouri Assessment ProgramNCSS: National Council for the Social StudiesNSH: National Standards for History

AMERICAN INDIANS OF THE GREAT PLAINS


CONTRIBUTING TO HISTORY

Harsh conditions made living on the Great Plains a challenge. Inorder to survive, members of a Plains Indian tribe contributed to theircommunity in a number of ways.

ROLEPLAY AND COOPERATIVE LEARNING

The object of this activity is to identify the roles an individual mightplay in his or her family and community. Have students partner up.Using the “Oral History Log” on the page 7, have one studentinterview the other, then switch roles. When both partners arefinished, have them join another partner group to share what theylearned.

WORD WEB

As a group, discuss the many roles students play in their families andcommunities. Map them out using a word web.

PRE-VISIT ACTIVITY #1 (suggested)

Did you know...described as a “sea ofgrass,” the Great Plainshave supported largemammals and thepeople who hunt themsince the end of thelast Ice Age?

scoutpet

ownerROLES

student

sportsplayer

brother/sister

lawn-mowerbaby sitter

chores

grandchild

cousin

GEOGRAPHYHave students research the Great Plains using maps,library books, and the Internet. Have them answerthe following questions: What geographic featuresbound the Plains to the north, south, east, and west?What major rivers flow through the Plains?What natural resources are available on the Plains?What is the weather typically like on the Plains?

Photo courtesy Fermilab’sVisual Media Services

http://nationalatlas.gov


Large mammals, likethe American bison,relied on the GreatPlains grasslands.These once-vastprairies are nowdiminished and can nolonger support largebison herds like thosehunted by PlainsIndians before the1800s. BadlandsNational Park in SouthDakota preserves thelargest mixed-grassprairie existing inNorth America today,as well as a herd ofAmerican bison. SeeAppendix, page 26 forcontact information.

ART AND MUSICKeith Bear’s Echoes of the Upper Missouri is acollection of traditional and contemporary PlainsIndian music. The recordings include sounds of theMissouri River bottomlands and flute music. Listento Echoes with your students. Have them draw,paint, or otherwise depict their impressions of thelandscape based on what they hear.

EXPLORATION ANDENRICHMENT

ORAL HISTORY LOG

What is your name? Where were you born? When?

Tell me about where you live.

Tell me about the people in your family.

What do the people in your family do for work? Whatdo they do for play and fun?

What are some things you do before or after school?

What things do you do to help in your home? In yourcommunity?

As you get older, what are some things you hope to beable to do?

Of all the things you do, which is most important to you?

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INTERPRETIVE DISCOVERY

For thousands of years, Plains Indian people responded to thechallenges of their environment by making the best of its limitedresources. Their tools not only helped them to live on the land, butcame from the land itself.

CRITICAL THINKING

The object of this activity is to interpret what tools tell us about the waypeople live. Discuss with your class the types of tools needed for ahousehold task, such as washing the family car (sponge, water bucket,hose, soap, wax, etc.). Each item may have several different usesaround the house, but how is it used for this particular task?

Consider the following questions in your discussion:

COLLABORATIVE GROUP ACTIVITY

Divide students into groups. Hand each group an envelope or piece ofpaper labeled with one of the following tasks:

sewing a dress cleaning a roombuilding a bookshelf playing a sportplanting a garden caring for a pet

Have groups discuss the steps of their task and the tools needed tocomplete it successfully. Have them create collages of tools needed fortheir task using pictures from newspapers, magazines, and catalogues.

PRE-VISIT ACTIVITY #2 (suggested)

SCIENCE

• How does this particular tool help to do the job?• Where does the tool come from?• How did you learn to use the tool?• Why is this the best tool for the job? Or is it?• What other tools might be a good substitute?

Did you know...prehistoric Indiansliving on the GreatPlains made specialtools from flint to helpthem hunt largemammals?

Flint is easily found in Missouri and Illinoisstreambeds. Collect some for yourclassroom. Using the “Mohs Scale of RelativeMineral Hardness,” have students compareflint’s hardness with that of other rocks, suchas limestone and granite.

Courtesywww.cr.nps./seac/outline/02-paleoindian


Early toolmakers wereable to chip flint intoan astonishing varietyof everyday tools.Archeologists havefound knives,hammers, chisels,drills, axes, awls,fishhooks, buttons,hoes, and scrapers, aswell as arrowheads.Alibates Flint Quarriesin Texas preserves oneof the importantquarry sites used byprehistoric Indians ofthe Great Plains. SeeAppendix, page 26 forcontact information.


ROLEPLAY

Using the collages from page 8, have students imagine they arehistorians and archivist who have just acquired a collection of newmaterial. Their task is to put the collection into order and interpret itsmeaning.

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What is each tool made of?

Where might such materials be found?

How did people acquire these tools?

What purpose might each tool be used for?

What are some ways you can categorize the tools?

Given what you know, what was daily life like for the people whoused these tools?

MATHAt approximately 8:30 a.m., a young Hidatsawarrior was separated from his scoutingparty by a snow storm about 12 milesoutside of his village. He did not return until9 p.m. that evening. How many hours washe lost and what was his average rate oftravel in riding home?

NorthwesternUniversity Library,Edward S. Curtis’“The NorthAmerican Indian”:the PhotographicImages, 2001.


WHAT’S IN A NAME?

According to Royal Hassrick’s book, The Sioux, Lakota children werenamed in honor of a special event in the life of their parents orgrandparents. As they grew older, an individual might adopt a namefrom a significant event in his or her own life.

NAME ACTIVITY

In The Sioux, Hassrick describes a Lakota naming ceremony. Afterhosting a meal and giving gifts to the guests, the family wouldannounce the child’s name, “This child shall be known as Kills Buffaloin honor of his grandfather.”

Hassrick interviewed Lakota people for his book. Some of their namesincluded:

Charles Chasing Crane Rose Running HorseMabel Standing Soldier Irene Red Shirt

Ask students to think about stories told by or about their grandparentsand their lives. Give them several days to collect stories by interviewinggrandparents, parents, or other relatives. Using this information, havethem choose a name for themselves in the manner of the Lakota. Havethem design a nametag with their “new” name on it for your museumvisit.

PRE-VISIT ACTIVITY #3 (REQUIRED)

GEOGRAPHYHave students use a map to locate the confluence ofthe Missouri and the Knife Rivers in North Dakota.Using the map’s key, have them draw a circle equal to100 miles in diameter around the confluence and thenanswer the following questions: What other riversare located within the circle? What Plains Indiantribes live within the radius? What natural resourcesexist within the radius?

Did you know...there were more thantwenty different PlainsIndian tribes livingbetween the RockyMountains and theMississippi River duringthe 1800s?

Blackfoot woman withparfleche bag. Drawingcourtesy Dave Sager

Photo Courtesy: NASA HCMM Project


LANGUAGE ARTSIn order to communicate with members ofother tribes, Plains Indians developed a type ofsign language using hand signals. UsingWilliam Tomkins’s book, Indian Sign Language,have students communicate short messageswith hand signals: “What is your name?”“How old are you?” “Where do you live?”

“SIX TRIBES OF THE LAKOTA SIOUX”

The object of this activity is to divide your class into groups for yourmuseum visit. The ranger will use these groups for the cooperativeactivity at the museum.

Historically, the Lakota Sioux were made up of six different tribes.Each tribe identified itself by a special name. After dividing your classinto six groups, assign each one of the tribal names below.

1. Oglala, meaning “Scatter One’s Own”2. Sicangu, meaning “Burnt Thighs”3. Miniconjous, meaning “Those Who Plant by the Stream”4. Oohenonpas, meaning “Two Kettles”5. Hunkpapas, meaning “Those Who Camp by the Entrance”6. Itazipchos, meaning “Without Bows”


Though they sharemany similarities, eachPlains Indian tribe hasits own identity. At theheight of Plains Indianculture, tribescontributed to aneconomic network thatreached across theNorth Americancontinent. Learn moreabout the extensiveGreat Plains tradenetwork during the1800s by visiting theNational Park Service’sTeaching With HistoricPlaces. See Appendixpage 26 for contactinformation.

Assiniboin dancer c. 1890-1915Drawing courtesy Dave Sager

Northern Plains prehistoric trading system.Knife River NHS Image


MATHKicking Bird gave Little Shirt fifteen flint arrow tipsfor one nicely tanned buffalo hide. Little Shirt thentraded one-fifth of his arrow tips to American Horsefor a pair of beaded moccasins. How many flintarrow tips did American Horse receive for his pair ofmoccasins? (Answer: 3)

AMERICAN INDIANS OF THE GREAT PLAINS

Upon arrival, register your group at the Information Desk, reviewMuseum Manners with your students, and proceed to the entrance ofthe Museum of Westward Expansion. There you will meet the parkranger assigned to your program.

BRIEFING

By completing the required PRE-VISIT ACTIVITY #3, students willbe prepared to participate in discussions and activities. Studentsshould be organized into six groups, as explained in the activity “SixTribes of the Lakota Sioux.”

INTERPRETIVE PROGRAM

Using educational activities and living history items, your ranger willinterpret the traditional cultures and lifestyles of Plains Indian tribes.

COOPERATIVE GROUP ACTIVITY

Each tribal group will receive a canvas bag containing toolstraditionally used by Plains Indian tribes. Your ranger will guidegroups as they analyze, discuss, and interpret the use of the tools.After working together to identify the use of each tool, groups willpresent their findings to the rest of the class.

THE MUSEUM EXPERIENCE

Did you know...Plains Indian tribesconsidered the buffaloa sacred and specialanimal because itsupplied them withfood, clothing, andshelter?

NPS Photo


VISUALS

Students will learn using the museum photomurals and artifacts,various maps, mounted photos, and living history items.

HANDS-ON OBJECTS

Your park ranger will provide objects from the museum’s livinghistory collection for your students to touch and analyze.

VOCABULARY WORDS

bison - a wild animal with a shaggy mane and curved horns. Anothername for the American buffalo.culture - the ideas, beliefs, customs, and traditions of a given people atcertain time. May include food, art, religion, etc.environment - all the conditions surrounding a person, animal, orplant in a given place. Affects its growth, actions, and character.Great Plains - the level stretch of land located between the RockyMountains and the Mississippi Rivernative - having to do with the place one was bornnomads - a group of people that moves from place-to-place, makingits home in different areasrawhide - a piece of animal skin that has not been treated in any way,but dries hard and stiffsinew - a stringy fiber connecting muscle tissues to bone. Used byAmerican Indians for sewing, bowstrings, etc.

SCIENCEPlains Indians prepared their buffalo hidesfor making clothing, moccasins, and tipisusing a process called “brain-tanning.” Thefatty oils in the brain break down the fibers inthe hide, making it soft. Have studentsresearch brain-tanning. Does tanning cause aphysical or chemical change to a hide? Whatother substances can be used to tan hides?

For Plains Indianpeople, the buffalo wasmore than food. Theirclothing, homes, andtools were made fromvarious parts of thebuffalo. Take a virtualtour of the “BuffaloStore” at HomesteadNational Monument ofAmerica to learn moreabout how PlainsIndians used thebuffalo. See Appendixpage 26 for contactinformation.


Northwestern UniversityLibrary, Edward S. Curtis’“The North AmericanIndian”: the PhotographicImages, 2001.


LANGUAGE ARTSThe story of Buffalo Bird Woman, or Waheenee,tells about traditional life in a Hidatsa Village. Havestudents read Waheenee: An Indian Girl’s Story Toldby Herself and identify some of the traditional rolesof males and females in the village. What roles didchildren have?

POST-VISIT ACTIVITY #1 (suggested)ANOTHER POINT OF VIEW

Repeat the roleplay and cooperative activity from PRE-VISITACTIVITY #1. This time, instruct students to take the perspective ofa Plains Indian boy or girl. Given what they have learned from theirmuseum visit, have them complete the VENN DIAGRAM below.

VENN DIAGRAM

As a group or individually, have students compare their culture tothat of a traditional Plains Indian tribe.

CONFLICT RESOLUTION ACTIVITY

The year is 1872. The dwindling number of buffalo on the GreatPlains is having a dramatic affect on several groups of people. Intheir groups, have students debate a course of action agreeable to allgroups. Select one student as moderator. Assign the others one ofthe roles from page 15.

Did you know...many Plains Indianslived in family groupsthat included children,parents, grandparents,and in-laws?

HOMESTUDENTCHORESFAMILYSPORTS

EURO-AMERICANCULTURE

AMERICANINDIANCULTURE

Northwestern UniversityLibrary, Edward S. Curtis’“The North AmericanIndian”: the PhotographicImages, 2001.


The extended familycontinues to be animportant part of PlainsIndian life today.Young people learn torespect their elders fortheir experience, andolder family membersoften contribute toraising children. Today,Knife River IndianVillages NationalHistoric Site interpretsthe traditional aspectsof Plains Indian life andculture. See Appendixpage 27 for contactinformation.


ART AND MUSICAs students read Waheenee, ask them to makesketches of scenes from the book. What do theythink Waheenee’s house looked like? After they’vemade their drawings, compare them with the photosfrom Knife River Indian Villages NHM (Appendixpage 27).

BUFFALO HUNTERSWe get paid money for buffalohides. They are very valuableback east. Sometimes thesoldiers give us freeammunition.

SPORT HUNTERSWe love to hunt, especially thebuffalo. We ride out west onpassenger trains and shootthem right from the train.There is no shortage of buffalo.

FACTORY OWNERSWe need the hides from thebuffalo for the leather belts thatrun our machines. We will paygood money for as many hidesas we can get.

AMERICAN INDIANSThe Buffalo supply us withfood, shelter, and clothing. Thedwindling herds mean we haveless of what we need to meetour basic needs. These ranchershave so many cattle, couldn’twe have some for food?

SOLDIERSKilling off the buffalo willweaken rebellious AmericanIndians. The sooner we can dothis, the sooner we will havepeace on the frontier.

FARMERSBuffalo don’t bother us much.We collect the bones to be usedfor fertilizer and bone chinaback east. Sometimes theIndians beg us for food.

HISTORIANThe killing must stop. Buffalomust not become extinct. Setaside Yellowstone as a place topreserve the buffalo and thewilderness for the future.

MODERATORAssist the groups in coming toan agreeable solution. Allparties must benefit, and theresult must be peaceable.Record the process and resultson the board.

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ARTIFACT RECOVERY TO MUSEUM DISCOVERY

The object of this activity is for students to put events into logicalorder. Looking back at PRE-VISIT ACTIVITY #2, have groupsreexamine their collection of tools. Have them develop a SequenceChain to organize the tools into the order in which they are used for atask. Have them write a description of each item, when it was made,and how it is used.

COOPERATIVE LEARNING

The object of this activity is to debate the pros and cons of a proposedidea. Imagine that some wealthy benefactors have offered tocontribute two million dollars toward a museum for your community.Your community is divided into people who are for the museum andothers who are against it. Divide your class into groups. Assign eachgroup one of the roles from page 17 and have them read and discusstheir position. Next, have each group present its position to the classbefore allowing a debate on the best course of action for thecommunity.

POST-VISIT ACTIVITY #2 (suggested)

Did you know...tipis were owned bythe women in mostPlains Indian families,and they did most ofthe work in makingthem?

SHOVEL

SEEDS

WATERHOSE

HOE

RAKE

HOE

SEQUENCE CHAIN

SCIENCECreate an archaeological site with yourstudents. Bury “artifacts” in a given area forstudents to excavate. Teams of students worktogether to uncover items, document themwith words or drawings, and note theirrelationship to one another. What story dothe artifacts tell?

North

lake

fire pits

camp site

xxxxxx

x

cache ofarrow points

Figure A.

Northwestern UniversityLibrary, Edward S. Curtis’“The North AmericanIndian”: the PhotographicImages, 2001. (Figures A,B, and C)


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Nearly every part of atraditional tipi is madefrom buffalo, andsewing a tipi involvesmany steps. Traditionaltipi-making sufferedwith the exterminationof buffalo during the1800s; but today, somepeople still maketraditional hide tipis.The tipi on exhibit atJefferson NationalExpansion Memorial isan authentic replica of abuffalo hide tipi used bysome Plains Indiantribes during the 1800s.See Appendix page 27for contact information.


MATHHave students use graph paper to map theirexcavation site. Before digging, string a grid over thesite to help create coordinates. Have students createa scale, then draw simple maps showing whereobjects are found as they dig. Maps should showboth top and side views.

HISTORIANSThis collection of tools hashistorical significance. Theywere used to help build thiscommunity. A museum willgive the public a chance toappreciate their value and tolearn about their history.

ARCHIVISTSDocuments relating to thiscollection will be safe in ourarchives. We can help you tomaintain any photographs orrecords you collect about thiscollection.

COMMUNITY (FOR)Museums are important for acommunity. They provide jobsand educational opportunities.People will come from all overto visit, and that means touristdollars.

WEALTHY BENEFACTORSMuseums create strongcommunities. We’d like to giveyour community two milliondollars to build a state-of-the-art facility. If you cannot agreeon what you like, we can goelsewhere.

CURATORSExhibiting this collection in amuseum will expose it to theharmful effects of light andtemperature. Unless certainconditions are maintained, wefear the tools may deteriorate.

INTERPRETERSThese tools tell a story aboutthis community. The public willbenefit from seeing andlearning about them throughexhibits and hands-oneducation programs.

COMMUNITY (AGAINST)We don’t care about peoplecoming from all over to look atsome old tools. Tourists arenoisy and they cause trafficproblems. Save us theheadache—get rid of the tools.

MODERATORAssist the groups in coming toan agreeable solution. Allparties must benefit, and theresult must be peaceable.Record the process and resultson the board.

Figure B.

Figure C.


POST-VISIT ACTIVITY #3 (suggested)WHAT’S (OR WHO’S) IN A PLACE

The various Plains Indian tribes adapted to their region and theresources available. Tribes in other parts of the United States alsoadapted to the conditions and resources available in their region.Because each region is different, American Indian culture varies acrossthe continent.

MAPPING ACTIVITY

The object of this activity is to look at a region’s affects on the cultureand lifestyle of a group of people. In small groups, or as a class, look atthe map on Appendix page 28. Each region is characterized by certainclimatic conditions and natural resources that affect how groups ofpeople live there. With your class, discuss the following points:

LANGUAGE ARTSMost Plains Indian tribes have stories about how theearth was created and where their people came from.Have students read and compare creation storiesfrom several Plains Indian tribes. What are thesimilarities? What are the differences?

Did you know...Up until the 1800s, thehistory of most PlainsIndian tribes waspassed on throughstories and songs?

• What is the weather like?• What is the landscape like? Are there any defining features?• What types of building material would you use for a home?• What would you use to make clothing?• What is available to eat? What could you grow/raise?• What types of work would there be for people to do?• What would you do for fun?Northwestern University

Library, Edward S. Curtis’“The North AmericanIndian”: the PhotographicImages, 2001.


ART AND MUSICMusic and dance are an important part of PlainsIndian life. The video Fancy Dance: NativeAmerican Dance shows the historical significanceand development of contemporary American Indianfancy dancing. Have students watch Fancy Danceand try to replicate some of the steps. Create a fancydance costume for your classroom.

Much of what we knowabout Plains Indianhistory comes fromstories and songspassed on during the1800 and 1900s. Beforethen, the history ofPlains Indian people ispieced together fromarcheological evidence.The National ParkService Archeology andEthnography Programworks to preserve anddocument sites that tellthe story of America’sfirst people. SeeAppendix, page 27 forcontact information.


TIMELINE ACTIVITY

Through the study of history, we can often learn important lessonsand realize the far-reaching effects of our actions. For a basicunderstanding of a historical period, it is helpful to developtimelines. A timeline lets one look at the events which led up to acertain situation and the effects of it.

Have students research the following groups of Euro-Americanswho settled in the American West. Encourage students to create asequence chain or timeline by connecting the group with theappropriate time period.

CONFLICT RESOLUTION

As you can probably deduce from the mapping activity and timelineactivity you just completed, the land the pioneer settlers claimed wasalready occupied by Plains Indians. Think about the way the settlersused the land versus the way the Plains Indian tribes used the land.Hold a class debate between the two points of view and determinealternative ways of settling the West.

MOUNTAINMEN

FARMERS

GOLDMINERS

OVERLANDERS

1865-1890

COWBOYS

1820-1840

1849-1860

1840-1860

1870-1890

Plains Grass Dancer,c. late 1800sDrawing courtesyDave Sager


Historian – a person who studies the people, places, and events of the past

NATIONAL PARK CAREERSNational Park Service historians use primarysources, such as interviews and court records, tolearn about the history of national parks andhistoric sites. They go to school to learn how toconduct research, interviews, and writing abouttheir subject. NPS historians publish their workin professional journals and books.

AT JEFFERSON NATIONAL EXPANSION MEMORIAL (JEFF)The historian at JEFF researches and documents the history ofWestward Expansion and St. Louis’ role as Gateway to the West. Hisarticles about the Lewis and Clark expedition are published inmagazines, journals, and books. Movie and documentary producersconsult the JEFF historian to ensure the historical accuracy of theirwork. The JEFF historian also recorded park history by interviewingarchitects and construction workers on the Arch.

CAREERS

IN THE WESTTribal history is typically passed on through stories,songs, and pictographic records, such as the wintercount. Most Plains Indian tribes have an historianwho remembers, records, and passes on significantevents in tribal history.

Northwestern University Library,Edward S. Curtis’ “The NorthAmerican Indian”: thePhotographic Images, 2001.


IN THE WESTA tribe’s winter count is a documentedhistory passed down from one generationto the next. The keeper of the winter countis charged with the responsibility to protectand maintain the record for futuregenerations.

Archivist– a person who preserves and protects unpublished documents, such as maps,blueprints, and court records

NATIONAL PARK CAREERSNational Park Service archivists care forcollections of resources that tell thestory of parks and historical sites. Theygo to school to learn how to clean,catalogue, and store old documents andother materials.

AT JEFFERSON NATIONAL EXPANSION MEMORIAL (JEFF)The archivist at JEFF is responsible for a collection of photographs,letters, and other materials about Westward Expansion and St. Louis’role as Gateway to the West. Shehelps students, historians, andgenealogists to use the collectionfor their research. When the JEFFarchivist acquires new photos ordocuments, she must put theminto order and protect them fromthe deteriorating effects of heat,light, and moisture.

CAREERS


NPS Photo

NPS Photo


NATIONAL PARK CAREERSNational Park Service curators care for collectionsof artwork and artifacts in national parks andhistoric sites. They keep track of an NPS collectionby giving each item a number and writing adescription of it in a special catalog. NPS curatorsare trained to preserve collections against theeffects of light, humidity, and temperature. Theyalso help to develop exhibits that reflect their site'stheme.

AT JEFFERSON NATIONAL EXPANSION MEMORIAL (JEFF)The curator at JEFF maintains a collection of more than 600,000 itemsrelating to Westward Expansion and St. Louis history. This collectionincludes artwork, artifacts, and documents by and about American Indiansof the Great Plains. Some of these items are on display in the Museum ofWestward Expansion and the Old Courthouse, but many items arepreserved in special places to protect them from damage.

Curator – a person who documents, preserves, and maintains the collection of objects in amuseum's possession

CAREERS

IN THE WESTA tribe’s sacred medicine bundle contains acollection of special items handed down fromone generation to the next. The keeper of atribe’s medicine bundle is trusted to take careof the items and to tell the stories of eachitem’s power and importance to the people.


NPS Photo


AT JEFFERSON NATIONAL EXPANSION MEMORIAL (JEFF)Interpretive park rangers at JEFF tell the story of Westwardexpansion during the 1800s and St. Louis’ role in the growth of ournation. The ranger you meet for yourMuseum Education Program will be aninterpretive park ranger. He or she willuse photographs, museum exhibits, anditems from JEFF’s living historycollection to help you learn aboutAmerican Indians of the Great Plains.

NATIONAL PARK CAREERSInterpretive rangers are the voice of an NPSsite. They “tell the story” of their site’s naturaland cultural significance. An interpretiveranger may portray an historic character orpresent a slide show about a subject related toa park’s theme. Interpretive rangers receivespecial training to help them research anddevelop programs to present to the public.

Interpretive Park Ranger – a park ranger who “tells the story” of an NPS site to help visitorsunderstand and appreciate its significance

CAREERS

IN THE WESTStories are an important part of PlainsIndian culture. Winter is the traditionaltime for elders to pass on the storiesabout a tribe’s origins, history, and placein the world.

NPS Photo

NPS Photo


CHARACTER EDUCATIONINTEGRITY

Integrity is similar to honesty. It also means a completeness or wholeness of character. Actingwith integrity means doing your best in a job even if there is no one there to watch you. Forexample, if you were given the job of cleaning your bedroom, you would clean it as thoroughly onyour own as if one of your parents were watching you work.Have your students read the chapter “Learning to Work” in Gilbert Wilson’s book Waheenee: AnIndian Girl’s Story. Have students identify some of the jobs Waheenee learns to do. Use thefollowing questions to examine and discuss the degree of integrity in each character.

After discussing the above questions, have students divide into four groups. Each group willdevelop a role play to act out a scene from the chapter demonstrating how Waheenee worked withintegrity. Have two roleplays demonstrate acting with integrity, and two roleplays demonstratinga lack of integrity. Students may present their roleplays to the rest of the class.

• What does Waheenee like about doing her work?• What does Waheenee not like about doing her work?• How helpful does Waheenee describe herself as being?• How helpful would you describe her as being? Explain your answer.• Do you think Waheenee was acting with integrity? Why or why not?• What would you say to Waheenee if you working were with her or

with someone like her?


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�


PRE-VISIT ACTIVITY #1Exploration and Enrichment

For more information on this park, contact:




For more information on this program, contact:

Badlands National ParkP.O. Box 6Interior, SD 57750(605) 433-5361Fax (605) 433-5248www.nps.gov/badl

Alibates Flint Quarries National MonumentP.O. Box 1460Fritch, TX 79036(806) 857-3151Fax (806) 857-2319www.nps.gov/alfl

APPENDIX

Teaching with Historic Placeshttp://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/twhp/nov99.htm

Homestead National Monument of America8523 W. State Highway 4Beatrice, NE 68310(402) 223-3514Fax (402) 228-4231

MUSEUM EXPERIENCEExploration and Enrichment



Knife River Indian Villages National Historic SiteP.O. Box 9Stanton, ND 58571-0009(701) 745-3309Fax (701) 745-3708www.nps.gov/knri

APPENDIX

Jefferson National Expansion Memorial11 North 4th StreetSt. Louis, MO 63102(314) 644-1600Fax (314) 644-1642www.nps.gov/jeff

POST-VISIT ACTIVITY #1Exploration and Enrichment





For more information on this program, contact:

National Park Service Archeology and Ethnography Programhttp://www.cr.nps.gov/aad/INDEX.HTM


POST-VISIT ACTIVITY #3Mapping Activity

APPENDIX


PARK RANGERS RECOMMEND THESE BOOKS

For Students:Bruchac, Joseph. A Boy Called Slow; The True Story of Sitting Bull. New York, NY: Philomel,

1996.Bruchac, Joseph and London, Jonathan. Thirteen Moons On Turtle’s Back: A Native American

Year of Moons. New York, NY: Putnam and Grossett Publishing, 1992.Goble, Paul. Iktomi and the Buzzard; A Plains Indian Story. New York, NY: Orchard Books,

1994.Terry, Michael. Daily Life in a Plains Indian Village, 1868. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin

Company, 1999.

For Teachers:Linderman, Frank D. Pretty Shield: Medicine Woman of the Crows. Lincoln, NE: University of

Nebraska Press. 2003.Neihardt, John G. Black Elk Speaks: Being the Life Story of a Holy Man of the Oglala Sioux.

Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press, 1988.Tomkins, William. Indian Sign Language. New York, NY: Dover Publications, Inc., 1969.Van Laan, Nancy. In a Circle Long Ago: A Treasury of Native Lore from North America. NewYork,

NY: Knopf Publishing, 1993.Wilson, Gilbert. Waheenee: An Indian Girl’s Story Told by Herself. Lincoln, NE: Bison Books,

1981.

READING LIST


Museum Gazettes

Internet

ADDITIONAL RESOURCESTraveling Trunk Plains Indians

Jefferson National Expansion Memorial11 North Fourth StreetSt. Louis, MO 63102-1810(314) 655-1635

“The Center of the Cosmos: The Sacred Pipe”“The Golden Eagle and the American Indians of

the Plains”“Oh Woman Remember: The Memories of

Buffalo Bird Woman”“Sacagawea and Her Prismatic Story”“Seas of Grass: The Prairies and Westward

Expansion”Jefferson National Expansion Memorial11 North Fourth StreetSt. Louis, MO 63102-1810(314) 655-1600

Our address on the World Wide Web is:www.nps.gov/jeffJefferson National Expansion Memorial11 North Fourth StreetSt. Louis, MO 63102-1810(314) 655-1635

For more information on the National ParkService, visit their home page at :www.nps.gov


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