Indian Land Tenure Curriculum > 3-5 Curriculum > Standard 1 > Curriculum Summary

Standard One Curriculum Summary

Grades: Third - Fifth

Standard One Goal: Students will develop knowledge and understanding of traditional American Indian land-related values and special relationships to land that formed the foundation for Indian cultural identity and sense of place on earth.

Rationale: The survival and successful continuation of American Indian tribal societies is dependent upon their abilities to know and retain special connections to their homelands.

This is because traditions, origin stories and prayers that provide tribal uniqueness and identity are so often based upon special places, land-related incidents or natural gifts from the land. Additionally, tribal societies were once supported and sustained by their lands and may wish to again prosper in homelands that support the existence of those special places and natural gifts from the earth.

Lesson 1: Develop knowledge of various tribal origin stories.
Achievement Goal: Retell several tribal origin stories and respectfully discuss similarities and differences.

There are as many different origin stories as there are different cultures and peoples. Each group of people has their own beliefs about how the world and universe came to be. The origin stories relate how the universe and the earth were created and how time and space were established. In this lesson the students will learn about origin stories of other tribes and how to demonstrate respect for others’ beliefs.

Lesson 2: Learn about the origin of a tribal community.
Achievement Goal: Learn about the origins and history of several tribal communities, including one’s own.

Many reservations were established when American Indian tribes signed treaties with the United States government. Some reservations were reserved for one tribe only. Other reservations became home to several American Indian tribes who had never shared land before. Some tribes never moved to a reservation or their reservations were taken away from them. The students will listen to a tribal resource person and research the history of a local Indian community from the days before the treaties to the present day.

Lesson 3: Identify “gifts of nature” that exist in the community environment.
Achievement Goal: Prepare a list of “gifts from nature” and present a photo story about these gifts.

In this lesson, students will be asked to think about the useful items or materials nature provides to people and animals.

Lesson 4: Know ways of being respectful caretakers of community environments.
Achievement Goal: Describe ways students and their families can provide respectful care for the environment to ensure it is healthy for future generations.

Students will think about and discuss the Indian proverb “We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors. We borrow it from our children.” They will also be asked to discuss the traditional principle that plants, animals, and other aspects of the environment are relatives and should be treated as such. Students will learn what it means to be a good relative – to their families and to the community environment.

Lesson 5: Identify things that make one’s community and the land around it special.
Achievement Goal: Identify things, buildings, landmarks or landscapes in the community that tell a story about the community’s history.

A long time ago, peoples’ homes and special places were not identified by a street address. People remembered where places were using stories, memories, and other landmarks or places. In this lesson, students will find and research the oldest landmark or structure in a community or certain area. Learning more about this landmark, they will uncover interesting stories about their community and how that community is special to the people who live there.