Indian Land Tenure Curriculum > 3-5 Curriculum > Standard 4 > Lesson 2

Achievement Goal: Research the ways in which leaders are elected and appointed within the tribe, and how the members of the community can see that leaders are being good stewards of the lands.

Time: One class period

Core: Civics/Government

Background: Tribal leaders are elected to effectively address tribal members’ needs. If land management and care is a concern of leaders, land stewardship will be an important tribal activity. Tribal members should communicate their thoughts and ideas about land stewardship to tribal leaders. In this lesson, students will learn about the election process, select a tribal leader and write to them.

Preparation:

• Materials from the tribal office regarding election of tribal leaders.
• Tribal website (if one exists).

Student Activity:

• Discuss with the students what an election process is and why people choose representatives whom they trust will carry out the public interest.
• Explain to students that an election of tribal leaders is a chance for people to “hire” others in the community to work for the public interest. These elections are usually structured so that the people who win the most votes become the tribal leaders.
• Have the students brainstorm about the qualities of the perfect tribal leader. Put all of the suggestions on the board. Then tell the students that they will vote on the most important qualities. The students may debate for or against a quality before the vote. Ask the children to close their eyes and as you say each trait, have the students raise their hand if they are voting for that quality. Tally the responses and circle the winning qualities.
• Ask the students to each select one tribal leader that they learned about in Lesson 1 of this standard.
• Instruct the students to write a letter to the tribal leader they selected. In addition to reminding students how to format a letter, encourage them to ask questions of their leaders and offer suggestions. For example, some questions may include:
• What is being done to acquire or protect tribal lands?
• What is proper land ‘stewardship’ from the leader’s perspective?
• What is the leader’s vision of the reservation and tribe’s future?
• Give the students an opportunity to put a special design around the border of their letter.
• After reviewing the letters, send them to the tribal office. Include a cover letter to ask that the letters be distributed to the leader(s) selected. Mention that a response to the students would be greatly appreciated.

Evaluation:

• By reviewing the student’s letter, evaluate their understanding of the responsibilities of tribal leaders. Assess their ability to write polite and respectful inquiries.

Resources:

• Internet