American Indian Heritage Resources

Webinar for Teacher presented by PBS Utah & UEN
An in-depth look at educational resources and programming in honor of Native American Heritage Month

Indigenous Reads by Indigenous Writers: A Children’s Reading List
This list of 14 recommended children’s books by Indigenous writers and illustrators was curated by The Conscious Kid Library and American Indians in Children’s Literature, in partnership with Brooklyn Children’s Museum.

The Mountain West Brings Native Lessons To The Classroom
At a Colorado library recently, its Department of Education unveiled a brand new set of lessons for 4th graders.

American Indian History and Culture
Smithsonian Institution's extensive collection of resources related to Native American heritage and culture.

Native American Stories
Reading Rocket's list of Native American Indian stories.

Wisdom of the Elders
Radio series featuring elders, historians, storytellers, artists, and leaders from thirteen American Indian Nations along the Lewis and Clark trail.

Teaching Young Children about Native Americans
This online article discusses the prevalence of stereotypes and classroom strategies for teaching about cultural diversity among Native Americans.

Native American Leather and Clothes
Detailed images of various tribes' clothing and accessories.

American Indians in Children's Literature
Debbie Reese's blog has lists of books for various age groups that accurately portray American Indians. (Right column under the IF YOU'RE STARTING A LIBRARY... section.)

National Native American Heritage Month
The Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum join in paying tribute to the rich ancestry and traditions of Native Americans.

Indian Country Today – 5 Ways to Celebrate Native American Heritage Month
To mark November being Native American Heritage Month, here are some suggestions for how to celebrate from Indian Country Today newspaper.

National Endowment for the Humanities
National Native American Heritage Month Resources developed by EDSITEment or supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities, we have highlighted new and classic lessons; upcoming professional development opportunities for teachers; documentary films available to stream; podcasts; interactive games; vetted websites; and archives of primary sources.

New Books in Native American Studies
The New Books Network is a consortium of podcasts dedicated to raising the level of public discourse by introducing serious authors to serious audiences.

The Utah State Board of Education Indian Education
The Utah State Board of Education’s (USBE) American Indian website serves as a guideline to facilitate and support in building a framework for program awareness and success. It will guide investigators based on current research, state, and federal requirements the information necessary that address the American Indian/Alaskan Natives in Utah.

Native American and Alaska Native Heritage Month: NEA Lesson Plans Grades K-5
Explore Native American Culture with the Following Lessons, Activities, and Resources

Native American Cultures Across the U.S.
Grades K-2
This lesson discusses the differences between five Native American tribes within the U.S. Students learn about customs and traditions and the regions where the tribes live.

Explore Pueblo Pots
Grades K-4
In this hands-on activity, students will learn the meaning of imagery on two Pueblo pots by examining images and reading short excerpts from Native American folklore.

Native Americans Today
Grades 3-5
This lesson challenges students' views of Native Americans as a vanished people by asking them to compare their prior knowledge with information they gather while reading about contemporary Native Americans.

Not "Indians," Many Tribes: Native American Diversity
Grades 3-5
In this unit of five lessons, students heighten their awareness of Native American diversity as they learn about three vastly different Native groups in a game-like activity using archival documents.

Pourquoi Stories: Creating Tales to Tell Why
Grades 3-5
Pourquoi tales are narratives developed by various cultures around the world to explain natural phenomena. Students study three tales and learn about their cultures of origin, then work cooperatively to write and present an original pourquoi tale.

Ute Indians: Past and Present
4th Grade
Students will become familiar with the Ute Indians both past and present.

The Fremont People
4th Grade
After learning about the Fremont people, students will make their own Fremont-Style pottery.

Native American and Alaska Native Heritage Month: NEA Lesson Plans Grades 6-8
Explore Native American Culture with the Following Lessons, Activities, and Resources

Myth and Truth: The "First Thanksgiving"
Grades 6-8
By exploring myths surrounding the Wampanoag, the pilgrims, and the "First Thanksgiving," this lesson asks students to think critically about commonly believed myths regarding the Wampanoag Indians in colonial America.

Circle of Stories Lesson Plans
Grades 6-12
Students will examine the complex and rich oral tradition of Native American storytelling, create their own stories to share, explore indigenous and Native American cultures and the issues which face them today.

How the Miss Navajo Competition Reflects the Ingenuity and Culture of the Navajo People
7th Grade
The student will be able to understand how the skills necessary to win the Miss Navajo competition reflect the ingenuity and culture of the Navajo people.

Native American and Alaska Native Heritage Month: NEA Lesson Plans Grades 9-12
Explore Native American Culture with the Following Lessons, Activities, and Resources

Making Connections to Myth and Folktale: The Many Ways to Rainy Mountain
Grades 9-12
Following the model of N. Scott Momaday's The Way To Rainy Mountain, students write three-voice narratives based on Kiowa folktales, an interview with an Elder, and personal connections to theme.

Indigenous Music From Wounded Knee to the Billboard Charts
Grades 6-12
In this lesson, students are introduced first to Pat Vegas and Redbone by way of interviews and music from RUMBLE. They then look back to the late 19th century to consider the significance of Redbone’s success. Students will use clips from the film, as well as a set of seven source documents to assess the U.S. government’s attempt to control Native American populations by way of culture, particularly music.

The Indigenous Roots of Rock and Roll
Grades 6-12
In this lesson, students watch clips from RUMBLE: The Indians Who Rocked The World and explore Link Wray’s position as an influence on later Hard Rock and Heavy Metal musicians. Students will investigate the history of the Shawnee Tribe, and use Wray as a case study to consider what life might have been like for a Shawnee in the American South during the early 20th Century. Finally, students debate ways Wray’s early life might have contributed to his future musical achievements–particularly “Rumble.”

Debating Cultural Appropriation
Grades 6-12
In this lesson, students will engage in a structured academic controversy to address the question, “should appropriation of Native American cultural practices be regulated by law?” Working in small groups, students will consider cultural appropriation in varying degrees by watching RUMBLE clips of African American “Mardi Gras Indian Tribes” from New Orleans, viewing images of sports logos, controversial fashion items, and consulting divergent viewpoints in regards to each.

The Music Behind the Red Power Movement
Grades 6-12
In this lesson, students are introduced to the activist music of Buffy Sainte-Marie, Peter La Farge, and Johnny Cash, as well as the Native American Red Power movement of the 1960s and 1970s. By analyzing clips from RUMBLE: The Indians Who Rocked The World and examining historical documents, students will gain a deeper understanding of the history of Native American social movements, their tactics, the dangers they might have posed to the Federal Government, and the ways music might have contributed to their goals.

Negotiating Native Identity Through Art and Music
Grades 6-12
In this lesson, students begin by examining the ways their sense of identity might be affected by social pressures associated with different spaces. By watching clips from RUMBLE, students then discover how musicians Robbie Robertson, Stevie Salas, and Taboo have negotiated their Native identities, and compare these musician’s journeys with those of earlier Native Americans.