THE BLACK HILLS CURRICULUM
The Black Hills:
A Case Study in the Effects of Western
Expansion on the Lakota Nation
Driving Question: What were the
reasons for U.S. expansion westward, and how did this impact Native
Americans?
Summary:
The unit on Native Americans will examine the years between 1850 and
1900, concentrating on the Dakota territories.
Students will consider the reasons for U.S expansion westward and the
impact of expansion on Native Americans. A case example of white
encroachment into
the Black
Hills region and the
lands of
the
Dakota Sioux will be central to this curriculum.
Objectives: Student
will...
- Describe the impact that white
encroachment had on Native Americans by showing former Indian lands
compared to Indian wars, cessions, and current Reservation lands.
- Narrate the process of
treaty-making & -breaking by
the US government in the Dakotas, using evidence
from
documents and GIS maps.
- Clarify the relation between
treaty-making & -breaking and the mineral wealth and agricultural
opportunities
of the area.
- Explain how white settlers
reached the Dakota territory by showing how trails and railroads led to
areas with
mineral and agricultural resources.
- Analyze inconsistent labeling and
inclusion of Native Americans in the US Census, and will reflect on how
these patterns mirror the concerns and attitudes of the white
population at the time.
Materials: Students will be
given an interactive
mapping environment and an online
library of
primary source documents to explore.
Activities: View Curriculum
Document