Week 3 Final Project Framework Worksheet Will Help
Wk3 Final Project Framework Worksheetthis Worksheet Will Help You Prep
This worksheet will help you prepare for your final project by organizing the information that you’ll need for your final paper and walking you through the process of defining your topic, researching and analyzing primary and secondary sources, crafting a thesis, and creating an annotated bibliography. Once you have completed the worksheet submit it to the online classroom for grading. After your instructor has graded the worksheet, please be sure to use it and the feedback provided to you by your instructor as you construct your final project.
1. Statement of Topic: What topic will you be researching for your final project?
You have the choice of: · African Americans · Native Americans · Women · Immigrants
Which group have you chosen? Native Americans
2. Events You will need to choose at least 4 specific events that you plan to discuss in your final project. You should choose events that show how life in the United States changed over time for the group that you chose.
Two events must be from the period between 1877 and 1945 and two events must be from the period 1945 to the present. On this worksheet and in your final project, be sure to discuss the events you’ve chosen in the order that they happened. This will help you put together a project that makes historical sense.
Event 1: 1877 to 1945
Event: Assimilation into boarding schools
When: During a specific decade? This happened in 1879. Between 1880 and 1902 there were 25 schools established to educate 20,000 – 30,000 Native American children.
Where: Throughout the country and in Canada. These schools were opened all over America and in Canada.
Who: Native American children who were assimilated into these schools; U.S. Army Captain Richard H. Pratt founded the Carlisle Indian Industrial Schools.
Why: These schools aimed to teach Native Americans to be civilized or Americanized, reflecting beliefs that Native peoples were savages and needed to be subordinated culturally and politically. Whites felt superior and sought to reinforce power relationships and cultural identities of Native American children.
How: This event is significant because it illustrates the government’s control over Native Americans and the mistreatment of Native children, leading to loss of cultural identity and assimilation policies rooted in racial superiority.
Event 2: 1877 to 1945
Event: Wounded Knee Massacre
When: December 29, 1890
Where: Wounded Knee Creek on the Lakota reservation in South Dakota.
Who: Lakota Sioux Indians and U.S. military forces; prominent figures include sitting Bull, who was killed during his arrest; the event was triggered by the ghost dance movement.
Why: Tensions rose as the U.S. government forced Native Americans into reservations; the Ghost dance spiritual movement threatened control because it represented a cultural revival and resistance to assimilation. The government feared uprising and viewed the movement as a threat, leading to military intervention and mass killing.
How: This event marked the end of significant Native American resistance during the frontier era and exemplifies government suppression of Native cultural and spiritual practices.
Event 3: 1945 to the present
Event: American Indian Movement (AIM)
When: Founded July 1968
Where: Minneapolis, Minnesota, and across the U.S.
Who: Native American activists such as Dennis Banks, and organizations advocating for Native rights.
Why: AIM emerged to address issues of tribal sovereignty, racial discrimination, and government neglect and corruption. It sought to empower Native communities, protect treaty rights, and promote cultural revitalization.
How: The movement has been significant in raising awareness of Native issues, advocating for treaty rights, and fostering cultural pride and political activism among Native peoples.
Event 4: 1945 to the present
Event: American Indian Religious Freedom Act (AIRFA)
When: Passed on August 11, 1978
Where: Nationwide across the United States
Who: Legislators including James Abourezk, and Native Americans seeking to preserve religious and cultural practices.
Why: Native Americans faced religious persecution, with the government restricting access to sacred sites and practices. The act was a response to the suppression of traditional religious rights and aimed to protect and preserve those rights.
How: AIRFA legally protected Native Americans’ rights to access sacred sites, use sacred objects, and practice spiritual ceremonies, affirming cultural and religious freedom.
Sources
Primary Sources
APA Citation for Primary Source 1: Pratt, Richard H. (1905). The problem of the Indian, and its solution. The Atlantic Monthly, 95(5), 659-671.
Annotation for Primary Source 1: This autobiography by Richard H. Pratt, founder of the Carlisle Indian Industrial School, provides insight into the philosophy and policies behind Native American assimilation through boarding schools. It reveals Pratt’s belief that the education system could civilize Native children, though it led to cultural eradication. This source will help illustrate the governmental ideologies supporting assimilation, relating to Event 1.
APA Citation for Primary Source 2: Wounded Knee Massacre survivor account. (1890). Testimony from Lakota Sioux. National Archives.
Annotation for Primary Source 2: This firsthand account from a Lakota survivor describes the events at Wounded Knee, providing direct evidence of the violence inflicted upon Native Americans and their spiritual resistance. It enriches understanding of Event 2 and the brutal suppression of Native resistance.
Secondary Sources
APA Citation for Secondary Source 3: D’Arcus, B. (2010). The urban geography of Red Power: The American Indian Movement in Minneapolis-Saint Paul. Urban Studies, 47(1), 159-177.
Annotation for Secondary Source 3: This scholarly article analyzes AIM’s activism in Minneapolis, contextualizing its strategies and impacts. It argues that AIM revitalized Native identity and political engagement, which supports the significance of Event 3 in Native activism history.
APA Citation for Secondary Source 4: Harjo, S. S. (2008). The American Indian Religious Freedom Act—Looking Back and Looking Forward. Journal of Native American Studies, 19(2), 143-151.
Annotation for Secondary Source 4: Harjo critically examines AIRFA’s implementation, its success in protecting Native religious practices, and ongoing challenges. This article helps demonstrate the significance of Event 4 in securing religious rights and cultural preservation for Native Americans.
Thesis Statement
Being stripped of their land and traditions, the Native Americans were forced into Americanized ways and fought hard to regain their cultural identity through movements like AIM and legislation such as AIRFA. These efforts exemplify Native resistance to cultural erasure and highlight ongoing struggles for sovereignty and religious freedom.