Matt

Sorry it's late...been out of town.

I feel that the presentations on wednesday were very informative and educational. I learned a lot doing my own presentation and listening to others and a lot of the information was new to me and very interesting.

I think that for the future, the idea of having a classroom pow wow would be fun. We could invite native americans to help us out with the formalities and just have a celebration of being together...or maybe as an end of semester get together to celebrate the class being done.

Sabrina

I felt that for the most part the presentations given on Wednesday were very informative and interesting.

I found the information on the boarding schools very interesting.  I knew that they had existed, but I did not know how much of an atrocity they were.

While preparing my presentation I learned much about the names of the tribes in Montana.  It was very interesting to see how their sign language was misinterpreted.

I think the suggestion of journaling is great and could be modified to work well with a variety of grade levels.   I think a field trip to a Pow Wow would be an incredible teaching tool as well.   In class activities such as learning some Native American sign language and building drums could also be effective teaching tools.

Nicole

I learned a lot about Native Americans on Wednesday. I knew that they had hard times, but I never knew the harsh things they had to go through. I can't believe that the whites put Indian children into what was basiclly a work camp and took their identity. It must have been so sad to be taken away from home and live in such hard living conditions. I also learned how special a Indian Pow Wow was to the Native Americans. The music, traditions, and dance are very similar to how it was many years ago. In PE, an activity idea is to have the students learn and preform an Indian dance. Another idea is to have the students play traditional Indian games that the Native Americans partake in.

Angie

I learned a lot of new information about the Indian Education For All program after doing my own presentation and listening to others. I did my presentation on the differing viewpoints in history between the Indians and the Non-Indians. I learned that teachers are going to have to work very hard to give both versions of our nation’s history; just teaching strictly from a textbook is no longer going to suffice. I also learned a lot about the Indian Boarding Schools. I took the Native American Studies Class my freshman year, where my teacher talked about the ones here in Montana. But, I had know idea where they originated from. My teacher talked a lot about the toll it took on their mental health, and I can only imagine how difficult it must have been for them. Some different activity ideas that I have for my students is to have an Indian tribe come and do a powwow for my students. I like the idea of a tribe coming to the school, because it would reassure me that they really want to share their culture with us. I would also like my students to study and maybe even make some Native American Instruments (i.e. a drum, rhythm maker, etc...).

Ben

In my research I was able to explore the official definition of 'Tribal Sovereignty.' I found that not all tribes have the same rights as others and the extent of those rights is severely limited by the US Government. Some tribes are allowed to establish laws that overrule state laws such as hunting/fishing regulations and gambling regulations. Other tribes are only given say in matters that directly affect the tribe such as membership and government structure. Another interesting fact i came across is that some tribes choose to govern in a traditional sense where others have a more conventional, modern government body. Some activities I thought of: 1 Research a tribal government and compare it to its historical government. 2 Watch a movie/documentary on that tribe and determine how accurate it was in its portrayal of its government structure.

Morgan

During the presentations I learned a number of new bits of information that I did not know about Native Americans. By the way good job everyone on those! So, just two things that I learned yesterday: Is that the history told by whites is different than the history told by native Americans of how things happened in the beginning. Another thing I learned is that there is no genetic American Indian, all tribes and individuals are different, no two are the same. Ways to promote native Americans education into activities for a class you could havethe students place on a map where all the different tribes in Montana are located and the helps with mapping and learning the tribes that share Montana lands with us. You, could also have the students write a small essay or paper showing some of the different cultures of native Americans.

Brenna

After listening to other presentations and doing some research on my own the importance of teaching Native American history and culture was reinforced. I never thought of communication difficulties that might exist between tribes and how they managed to create a system for communication in order to trade. I was very surprised to find that these sign language systems still exist and are struggling to stay alive. Unfortunately I was not able to watch every presentation but from the one I saw, I learned a lot about the boarding school system that was put into place. As discussed in class, journaling would be a great way for kids to reflect and have a chance to know what it might feel like to be away from their family in a boarding school. Creating Native American based pow wow dances or sign language stories are also a great way to introduce the 7 Essential understandings of of Indian Education. Making connections to contemporary Native American issues is also very important as students need to understand that Native American culture and peoples are not something of the past.

Brenna

I believe that it is incredibly important to have Indian Education for All. It not only gives the Native American students in a class to have a chance to share their heritage, it makes all of us aware of Montana's history. Growing up in Montana, I have taken many classes on Montana history and Native American culture and I believe that they have helped me to understand the place where I live and the history. Understanding the native culture, regardless of where you are is important.

Ben

Any attempt to educate students of the many cultures on this planet is a worthy cause. The Indian Education for All Act is a great beginning and a perfect example for what the future should hold. I feel it is very important for today's youth to know the history of this country and it's roots.

Sabrina

I believe that having a rounded education is important, so I would agree that the Indian Education for All is a worthy cause. I also believe, however, that multi-cultural education in general is terribly neglected in our school systems. If the lack of Native American studies is a concern I believe that the lack of studies of other prominent (and more obscure) cultures should also be a concern.

Matt

In attending schools in Bozeman ever since I was in kindergarden, I've experienced a lot of education about Native Americans. My freshman year of high school was the year that they instated that all freshman take a Montana Studies/Global Studies course...and most of the focus for the Montana Studies class was typically about Native Americans. I think that it is important for us to learn about it in the University scene as well because we do counter more ethnic differences than I did throughout my public school years. Indian Education for All is important because of where we live, but it makes me wonder if this is happening in other places around the globe.

Angie

I feel that the Indian Education For All is a great idea. It is important for students (Indian or not) to learn the history of both our country and the state of Montana. However, I have some concerns about every reservation giving information for Montana teachers to use. If we as teachers receive information from one tribe that contradicts another tribe we are left in a tight spot. I wonder if the reservations work amongst themselves to make sure this problem does not occur? The cost of this program is also a concern to me. But, only time will show if Indian Education For All is worth the money and efforts.

Morgan

My reaction to the idea that all schools have to have Indian education put into the curriculum is strange. I personally don't get why it is mandatory, but I feel that it is a great idea to give people more knowledge on their culture. I think though that it should be optional. I think there should be more of an area to learn about all different culture not just the native american culture.

Nicole

I feel that Indian Education in schools is very important. A huge part of not only Montana's history but also population involves Native Americans. I feel educating our students will not only keep Native americans in school, but also make them feel more comfortable attending and maybe lower the drop out rate.

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