Indigenous Literature English Assignments
Table of Contents:
Reading & Writing
Misc. Projects
Reading & Writing Opportunities
Indigenous Literature Unit (2023-2024)
Spreadsheet for Possible Points
This was part of the daily lessons for English class 2023-2024, but you can still look at the slides and do the assignments!
The Dance House, short stories by Joseph Marshall III
The Dance House: Stories from Rosebud, by Joseph Marshall III
This is a collection of Marshall's short stories, all based around life on Rosebud, a Lakota Sioux Indian Reservation in South Dakota. Joseph Marshall is an enrolled member of the tribe.
Choose a story from this collection and complete a
REAP (Read, Encode, Annotate, Ponder) Sheet
or up to 6 points each.
Read,
Encode (summarize),
Annotate,
Ponder
Stories:
"Oliver's Silver Dollar" p. 1
"Lure of the Holy Iron" p. 203
"The Myth of the Hunter/Warrior or Men Did the Dangerous Work, Women the Impossible" p. 159
"White Lore" p. 189
"The Bloodlines of Heritage" p. 145
"Cozy by the Fire" p. 27
"Buffalo Grass" p. 175
"The Birthday Turtle" p. 129
"Pride" p. 113
"When the Grasses Talk" p. 101
"The Dance House" p. 85
"Nelson and Star" p. 51
"1965 Continental" p. 69
![](https://www.google.com/images/icons/product/drive-32.png)
Anishinaabe Syndicated: A View from the Rez by Jim Northrup
This book is a group of non-fiction essays written by Jim Northrup, an Anishinaabe writer from Minnesota's Fond du Lac Reservation. He's very well known in northern Minnesota, and across the United States.
Mr. Northrup writes with humor (and sometimes bitter humor) with a keen eye about what it means to be a modern Indian and Veteran living in the world today.
This book is divided into THIRTEEN different essays. You may read one essay or all thirteen, or anything in between, for points.
For each essay, do the following for UP TO 6 points:
1. Read the essay and annotate (take notes on your Questions, Predictions, Evaluations, Connections, Comments) using either notebook paper, sticky notes, or an annotation sheet (below in files). You should have approximately 15 annotations per essay. THIS PART IS WORTH 2 POINTS.
2. Look up FIVE words that are new to you, or used in a new way. Complete the Vocab Sheet (below in files). THIS PART IS WORTH 1 POINT.
3. Write your own response to Northrup's essay: Do you agree? Disagree? What did you like the most? What, if anything, offended you? Have you experienced something similar?
Your response should be word-processed, spelled correctly, have indented paragraphs, and your name and date at the top. You should have at least five paragraphs, and it should be edited and double-spaced. THIS PART IS WORTH 3 POINTS.
How to Annotate
Vocabulary Log: Also required!
![](https://www.google.com/images/icons/product/drive-32.png)
Choose which method of annotating you wish: You have TWO options:
Indigenous Novel Projects
Miscellaneous Assignments
Standing Rock (2016)
Click here to view the Standing Rock Research Project from 2016
Indigenous Music Responses
Articles
https://www.grimygoods.com/2022/10/10/indigenous-native-american-indie-bands-artists-to-hear/
https://www.pbs.org/independentlens/blog/rumble-on-more-native-american-musicians-you-should-know/
https://ictnews.org/archive/australia-standing-rock-videos-indigenous-artist-need-know-nahko-bear
Videos
Nataanii Means
“The Radical” (youtube video)
Tanya Tagaq
“Colonizer” (youtube video)
Halluci Nation
“When We Fly” (youtube video)
Trixie Mattel
“Hello Hello” (youtube video)
Elisapie
“Arnaq” (youtube video)
Tia Wood
“Put Your Head on my Shoulder Native Version” (youtube video)
Sihasin
“Fight Like a Woman” (Spotify audio)
“We the People” (video)
Ailani
“Honestly” (youtube video)
Digging Roots
“Skoden” (youtube video)
Snotty Nose Rez Kids
“Boujee Natives” (youtube video)
Frank Waln
“My Stone” (youtube video)
“Rebel Music: Native America” (Youtube video)
Jeremy Dutcher
“Mehcinut” (youtube video)
“Pomok naka Poktoinskwes” (youtube video)
DJ Kookum
DJ Kookum showcase at Womxn Rising Conference 2020 (youtube video)
Piqsiq
“Altering the Timeline” (youtube video)
Saltwater Hank
“I’m Going to Throw My Shovel As Hard as I Can” (youtube video)
Amanda Rheume
“The Spaces In Between” (youtube video)
Cris Derksen
“Round Dance” (youtube video)
Wab Kinew
“Last Word” (youtube video)
Opliam
“Land Back” (youtube video)
Kelly Jackson
“Wake Up” (youtube video)
https://ictnews.org/archive/up-where-she-belongs-buffy-sainte-marie-making-first-album-in-6-years
https://www.cbc.ca/music/6-indigenous-artists-you-need-to-know-in-2021-1.6067395
https://online.berklee.edu/takenote/10-indigenous-musicians-you-should-listen-to-now/
https://medleymag.wordpress.com/2015/10/27/15-contemporary-native-american-musicians/
Lila Downs
La Linea (youtube video)
Arigon Starr
“Please Don’t Touch the Indians” (youtube video)
Prolific the Rapper & A Tribe Called Red
“Black Snakes” (youtube video)
Keith Secola
“Indian Car” (youtube video)
Cary Morin
Acoustic live sampler (youtube video)
Nahko
“Build a Bridge” (youtube video)
“Love Letters to God” (youtube video)
Supaman
“Prayer Loop Song” (youtube video)
“Under the Big Sky” (youtube video)
“Allright” (featuring Neenah) (youtube video)
Buffy Sainte-Marie
“Starwalker” (youtube video)
“Universal Soldier” retrospective (youtube video)
“Universal Soldier” (youtube video)
Jayli Wolf
“Child of the Government” (youtube video)
“Hush” (youtube video)
Morgan Toney
“Msit No’kmaq” (youtube video)
Laura Niquay
“Moteskano” (youtube video)
J25
“Indigenous” (youtube video)
Haatali
“Land of Poor Chance” (youtube video)
Black Belt Eagle Scout
“Soft Stud” (youtube video)
Punahele
“Do Your Homework” (youtube video)
T-Rhyme
“Revitalize” (youtube video)
Terry Ururak
“Inuit Nunangat” (youtube video)
Raye Zaragoza
“Run with the Wolves” (youtube video)
“American Dream” (youtube video)
“Fight Like a Girl” (youtube video)
Mic Jordan
“Dear Native Youth” (youtube video)
Pamyua
Interview and musical snippets (youtube video)
Nadjiwan
“The Gift” (youtube video)