10th Grade ELA
Fire Keeper's Daughter
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie allows teachers and students to explore contemporary issues and universal themes such as identity and coming of age. Some suggestions for doing so in a culturally responsive manner are included in the document below. The first youtube clip presents an interview with Alexie explaining autobiographical connections with the novel. The second clip is a TED Talk by another member of the Spokane tribe talking about their language being endangered. This ties in powerfully with the theme of loss and the legacy of federal policies.
teaching_true_diary.pdf
Wind from an Enemy Sky
OPI has published a model teaching unit for Wind From an Enemy Sky by D'Arcy McNickle, the other 10th grade IEFA option. The Indian Education Office at the Lincoln Center has a copy of the documentary, The Place of Falling Waters, available for loan. This DVD tells the history of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, particularly their perspective on the building of the Kerr Dam. The tribes are set to take control of the dam in September 2015, so we can expect more media articles.
If you want to follow up with contemporary reservation life, Arlee School on the Flathead Reservation has a program called Reservation Ambassadors. Your class can Skype or email students from the reservation where D'Arcy McKnickle lived and the location of the Kerr Dam.
Infusing IEFA with Other Texts and Topics
Night
Elie Weisel's autobiographical account of the Jewish Holocaust during World War II allows teachers to make the connections with the force relocation of American Indians, such as President Andrew Jackson's Indian Removal Act of 1830, the Cherokee Trail of Tears, and removal of Montana Indians including the Salish and Little Shell. The document below provides a compilation of documents, mostly primary sources for teachers wishing to explore these connections.
A tragedy of good intentions gone hopelessly wrong, Wind from an Enemy Sky tells the story of the Little Elk People, a fictional Northwestern tribe. Through the eyes of Antoine, grandson of the tribal leader, we see the tribe attempt to overcome their demoralization at the hands of advancing white civilization.
The Indians respond to the building of a dam by trying to gain the return of a sacred medicine bundle. McNickle's ability to depict psychologically complex characters of both races, such as Bull, the aging leader of the Little Elk, and Rafferty, the Indian Agency Superintendent, results in a convincing story and leads the reader to hope that tragedy can be averted. At the same time, McNickle provides a sensitive portrait of the religious depth and human warmth of Indian culture. But although whites and Indians grow in their understanding of one another, the mistakes of the past compound to bring about the violent final confrontation, envisioned in the dreams of the mysterious Two Sleeps.
Wind from an Enemy Sky - HS.pdfProfessional Development Resources
Slide Show from Best Practices Teaching There, There Professional Development - Dan Charlton
Positionally Handout - When teaching this novel it is important to start with your own place in the world as a teacher
This folder has additional materials