Social Studies

OPI Curriculum Resources and Links

Many topics in Social Studies will offer rich opportunities for infusing IEFA. It pays to check the Office of Public Instruction website for model lesson plans and videos. They keep adding awesome stuff! Montanatribes.org also has great games and digital archives (video interviews) with tribally specific information. Click on the map to enter and look around.  Using primary sources and an inquiry based approach can supplement textbooks and facilitate multicultural perspectives. You are also welcome to email Jacie Jeffers jeffersj@billingsschools.org for assistance or resources.  Below you will find a few of our favorites. 

This video Provides some great strategies and information for discussion in the classroom.  

Miranda Murray – Addressing Current American Indian Topics in the Classroom

Here is the BPS school Board link for the Academic Freedom document. 

10th and 11th Grade History

World History

United States History

US Government

Tribal Sovereignty is one of the seven Essential Understandings Regarding Montana Indians. As such, is a very important topic to address in United States Government class so that students will have some understanding about the how tribes govern themselves based on their inherent sovereignty and treaties made with the United States federal government. Information in the teaching notes and powerpoint below offer a starting point for teachers because tribal sovereignty is unfortunately not covered in most text books.

A student handout with definitions can be found in the teacher notes (above). Students can use the word map (below) to help develop their understanding of tribal sovereignty.  They can also use a four square graphic organizer at different stages of learning: pre-test, reading notes, listening to a guest speaker, reading articles on "live issues". 

OPI's model lesson on tribal sovereignty (below) contains a collection of thought provoking quotes to prompt research and generate discussion.  Another very helpful resource is Facts and Myths About Montana's Tribal Governments, covering issues of citizenship, treaty rights, taxes etc.

​The16 minute Youtube video below featuring the Juneau family of Browning provides an excellent historical context for tribal sovereignty; from time count 14:25, sovereignty is addressed directly.

A collection of video interviews with transcripts on montanatribes.org provides definitions of tribal sovereignty.  These interviews also explore the unique legal basis of tribal sovereignty and some of its applications (cultural, economic, spiritual).

Montana History

Over 12,000 years of Indigenous history are evident in Montana through archeology and oral tradition before the arrival of European's to Turtle Island.  The Montana History text book offers an extensive resource for Montana History teachers.   Montana Stories of the Land is available as an online resource.  Additional resources are listed below. 

Economics

Economic development in Indian Country is an important goal shared by tribes and non-Indians alike. The transition to reservation life brought economic oppression that still impacts many communities. Cultural values around protecting the land make resource development problematic for some tribes, while others struggle with environmental regulations and market forces in their efforts to develop resources and provide jobs. 

This lesson from the Montana Historical Society explores the issues and controversies about coal development on the Northern Cheyenne reservation.

Native American Trade Routes and the Barter Economy" includes two learning activities intended designed to complement Chapter 2 of the Montana: Stories of the Land textbook. Designed for use in grades seven through nine, Activity One, "Resources and Routes," focuses primarily on mapping pre-contact trade routes, with a special emphasis on Montana. Activity Two, "Trading Times," asks students to simulate the process through which various products from different regional tribes were bartered and disseminated to gain a better understanding of pre-contact barter economy and how it compares with the modern-day cash economy.

This 22 minute, Buffalo Returns,  video documents the entrepreneurial efforts of one business on the Pine Ridge reservation in South Dakota to combine traditional values and marketing strategies in revitalizing their economy and spirits.