Ask your students what stereotypical images come to mind when they think of American Indians. List their responses on the chalkboard. Ask students what they think might contribute to these stereotypes. Using guidelines from Teaching About Native Americans, listed in the bibliography below, lead a discussion about the changes in terminology used over time to refer to American Indians such as Indians, Native Americans, American Indians, and indigenous peoples. Discuss why terms such as Injun, red man, chief, squaw, papoose, brave, warrior, and redskin should be avoided.
Sources listed below provide helpful information about each term and about the following unit.
Ask students to research and present reports about a tribe that lives or lived near their geographic location. For information on contemporary tribes in Alabama see Chapter 5, Part 3 and Chapter 15 in Seeing Historic Alabama , listed in the bibliography below. Ask students to research and present reports on the southeastern Indian removal experience, often referred to as the Trail of Tears. Students should include the tribe's point of view in their report. Ask a volunteer or volunteers to interview an American Indian in person, by letter, or by telephone for a contemporary point of view, and summarize the interview in a written report.