The following five lessons present information about pre-European contact and lifestyles of western Oregon Indians; tell students about the European contact era and how trade and resources were affected; contain information about the treaty and reservation era with lessons focusing on writing, research and computer skills; use stories to illustrate techniques of oral and written literature; and encourage research using technology and library skills to learn about Oregon tribes.

These will include activities to enhance literature, writing, speaking and listening and reading standards.

Lesson 1: Before the Coming of the Europeans
Lesson 2: Contact with a New Culture
Lesson 3: The Treaties and the Reservation Experience
Lesson 4: Stories as a Learning Tool
Lesson 5: Learning More about Western Oregon Indian Tribes
Extending the lesson/References

GUIDING QUESTIONS

Why are historic journals and photos important to learning about the history of Oregon Indians?

What information can be incorporated into social studies?

What information is new (and amazing) about Oregon Indians?

Why is research important instead of using information that is readily available?

PREPARING TO TEACH THIS LESSON

Much of the background information for the lessons can be found on the Wisdom of the Elders Radio program, Series 3, Program 7, Grand Ronde.  Play the series as a background for the lessons

The “references” section of this lesson contains website addresses for downloading a variety of information. Download the historical feature of each of the tribes referenced.

Invite a member of the Grand Ronde tribal community to speak to the class about the history and present day activities of the tribe. Contact information can be found on the Grand Ronde website,  HYPERLINK “http://www.grandronde.org/” http://www.grandronde.org/.

Copy the attached pictures. Use the guide to encourage students’ analytical thinking about the photos. Display the pictures in the classroom.

Begin Lessons

This unit provides a brief history of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde. There is one lesson for each area of focus in social studies: civics (tribal governance and legal framework); geography (locations and distances of specific sites mentioned in the radio program); economics (comparisons of trade then and now); history (comparing the forced removal of the tribes now comprising the Grand Ronde to other similar events in American and world history and honoring the role of elders in transmitting the culture); and social analysis (looking at burial practices then and now).

Lesson 1: What Do Treaties Mean in Today’s World?
Lesson 2: The Fur Trade as a Model for Economic Systems Today
Lesson 3: Sacred Sites
Lesson 4: Key Figures and Events
Lesson 5: Paying Respect
Extending the lesson/References

GUIDING QUESTIONS

What has happened to tribes originally merged into the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde in terms of their people, language, traditions, lifeways?

What opportunities for younger members are available?

What careers are suggested by the topics covered in this program?

PREPARING TO TEACH THIS LESSON

Listen to the entire program on the Grand Ronde, then find the exact segment(s) to play for students that match the lessons above.

Try to have a high-quality CD player in the classroom so all can hear the segments selected for each activity. Many of the music segments are also ideal for setting the mood for a lesson and as background for the opening of class.

“In 1936, under the Indian Reorganization Act, the Tribe was able to purchase some lands to provide homes for residents of the reservation. However, the Tribe’s attempt at recovery was brought to an abrupt end in 1954 when Congress passed the Termination Act which severed the trust relationship between the federal government and the Tribe. For nearly 30 years, between 1954 and 1983, the members were landless people in their own land.  The termination policy robbed the Tribe of its social, economic, and political fabric, leaving a scattered population and poverty which led to a wide range of health, education and social problems.

“In the early 1970s, efforts began to reverse the tide of termination.  From the state of social, economic, and political disarray, tribal leaders began the arduous task of establishing the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon. On November 22, 1983, with the signing of Public Law 98-165, the Tribe regained 9,811 acres of the original reservation when President Ronald Reagan signed the Grand Ronde Reservation Act into law.  The reservation lies just north of the community of Grand Ronde.

“With restoration and the re-establishment of the reservation, tribal efforts have focused on rebuilding the tribal institutions and developing tribal service programs to meet the needs of the tribal members.  They have provided the Tribe an opportunity to create a viable community, contribute to the local economy, and provide for the eventual achievement of tribal self-sufficiency.”

This introduction is from the tribal website.  For a more comprehensive understanding of tribal history, go to  HYPERLINK “http://www.grandronde.org/culture/ikanum” http://www.grandronde.org/culture/ikanum.

Key Points

Indians lived in Oregon before written records.

They had no concept of land ownership, but regarded the earth as a gift to all.

Early European-American visitors believed in the “right of discovery”; if land did not appear to be occupied by other white people, they considered it to be open for grabs and used various methods to “mark” their territory (maps, surveys, flags, medallions, carvings on trees, certificates, treaties, deeds).

Indians lived a subsistence way of life (hunting, fishing, gathering) that met economic and spiritual (religious) needs.  Oregon Country was rich in natural resources, particularly along the Columbia River and west of the Cascades, so food, fuel and fiber were not a problem most of the year.  Trade patterns were very sophisticated; Celilo Falls and The Dalles region would be the equivalent to one of today’s super-malls, and the Oregon City area was a smaller trade center.

When early traders, explorers and settlers came, tribes began to lose their traditional ways of life. New diseases (including smallpox, alcoholism and diabetes) had a terrible impact on families and communities in the following centuries.

Missionaries came and tried to convert the native people to new religious faiths; some of these new spiritual practices did have an influence, and even today there are combinations of spiritual practices.

Not all changes were bad: Euro-Americans brought all kinds of new materials and technologies that would increase the quality of life.

Marriages between members of one tribe or race and another tribe brought changes as well as exchanges of customs and traditions. This continues today. One effect is that many Indian people no longer “look” Indian.

Today there are very few traditional speakers of original tribal languages in the Pacific Northwest. The Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community have implemented a successful Chinook Wawa language program starting with pre-school age children on the reservation.  Adult classes are also offered.  Chinook Wawa is a derivative of native languages in the Northwest as well as French, Russian and English words and concepts.

The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde owns a successful casino located in the town of Grand Ronde. In addition to per capita distributions, casino revenue supports health, education, housing and other social services as well as the charitable Spirit Mountain Community Fund, which has awarded millions of dollars of grants to nonprofit organizations in nearby communities and statewide.

Indian gaming also has a long history among native people. Lewis and Clark described games of chance they observed in Oregon Country. They were also vexed by the high prices and tough business practices of Indian traders they encountered along the Columbia River.

Lewis and Clark also observed that women and men in lower Columbia River villages had very defined roles in domestic and economic life. Women may have enjoyed more equality and economic power in Columbia River tribal communities than their Euro-American contemporaries enjoyed.

In the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community today, women often hold the highest elected offices.

Some names for Oregon geographic landmarks that are likely associated with tribes now in the Grand Ronde Confederation include Clackamas, Chemawa, Chemeketa, Kalapuya, Multnomah, Tualatin, Umpqua,  and Willamette.

Relationship to the Lewis and Clark Journey

Today the Grand Ronde Tribe cultural resources staff responds to requests for information about the tribes who lived roughly between the Cascades and Coastal Range and from the Columbia River to the north to northern California in the south. For example, during the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial in Oregon, the Tribe hosted a 10-day stop by the National Park Service “Tent of Many Voices” in March, 2006 to commemorate the roles played by Columbia Valley area tribes encountered by the Corps of Discovery 200 years ago roughly along the river from the Cascades to the Coastal Range.

In early November, 1805, the explorers Lewis and Clark traveled quickly down the Columbia with anticipation of reaching the Pacific. On this first trip, they made only brief mention of village life on the south shore of the Columbia.  It was late March and early April, 1806, on their return voyage to St. Louis when the Corps of Discovery spent more time documenting tribal life in today’s Oregon. As they paddled upstream, they mentioned villages such as today’s Clatskanie. As they passed today’s Portland/Vancouver, they heard about food shortages further up the Columbia and decided to lay in provisions before proceeding on. An upper-Chinookan Indian man from a village called Nichaqwli at today’s Blue Lake Park (Fairview, Oregon east of Portland) offered to take William Clark and several men back downstream to explore the Willamette River which they had missed seeing earlier.  On April 2-3, the group paddled as far as today’s St. Johns Bridge in Portland and described several villages which they understood to be bands of Multnomah Indians. Returning their guide to Nichaqwli village, they learned more about the region’s geography, including Indian communities whose names like Clackamas are still prominent today. Nichaqwli village itself was almost deserted because of a smallpox epidemic that had decimated tribes up and down the Columbia some years before.

A monument to Nichaqwli village was established at Blue Lake Park 200 years later as part Oregon’s commemoration of the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial. The monument features two carved cedar plank house posts, a fish net sinker weight sculpture, and benches carved to represent Chinookan-style cedar canoes. The public art was created thanks to efforts by the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde and the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation. Funds came primarily from the National Park Service Challenge Cost Share Program for the Lewis and Clark Historic Trail and the Spirit Mountain Community Fund, the benevolence arm of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde from funds generated at Spirit Mountain Casino. The Oregon Heritage Commission also supported the effort. A curriculum guide for teachers is available by contacting Blue Lake Park or the Oregon Chapter, Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation.

History of Treaties in Oregon

The legal rights of Indians are traced back at least to the U.S. Constitution.

American Indians did not become citizens until 1924, including the right to vote.

Treaties are legal agreements (promises) between nations. The President has the right to make treaties which then must be ratified by the U.S. Senate. Treaties of all nine federally-recognized tribes in Oregon were ratified. Several of these treaties date back to the1850s. The Chinook Tribe’s treaty was never ratified.

Lands left to Indians were generally guaranteed in perpetuity.  In Indians terms, this means “as long as the grass shall grow and the waters run.”

Indians made treaties to:

Reserve portions of their land, creating a reservation.

Maintain the right to decide their own government.

Maintain the right to use their lands as they choose in order to preserve the land and keep their usual way of life.

Maintain as a natural entitlement (not a gift) the right to hunt, fish and gather foods and other natural resources in traditional and accustomed places (like fishing for Columbia River salmon, gathering berries, digging roots).

Identify and define the rights of both nations (the tribe and the U.S. government).

Deal with non-Indians on an equal basis.

Establish borders for their nations.

Be able to trade with other nations.

The United States made treaties to:

Take land from the Indians (to then give away or sell for settlement).

Protect certain rights of Indians, many of which they already had, but also to provide services like health and education.

Keep the peace.

Encourage trade with Indian nations.

Set up reservations to keep Indians in one area.

Set up a trust or management relationship for Indian land. As trustee, the government was to take care of reservation land for tribal use and benefit.

End warfare.

Following ratification, political and legal decisions began to impact the treaties:

Because treaties were signed with the federal government and became the Supreme Law of the Land between the nations, the U.S. Courts have more power than opposing state or local laws, though states can pass laws for conservation reasons and tribes are to be the “least restricted.”

Tribes have their own legal system (laws, police, judges) within reservations while also conforming to most state and federal laws.

Some non-Indians believe the treaties are no longer relevant and have outlived their usefulness.

Most Indians and many non-Indians believe treaties are still fitting the need, particularly for conservation of natural resources (as long as the mountains stand and rivers flow). They often take a long view that decisions regarding the people and the natural environment should consider how life will be impacted seven generations from now.

Begin Lessons

These lessons plans are designed to show the variety of storytelling arts that developed within some of the regions of western Oregon.

Lesson 1: Stories as History and Tradition
Lesson 2: Historical Landscape
Lesson 3: The Treaties and the Reservation Experience
Lesson 4: Historical Figures and their Impact
Lesson 5: Stories of Today
Extending the lesson/References

GUIDING QUESTIONS

Why are stories told?
Who tells the stories?
Why are they important?
What kinds of stories were told before the coming of the Europeans?
What kinds of stories remain and are being preserved?
Why is preservation of the art of storytelling important to Native people?

PREPARING TO TEACH THIS LESSON

Make copies of the attached stories from the Kalapuya tribe.

Set aside a time for the class to visit the computer lab (online access is required) to listen to the Kalapuya Creation Story at http://archaeologychannel.com.  Click on “Kalapuya Creation Story” on the left under the “Audio” heading.

Download and print a copy of the Kalapuya calendar at http://www.grandronde.org/pr/past_articles/2002/1115/indian_calendar.html.

Make copies of the historical photos included with this lesson.

Set aside some time each day for the following project. The project should be completed by the end of Lesson 5.

Divide the class into five groups. Assign a research project to each group to find as much information as they can about any of the following tribal groups who are represented on the Grand Ronde reservation:

Kalapuya
Umpqua
Molalla
Chasta
Rogue River

Sources could be the school library, public library, computer (if school has internet access) or community members who are knowledgeable about one of the tribal groups.

Begin Lessons

Overview

Lesson 1: A Treaty is Supreme
Lesson 2: Shopping at Celilo
Lesson 3: Traditional Homelands, Traditional Foods
Lesson 4: How Salmon Teach Us History
Lesson 5: Defining What’s Important in Your Life

Overview

This unit provides a brief history of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs with activities based around the WOTE radio program by the same name. An appendix includes more details about treaties in Oregon and how to approach teaching about Native American culture in general. Drawing from appropriate segments of the Wisdom of the Elders radio program, there is one suggested lesson for each area of focus in social studies: civics (tribal governance and legal framework), geography (locations of specific places such as Celilo Falls and huckleberry fields mentioned in the radio program), economics (comparisons of trade then and now, focusing on Warm Springs enterprises today), history (looking at historic events such as immigration into tribal homelands as foretold and recounted in stories, songs and how the tribe helped newcomers) and social analysis (honoring elders; examining how natural resources such as huckleberries/feasts shape values). Much of the tribal information for this unit was drawn directly from the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs website (www.warmsprings.com). For graphics that accompany each CD segment, go to www.wisdomoftheelders.org.

The Paiutes

The Paiutes lived in southeastern Oregon and spoke a Shoshonean dialect. The lifestyle of the Paiutes was considerably different from that of the Wasco and Warm Springs bands. Their high-plains existence required that they migrate further and more frequently for game, and fish was not an important part of their diet. The Paiute language was foreign to the Wasco and Warm Springs bands, and commerce among them was infrequent. In early times, contact between them often resulted in skirmishes. Although Paiute territories historically included a large area from southeastern Oregon into Nevada, Idaho, and western Utah, the Paiute bands which eventually settled at Warm Springs lived in the area of Lake, Harney, and Malheur counties in Oregon.

Tribal Organization

Founded in 1938, the reservation government is led by an 11-member tribal council. This eleven-member body includes eight elected members who serve three-year terms, along with three traditional chiefs who serve for life. There are three districts on the reservation, with a Chief from each district. The Simnasho and Agency Districts each have three elected representatives and the Seekseekqua District has two elected representatives. Tribal headquarters is in Warm Springs, Oregon.  For a more comprehensive understanding of tribal history, go to www.warmsprings.com.

Key Points

• Indians lived in Oregon before written records.
• They had no concept of land ownership, but regarded the earth as a gift to all.
• Early European-American visitors believed in the “right of discovery”; if land did not appear to be occupied by other white people, they considered it to be open for grabs and used various methods to “mark” their territory (maps, surveys, flags, medallions, carvings on trees, certificates, treaties, deeds).
• Indians lived a subsistence way of life (hunting, fishing, gathering) that met economic and spiritual (religious) needs.  Oregon Country was rich in natural resources, particularly along the Columbia River and west of the Cascades, so food, fuel and fiber were not a problem most of the year.  Trade patterns were very sophisticated; Celilo Falls and The Dalles region would be the equivalent to one of today’s super-malls with smaller trade centers networked regionally.
• When early traders, explorers and settlers came, tribes began to lose their traditional ways of life. New diseases (including smallpox, alcoholism and diabetes) had a terrible impact on families and communities in the following centuries.
• Missionaries came and tried to convert the native people to new religious faiths (e.g. the Whitman Mission and Roman Catholic priests); some of these new spiritual practices did have an influence, and even today there are combinations of spiritual practices.
• Not all changes were bad: Euro-Americans brought all kinds of new materials and technologies that would increase the quality of life.
• Marriages between members of one tribe or race and another tribe brought changes as well as exchanges of customs and traditions. This continues today. One effect is that many Indian people no longer “look” Indian.
• Today there are very few traditional speakers of original tribal languages in the Pacific Northwest. The Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs is working on restoring traditional languages by working with children at the reservation elementary school and interested adults.
• The Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs owns and operates the Kah-Nee-Ta Resort/Vacation Center and Indian Head Casino and a number of other enterprises: power and water, composite products, tile, software.
• Indian gaming has a long history among native people. Lewis and Clark described games of chance they observed in Oregon Country. They were also vexed by the high prices and tough business practices of Indian traders they encountered along the Columbia River. The Confederation is considering development of a casino in the Columbia Gorge.
• Lewis and Clark also observed that women and men in lower Columbia River villages had very defined roles in domestic and economic life. Women may have enjoyed more equality and economic power in Columbia River tribal communities than their Euro-American contemporaries enjoyed.
• Some names for Oregon geographic landmarks that are likely associated with tribes now in the Warm Springs Confederation include ________?___________.

Relationship to the Lewis and Clark Journey

In October 1805 and again in April 1806 Lewis and Clark encountered some of their most memorable experiences along the section of the Columbia River familiar to tribes of the present-day Warm Springs Reservation. Celilo Falls, favorite fishing grounds for many Northwest Indian tribes, was also a major trading center for the region. The explorers were amazed by the abundant salmon and other natural resources of the Columbia Gorge. The spent several days on the downriver and upriver trips, traversing the dangerous rapids and portaging the trouble spots, and enlisted local Indians to help them in various ways. Fishing for salmon and other species continues to be a major enterprise for tribal members today. They were particularly impressed by the canoes used by tribes of the Columbia, but also wrote extensively about shelters, burial practices as well as plants and animals, including the California condor (thunderbird).

History of Treaties

• The legal rights of Indians are traced back at least to the U.S. Constitution.
• American Indians did not become citizens until 1924, including the right to vote.
• Treaties are legal agreements (promises) between nations. The President has the right to make treaties which then must be ratified by the U.S. Senate. Treaties of all nine federally-recognized tribes in Oregon were ratified. Several of these treaties date back to the1850s.
• Lands left to Indians were generally guaranteed in perpetuity.  In Indians terms, this means “as long as the grass shall grow and the waters run.”

Indians made treaties to:

• Reserve portions of their land, creating a reservation.
• Maintain the right to decide their own government.
• Maintain the right to use their lands as they choose in order to preserve the land and keep their usual way of life.
• Maintain as a natural entitlement (not a gift) the right to hunt, fish and gather foods and other natural resources in traditional and accustomed places (like fishing for Columbia River salmon, gathering berries, digging roots).
• Identify and define the rights of both nations (the tribe and the U.S. government).
• Deal with non-Indians on an equal basis.
• Establish borders for their nations.
• Be able to trade with other nations.

The United States made treaties to:

• Take land from the Indians (to then give away or sell for settlement).
• Protect certain rights of Indians, many of which they already had, but also to provide services like health and education.
• Keep the peace.
• Encourage trade with Indian nations.
• Set up reservations to keep Indians in one area.
• Set up a trust or management relationship for Indian land. As trustee, the government was to take care of reservation land for tribal use and benefit.
• End warfare.

Following ratification, political and legal decisions began to impact the treaties:

• Because treaties were signed with the federal government and became the Supreme Law of the Land between the nations, the U.S. Courts have more power than opposing state or local laws, though states can pass laws for conservation reasons and tribes are to be the “least restricted.”
• Tribes like the Umatilla have their own legal system (laws, police, judges) within the reservation while also conforming to most state and federal laws. (is this right?)
• Some non-Indians believe the treaties are no longer relevant and have outlived their usefulness.
• Most Indians and many non-Indians believe treaties are still fitting the need, particularly for conservation of natural resources (as long as the mountains stand and rivers flow). They often take a long view that decisions regarding the people and the natural environment should consider how life will be impacted seven generations from now.

GUIDING QUESTIONS

See individual lessons.

PREPARING TO TEACH THIS LESSON

Listen to the entire program on the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, then find the exact segment(s) to play for students that match the selected lesson.  Try to have a high-quality CD player in the classroom so all can hear the segments selected for each activity. Many of the music segments are also ideal for setting the mood for a lesson and as background for the opening of class.

Begin Lessons

Overview

Lesson 1: Introduction to Relationships between Humans and the Environment
Lesson 2: Berries in the Ecosystem
Lesson 3: Traditional Ecological Knowledge
Lesson 4: Historic versus Contemporary Landscapes
Lesson 5: Responsibility of Society

HONORING THE UMATILLA NATIONS

Lesson plan written by Esther Stutzman.

SUBJECT AREAS

Listening            Interpretation

Speaking            Analysis

Writing            Literature (oral and written)

SKILLS

Communication            Writing

Oral skills            Language arts

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Students who complete the lessons will:

• Understand several forms of oral literature
• Understand importance of storytelling
• Be able to tell a story
• Critique a story

INTRODUCTION

Overview

This lesson plan is comprised of five lessons which include activities to enhance the standards and common curriculum goals of literature, writing, speaking, listening and reading.

Lesson 1: Introducing Stories

Lesson 2: Using Experiences to Shape Stories

Lesson 3: How Stories are Remembered

Lesson 4: Contemporary Stories

Lesson 5: Telling Your Own Stories

GUIDING QUESTIONS

• Why are stories told?
• How are stories preserved?
• What constitutes a contemporary story?
• How can we tell our family stories?

PREPARING TO TEACH THIS LESSON

• At least a week prior to the study of the unit, have the students check out library books that contain traditional stories. The stories need not be from the Umatilla area. Reading the stories will give the students a feel for a variety of oral literature types.

SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES

Lesson 1: Introducing Stories

Standards

ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS

• EL.CM.RE.02—Listen to, read, and understand a wide variety of informational and narrative text.
• EL.CM.SL.05—Analyze the occasion and the interests of the audience, and choose effective verbal techniques and language.
• EL.CM.WR.02—Discuss ideas for writing with classmates, teachers, and other writers, and develop drafts alone and collaboratively.
• EL.CM.WR.04—Choose the form of writing that best suits the intended purpose.
• EL.CM.WR.21—Write biographical or autobiographical narratives or short stories.

CD Segments to Play

For this lesson, go to Elder Wisdom.

Background

American Indian people have told traditional stories for thousands of years. Many stories are about Creation or tell of how certain landmarks came to be. Other stories are of the animals and how they helped (or sometimes hindered) people’s lives. These oral traditions are often teaching tools that storytellers used to reinforce customs, tradition and behavior. Many stories contain a moral lesson that the elders require to be repeated frequently.

Many stories contain close connections to philosophy or “religion” that is ingrained into the lives of traditional Native people.

But storytelling isn’t always a tale of long ago in a time when the world looked different. Many storytellers tell stories of their lives or their family’s adventures. Personal recollections often reinforce a family’s history and serve as a tool to remember a chain of events that happened to a certain person or group of people. These stories are also classified as oral literature to serve as remembrances of past generations.

Suggested Strategies

Activities

1.  Listen

Listen to Wisdom of the Elders Radio Series 3, Program 5, Track 4.  This track is a reminiscence of Kathleen Gordon, a Umatilla elder. Listen carefully to the portion of the story in which Kathleen Gordon talks of her birth.

2.    Storytelling

Ask the class to tell family stories of their birth. It will not be unusual that each student has a certain story to tell that has been told to them by someone in the family.  Discuss how these stories might be an important part of each person’s identity and how these stories have been passed on to other relatives or friends.  This activity demonstrates a personal side of stories and how those stories can become a part of family history. These stories, if humorous, adventuresome, or serious, may be repeated and told for generations.

3.    Share

Ask the class to be thinking about a family story to write and to share during the next lesson. This will allow time for students to ask their families to refresh their memory about a certain story.

Lesson 2: Using Experiences to Shape Stories

Standards

ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS

• EL.CM.RE.02—Listen to, read, and understand a wide variety of informational and narrative text.
• EL.CM.RE.35—Extend ideas presented in primary or secondary sources through original analysis, evaluation, and elaboration.
• EL.CM.SL.10—Formulate judgments about ideas under discussion, and support those judgments with convincing evidence.
• EL.CM.WR.21—Write biographical or autobiographical narratives or short stories.

CD Segments to Play

Background

Traditional stories are often based on values that have been established within tribes and families. Often these stories and values are applied to an “adventure” involving an animal figure or human-animal interaction.  In this way, stories are shaped to share the guidelines of how people should behave.

But many stories come from a personal experience, either the storyteller’s own or that of an observation of other events. Based on this an event becomes a story that is retold because of its interest, excitement or humor. We can all recall “Grandpa’s fishing adventure” because as children we may have heard it over and over. This, then, becomes a family story that is shared through generations.

Within Indian communities, stories are fashioned in the same way. Often, stories are told based on a certain person’s life that is used as a good example for children and future generations.

Suggested Strategies

Activities

1.  Discuss

Kathleen Gordon, a Umatilla elder remembers:

“In our old days, they would always try to teach us to always have a good heart, to always treat people in a good way and to always feed people when they came to your presence. You offer them food or you offer them drink. You offer them whatever you have, even if it’s your last piece of bread, you share it with them. And so we were taught to share and care for others.”

• How could this simple statement become a “story?”
• How would this story be told?
• Who would the story be told to?
• How would the story “change” to make it relevant to children, older youth and elders?

2.  Writing exercise

Ask each student to write a few paragraphs about a story that they have heard from their family. In the conclusion of the writing, each student should write why the story is important to the family.  Have several of the students read their stories to the class.

3.  Reflect

Ask the students to be thinking about an event that happened to them. Encourage them to use a story that teaches a lesson or teaches them something that is useful to them (for example, “How I lost my dog or cat” or “The day I got a speeding ticket”).  The story should not be just a statement of fact, but rather a narrative, with events leading up to the finale and, of course, a conclusion.  These stories will be told in front of the class during Lesson 5.

Lesson 3: How Stories are Remembered

Standards

ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS

• EL.CM.RE.02—Listen to, read, and understand a wide variety of informational and narrative text.
• EL.CM.SL.05—Analyze the occasion and the interests of the audience, and choose effective verbal techniques and language.

CD Segments to Play

Background

We are all storytellers, but some have the exceptional gift to engage and entrance the audience. Traditional Indian storytellers practice their art by repetition, with many stories requiring exact words be used in the same sequence. For many tribes, it is believed that the sequence of words and phrases give the story “power.”

Many storytellers work with an “apprentice” who will learn the stories and are shown the proper way to have presence before an audience. The storyteller guides the apprentice for as long as is necessary.

ASK THE UMATILLA REVIEW GROUP IF THERE ARE SPECIFIC GUIDELINES FOR TELLING UMATILLA STORIES.

Suggested Strategies

Activities

1.    Play a game

The following exercise is a good example of how much concentration it takes to remember the sequence of events in a story.

• Line up at least ten students in the front of the room.
• Select one person to start the game by saying “This is my story” and at the same time, clapping hands once.
• The second person says the same thing, clapping hands once and then adding another motion such as crossing their arms.
• The next person says the same thing and repeats the two previous motions—clapping, crossing the arms—and then adds another simple motion.
• See how far the students progress before someone forgets all the previous motions.
• If the ten students remember everything, add four or five more to see if everyone remembers.

This illustrates the repetition and concentration required to make a good storyteller.

2.    Remembering

ASK THE UMATILLA REVIEW GROUP TO RECOMMEND A TRADITIONAL STORY THAT MAY BE USED.

ACTIVITY #2 (SEQUENCING AND REMEMBERING) WILL BE BASED UPON THAT STORY

Lesson 4: Contemporary Stories

Standards

ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS

• EL.CM.RE.02—Listen to, read, and understand a wide variety of informational and narrative text.
• EL.CM.RE.04—Demonstrate listening comprehension of more complex text through class and/or small group interpretive discussions across the subject areas.
• EL.CM.WR.21—Write biographical or autobiographical narratives or short stories.

CD Segments to Play

For this lesson, go to Tribal Rhythms.

Background

Contemporary stories eventually become “historic” stories. Events that have happened at a certain time in history are often retold for generations to become a standard story of a culture. For example, stories of the Revolutionary War (Paul Revere) or Civil War (the battle of Gettysburg) have all become stories told in literature or history books.

Stories of the battles during the era of the Indian Wars have also become narratives of the time. For many years, the only story of “Custer’s Last Stand” was from the viewpoint of the soldiers. Now, we have the reminiscences of the tribal warriors and other Indian witnesses to the event that shed a new light on the events.

And so, family stories do become historic stories with the passing of time. We can all remember stories we heard about how our ancestors farmed a certain piece of land or traveled from one state to the other during the Depression.

These contemporary stories are told and retold to reflect important events in a family’s life. The same holds true of Indian stories. And those stories may not just be adventures, but stories of how some things came to be, such as music and dance…and most tribal stories teach a lesson or moral.

Suggested Strategies

Activities

1.    Listen

Listen to Wisdom of the Elders Radio Series 3, Program 5, Track 8.  Pay special attention to the portion of the track in which Fred Hill talks about the War Dance.

“We used to go to war with other tribes around here; that they were always tormenting our people. There are some areas here, where the stories go, where they would really fight and kill them all off except one and they would send that one back.

“You tell your people this is what is going to happen if you keep doing this; keep coming here trying to steal our women and our children.

“But as time went on and the fighting ceased, when the railroad came through, that these people wanted to come back and have a truce. And as they did come back they also shared their dancing and singing. And so from just a little bit I learned the Shoshone people are the ones that showed us the dance. The wars have ceased, the tribal wars, but yet the war still remains in the dance arena.”

2.             Discuss

Discuss how this bit of history might be important to the people of the Umatilla.

• What is the lesson in this story?
• Why is this story worth repeating?

3.             Writing exercise

Have the class write a few paragraphs about an event they have heard about (not experienced) and how that event taught them a lesson or cautioned them about something.  At the end of the essay, students should answer these questions:

• Why was this event important to you?
• Would you tell this story to others?  Why?

Lesson 5: Telling Your Own Stories

Standards

ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS

• EL.CM.RE.02—Listen to, read, and understand a wide variety of informational and narrative text.
• EL.CM.RE.04—Demonstrate listening comprehension of more complex text through class and/or small group interpretive discussions across the subject areas.
• EL.CM.SL.05—Analyze the occasion and the interests of the audience, and choose effective verbal techniques and language.
• EL.CM.WR.21—Write biographical or autobiographical narratives or short stories.
• EL.CM.WR.02—Discuss ideas for writing with classmates, teachers, and other writers, and develop drafts alone and collaboratively.

CD Segments to Play

Background

To be a storyteller, a person has to do just that: tell a story.

But a storyteller who engages an audience works with many techniques to keep the audience interested. Many tellers have distinctive voices or gestures; others use sounds or alter their voices to emphasize characters or events.

It is important that storytellers use movement so that the audience’s attention will be drawn to one place.

In the following activity, encourage the students to use some of these methods when they tell their story. Also, encourage each student to attempt to memorize what they will be telling.

Suggested Strategies

Activities

1.  Share

Before this activity students might play the memorizing game described in Lesson 3.

Allow enough time for each student to tell their story to the class. This activity might take place over several days.

Before the students begin, remind them of how stories are told and how gestures, inflection and countenance are important to telling an engaging story.

2.  Discuss

• Was there a lesson in the story?
• Did it teach YOU a lesson?
• Will you tell the story to others?  Why?
• Will you tell the stories when you become a parent?

EXTENDING THE LESSON/REFERENCES

1.    Any and all parts of the storytelling/arts lessons can be used in other class activities such as reading, writing, oral literature, drama.

2.    Books containing stories of American Indians are useful in understanding many aspects of the culture: how lessons are learned, how history is passed down, etc.

3.    During regular reading periods, choose a book that contains Indian stories and reference previous learning about storytelling.

4.    In writing segments, consider repeating the exercise of students collecting a family story.

HONORING WARM SPRINGS

Lesson plan written by Esther Stutzman.

SUBJECT AREAS

Language arts                                                Writing

Art                                                                        Speech

History

SKILLS

Analysis                                                            Oral skills

Research                                                            Interpretation

Writing                                                             Drawing conclusions

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Upon completion of the activities and lessons, students will:

• Understand importance of storytelling
• Learn about the oral traditions of the Warm Springs
• Learn about a selection of Warm Springs histories

INTRODUCTION

A rich culture developed along the Columbia River, centering on the economy of trade. Because the people of the Warm Springs nation were fishermen and traders they established a network of trade that stretched from the Pacific Northwest far into the interior of America.

Along the Columbia River, when people gathered together, friendships were renewed and stories were told. Just as with other tribes across America, the Warm Springs told stories of the ancestors and of great adventures.

Overview

The following five lessons will include activities to enhance the standards of literature, writing, speaking, listening and reading.

Lesson 1: Remembering by Storytelling

Lesson 2: Stories of the Land

Lesson 3: European Contact and the Stories of that Era

Lesson 4: Individuals Who Had an Impact on the Tribal Way of Life

Lesson 5: Stories of Today

GUIDING QUESTIONS

• Who tells stories?
• Why are stories important?
• Why are stories told?
• Why should stories be preserved?
• What is the difference between family stories and tribal stories?

PREPARING TO TEACH THIS LESSON

• Go to http://www.nwrel.org/indianed/indianreading/1/book01.pdf to download the Warm Springs story, Coyote and the Stars
• ASK THE WARM SPRINGS REVIEW GROUP TO SUGGEST RESOURCES OTHER THAN NWREL IF NEEDED
• Make available pictures of Warm Springs baskets
• OBTAIN PICTURES FROM THE WARM SPRINGS REVIEW GROUP
• Listen to the Turtle Island Storytellers segment of Wisdom of the Elders Series 3, Program 6

SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES

Lesson 1: Remembering by Storytelling

Standards

ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS

• EL.CM.RE.02—Listen to, read, and understand a wide variety of informational and narrative text.
• EL.CM.RE.04—Demonstrate listening comprehension of more complex text through class and/or small group interpretive discussions across the subject areas.
• EL.CM.WR.04—Choose the form of writing that best suits the intended purpose.

CD Segments to Play

Background

Many Indian tribes tell stories of what is known as “the time before.” This was a time when the world was different; a time when animals could talk and also a time when things were different. Tribal stories tell of how the landscape changed through an action of an animal or a person in the time before. Other stories relate why animals look like they do or have certain characteristic markings.

Coyote is a prominent figure in many stories across America. Sometimes he’s a wise man, sometimes he has powerful medicine and often he is a trickster and fool who causes things to happen by accident.

It is believed that the animals taught many lessons to people and even today, tribal people point to examples of old stories to teach children the proper way to behave.

Suggested Strategies

Activities

1.    Read

Read the story of Coyote and the Stars.

Ask the following questions:

• Why did Coyote think he could dance like the girl-stars?
• Why did he get tired and the girl-stars didn’t?
• What lesson is taught in the story?
• Why is the story told?

2.  Writing exercise

Ask each person in the class to write down the subject of a good lesson (example: tell the truth; don’t steal; respect your parents). Then have the class write a short, one-page story. It can be from tribal times or it can be “modern.”

• At least two characters must be used to develop the story.
• Describe a situation in which the main character will make decisions.
• These decisions will result in the teaching of a story.
• Read several of the stories and discuss how actions can sometimes teach lessons.

USE ANOTHER APPROVED TRADITIONAL STORY AFTER TALKING TO THE WARM SPRINGS REVIEW GROUP.

3.  Play a game

The following is a game to illustrate how a story might be remembered:

• Have the class make two circles, sitting down in chairs or desks.
• Select one person in each circle group to start the game by saying “This is my story” and at the same time, clapping hands once.
• The second person says the same thing, clapping hands once and then adding another motion such as crossing their arms.
• The next person says the same thing and repeats the two previous motions… clapping, crossing the arms and then adds another simple motion.
• See how far the circle goes around before someone forgets all the previous motions.
• An extra challenge is to make a circle of the entire class to see how far the “story” can be told before forgetting the sequence.

This is a good example of how much effort it takes to remember a story. It must be repetition and concentration to make a good storyteller.

Lesson 2: Stories of the Land

Standards

ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS

• EL.CM.SL.10—Formulate judgments about ideas under discussion, and support those judgments with convincing evidence.
• EL.CM.WR.02—Discuss ideas for writing with classmates, teachers, and other writers, and develop drafts alone and collaboratively.
• EL.CM.WR.04—Choose the form of writing that best suits the intended purpose.

CD Segments to Play

Background

Besides the stories of the time before, in which people, animals or landscapes were changed, many stories exist about landmarks and resources. As we travel and notice mountains or lakes or rivers, there is no doubt a tribal story connected to that place.

ASK ABOUT APPROPRIATENESS OF USING ELIZABETH WOODY’S RECOLLECTIONS, Recalling Celilo AT THIS WEBSITE http://www.ecotrust.org/community/recalling_celilo.html

Stories of food gathering, root-digging and fishing are also a part of the traditional stories that come to us from ancestors.

Adeline Miller learned about feasts from her relatives. Each happens at a certain time of year when certain foods are ready to harvest. The Celery Feast is first, then the Root Feast and then Salmon Feast. In late summer, there is a Huckleberry Feast. These feasts are part of cultural traditions that have been carried on for thousands of years. In performing these feasts today, the people of Warm Springs remember the ancestors. With each feast, thanks is given for the abundance of that certain food.

Suggested Strategies

Activities

1.  Writing exercise

Ask each student to write down their favorite landmark such as Grand Canyon, Yosemite, Mt. Hood or any other place, even a place that’s not “famous.”

On the basis of this, ask each student to write why they think that certain landmark looks like it does. Encourage the students to use imagination in a way that they use animals to make the land change.

Choose a representative number of responses and have the students read them in front of the class.

Ask the following questions:

• Why did you choose that certain landmark?
• Does writing a story about it make it more special?  Why?

2.  Discuss

Discuss the concepts of feasts. Relate to the class that for the Warm Springs people, it is important to drink water before each feast and meal. It symbolizes the thanks given to the Creator for providing water to the people.

Ask the class what “feasts” are important to them and why?  Is the feast simply a celebration of food or is there a meaning behind the occasion?

• What “feasts” do we observe?
• Is there a “feast” for every holiday we have now? Why?
• Is there a story about something that happened at a “feast” such as Thanksgiving? (for example, the time mom dropped the turkey).

Lesson 3: European Contact and the Stories of that Era

Standards

ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS

• EL.CM.RE.02—Listen to, read, and understand a wide variety of informational and narrative text.
• EL.CM.RE.04—Demonstrate listening comprehension of more complex text through class and/or small group interpretive discussions across the subject areas.
• EL.CM.RE.35—Extend ideas presented in primary or secondary sources through original analysis, evaluation, and elaboration.
• EL.CM.SL.05—Analyze the occasion and the interests of the audience, and choose effective verbal techniques and language.
• EL.CM.SL.10—Formulate judgments about ideas under discussion, and support those judgments with convincing evidence.

CD Segments to Play

Background

Many people visited the Columbia River long before the coming of the Corps of Discovery. The Spanish, French and English all sent explorers to the west to learn about the inhabitants and the land. Many of these countries eyed the land as a possible possession. But Lewis and Clark were sent west before other countries could lay claim to the land and so the “Corps of Discovery” was dispatched.

Lewis and Clark were amazed by the power of the Columbia River. In October of 1805, they came down the Columbia River toward Celilo Falls. The local Indian tribes observed them and told stories of what they saw. Later, as the pioneers came, the people told stories of observations and encounters.

“And so they watched the people from the wagon train lower their wagons. And it wasn’t until one of them broke away and tumbled and fell and a woman and child were killed, that the men grabbed their horsehair ropes and they went up and they helped lower the wagons down. And then they helped float them across the Deschutes River there in that area known as Shears Bridge. And they had a bridge that they would put across the river and take down, kind of like a drawbridge for their own protection…….. Anyway it took a day and a half to get all of the pioneers from one side to the other because that bridge could only hold one adult and one child.

And then our people, our ancestors, fed the pioneers because they felt so sorry for them because a lot of them had rags on their feet, tied to their feet. And a lot of the women had torn and tattered dresses on. And they had hardly any food. A lot of their provisions that were left were like the coffee beans and the macaroni and I think, some flour. But anyway, our ancestors rolled out their tule mats, miles and miles of tule mat. And they fed these pioneers the salmon and the eels and the roots and the berries. And they, in turn, the pioneers, gave our people the coffee beans and the macaroni.”

Darlene Foster Wisdom of the Elders Radio Series 3, Program 6

Many tribal families had stories of the first time they saw the Europeans. Many of these stories have been passed down for generations to become a part of the oral traditions of the people.

Suggested Strategies

Activities

1.  Read

Read and discuss Darlene Foster’s story about helping the pioneers. Ask the following questions:

• Why were the Indian people watching the pioneers?
• Do you think they wanted to stay hidden?  Why?
• Why did the Indians help the pioneers?
• Why did they feed the pioneers?
• Why is this a story that has been told through the generations?
• Why is it an important story to the Indian people?
• Do you think the story has been changed from the time it happened to the present?

2.  Play a game

To illustrate how stories could change, play the game we know as “Telephone,” in which students are placed in a circle. One person whispers a phrase into the ear of the next person, and so on. Start the story with a phrase such as:

• “The settlers came in covered wagons”
• “They tried to cross the river”
• “The wagon broke down”

Since we know the story will change at the end of the game, ask the class how it would be possible to preserve a story so that it is accurate.

3.  Discuss

Ask the class who is the “storyteller” in their family. Then ask these questions for discussion:

• Does your family “storyteller” tell the same story over and over?
• What do you do when this happens?
• Do you know a family story by heart?  (Pick a few responses and have the students tell those stories)
• Do you repeat the stories to others?  When?
• Why is the story repeated?

Lesson 4: Individuals Who Had an Impact on the Tribal Way of Life

Standards

ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS

• EL.CM.RE.02—Listen to, read, and understand a wide variety of informational and narrative text.
• EL.CM.RE.04—Demonstrate listening comprehension of more complex text through class and/or small group interpretive discussions across the subject areas.
• EL.CM.RE.35—Extend ideas presented in primary or secondary sources through original analysis, evaluation, and elaboration.
• EL.CM.SL.05—Analyze the occasion and the interests of the audience, and choose effective verbal techniques and language.
• EL.CM.WR.02—Discuss ideas for writing with classmates, teachers, and other writers, and develop drafts alone and collaboratively.

CD Segments to Play

Background

Within each tribal group there are stories of people who were heroes or otherwise important to the tribe. Sometimes individuals were remembered because of good deeds or good examples. Often, these people were pointed out as examples or inspiration of how people should live their lives.

Among the people of the Warm Springs, this is one of the stories that is told:

ASK THE WARM SPRINGS REVIEW GROUP FOR AN ACCEPTABLE STORY ABOUT A PERSON WHO IS REMEMBERED.

Suggested Strategies

Activities

1.

THESE ACTIVITIES WILL BE BASED ON THE STORY FROM WARM SPRINGS

2.  Reflect

Ask the class to think about a person in their family who is “famous” for something. The person does not have to be world-renowned, but can be someone who has done something that is talked about over and over. For example, “Uncle Joe hiked the Grand Canyon.”

3.  Writing exercise

Each student will ask parents, grandparents or other relatives to tell a “story” about someone in the family. The student will write down the story and be prepared to tell the story to the class the next day. Encourage students to make the story as short as possible with as much pertinent information as possible.

Lesson 5: Stories of Today

Standards

ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS

• EL.CM.RE.35—Extend ideas presented in primary or secondary sources through original analysis, evaluation, and elaboration.
• EL.CM.SL.10—Formulate judgments about ideas under discussion, and support those judgments with convincing evidence.
• EL.CM.WR.02—Discuss ideas for writing with classmates, teachers, and other writers, and develop drafts alone and collaboratively.

CD Segments to Play

Background

Although many stories exist about times long ago, contemporary stories of today also are a part of oral traditions. Sometimes these stories use themes and lessons from the past to emphasize what is important today.

The people of Warm Springs recognize that the huckleberries and other berries have always been an important part of a healthy diet. The huckleberries are considered to be one of the most important spiritual and cultural resources on the reservation. Drawing from this knowledge of the past, the people of Warm Springs still tell stories about the huckleberry as a way to remember and to encourage restoration of traditional huckleberry fields.

Songs are also stories. Traditional Warm Springs singers and drummers still remember songs they were taught by their ancestors. These songs and the traditions surrounding the songs tell of respect, honor, responsibility and pride. These are important lessons that have been carried from a time long ago into the present.

ASK THE WARM SPRINGS REVIEW GROUP ABOUT A MODERN DAY STORY

Suggested Strategies

Activities

1.             Share

Devote a class period to listening to the family stories the students have researched. Ask the following questions:

• What family member tells the story most often?
• Why is that particular story important to the family?
• Is there a lesson to be learned from the story?
• Will you tell this story to other people?

2.             Reflect

Ask the class if they have a story about some adventure they’ve had and would that story be something they would tell to other people?  Why?

Select a few representative responses from the class and have them tell that story to the class.

EXTENDING THE LESSON/REFERENCES

1.    Arrange a field trip to a local museum that has displays of Indian tribal history. Have the class write a report about what they see.

2.    Check with the local ESD to see if there are films about American Indians, and especially films that are stories of the tribes.

3.    Invite a member of the Warm Springs to visit the class.

Websites

Information about Celilo Falls

http://www.historycooperative.org/journals/ohq/105.2/fisher.html

Indian Reading Series

http://www.nwrel.org/indianed/indianreading/1/book01.pdf