what projects can I do dealing with native americans?

Question

I am doing this three part project. The first part dealth with how oral tradition affected native americans. I have to create the other two. there are no real guidelines except for the fact that it has to relate to my topic( native americans). So does anyone have any idea? I have to finish both of these parts within a week.

Answer 1

Do one on the "Trail of Tears," and another weighing the pros and cons of indians owning and operating casinos.

Answer 2

Have you considered doing part of the project on the diet of native Americans? Their diets varied from region to region....whale & seal blubber in the far north to corn in the south. You could even prepare some native dishes. It would be different.

You might also consider the natives respect for the land and how this was passed from generation to generation via folk lore.

Good luck, sounds like a fun project.

Answer 3

You can discuss the Assimilation Policy on Native Americans from pre-1940 and it's lasting effects. This official US policy was an attempt to modernize Native Americans in the US. It was a largely unregulated effort and what usually happened were church organizations used the policy as a means to convert mass numbers of Native Americans to their religion. Many Native American languages were also lost during this time.

http://digital.library.okstate.edu/Oakerhater/essay.html

Another topic is the negative effect of US policy pertaining to the mining of uranium in and around reservations. A recent article in the LA times discusses the history of mining uranium on the Navajo reservation and the current administrations plan to resume mining.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-navajo-series,0,4515615.special

You could also discuss the issue of genocide in the US against Native Americans. While it was never US policy, it created a significant debate among the white population in the late 19th century. One notable author; L. Frank Buam, author of "The Wizard of Oz"; wrote an editorial suggesting that the US would be doing Native Americans a favor if they just killed them all.

http://www.northern.edu/hastingw/baumedts.htm

Answer 4

How about something on how the Native Americans (Navajo) were codetalkers in WWII? Because the Japanese couldn't figure out the Navajo language, Americans were able to transmit codes that the Japanese couldn't break. The movie "Windtalkers" is about this.

Answer 5

How about do something on native rugs?
Or make a diorama showing the daily lives of women, children, and men?
How about discuss their dress and their dances that still survive today?
Their influence on the modern world?

Answer 6

You could do one on their religious beliefs and see the similarities and differences in these beliefs between the different tribes. You could also mention how they become marginalized out of history after the Trail of Tears and how they are still marginalized in the modern day.

Answer 7

solve the mystery of the disappearance of the anasazi in the southwest u.s.