Lesson Three: Spotted Tail and Mary C. Collins
Focus Questions:
• How did Spotted Tail’s time in prison help him lead his people?
• Why did Spotted Tail sign the agreement giving up the Black Hills?
• What skills did missionaries like Collins teach the Indians? Was it important for the Indians to learn these skills?
• Can you think of some reasons why Sitting Bull did not stop the Ghost Dance?
Imbedded Information In The Student Lesson:
; Rosebud Indian Reservation; Oahe Mission; Standing Rock Indian Reservation; reservation map; Ghost Dance; Wounded Knee Creek
Worksheet:
Classroom Activities:
Have each student make a simple paper tipi using the attached template (pdf format). Choose a younger class in the school and have your students teach the younger ones how to make a tipi. Ask the students to evaluate: Was it easy to teach the younger students? Were they excited about learning what you taught them? Did the younger students understand the directions you gave them? Did you find teaching easy or hard? What made it hard? What made it easy?
The missionaries and the Indians at first did not know each other’s languages. Imagine how you would teach someone who did not understand your words. If possible, invite a Lakota or foreign-language speaker into the classroom to give a brief lesson in history (or math, science, etc.) in some language other than English. Perhaps the high-school Spanish or German teacher would agree to teach a paragraph of the student lesson in Spanish or German. Afterwards, ask the class to discuss how they felt during the lesson. Did they learn anything about the subject being taught? Then ask the speaker to give a brief lesson in speaking his/her language.
