The topics of Columbus's voyages of exploration, the first encounters between Amerindians and Europeans, and the ensuing collision of their respective worlds provide ample opportunities for creative and stimulating pedagogical approaches that go beyond the stale memorization of dates, places, and names. This essay and accompanying classroom…

The centering processes of geographic information system (GIS) development at the United States Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) was an extension of past cartographic encounters with American Indians through the central control of geospatial technologies, uneven development of geographic information resources, and extension of technically dependent…

Tracing the history of Native American schooling in North America, this book emphasizes factors in society at large--and sometimes within indigenous communities--which led to Native American children being separate from the white majority. Charles Glenn examines the evolving assumptions about race and culture as applied to schooling, the reactions…

Plains Indian cultures have left numerous forms of Native drawings in the form of painted and drawn clothing, robes, tipis and tipi liners, shields and shield covers, calendars, ledger books, religious and historical drawings, and maps. Native drawings of geographic features are distinguished from other forms of drawings by their focus on the…

In this paper, the author describes historic Coast Salish ritual practices and the concepts regarding wrongdoing and redemption that underlie them. He draws out the implications, particularly the associated dangers, derived from these existing rituals for ritual work conducted by outsiders engaging Coast Salish peoples. Finally, he considers the…

Explains how the study of aboriginal cultures can aid in the understanding and appreciation of other cultures within North American society. The Anasazi, Hohokam, and Mogollon cultures are examined. (GLR)

In this personal narrative, the author shares her experiences in Washington DC while attending the opening of the National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI), and describes the events of the day as a life changing experience. She describes the mood surrounding the opening ceremonies as one of celebration. Never had so many people representing so…

The diversity of customs and habitats under which the aboriginal peoples of North America lived in the past--and in which they live today--is one of the many possible topics for consideration in the social studies classroom. Along with an examination of the tribes, social studies educators can teach about the experiences of the explorers and the…

This collection of articles compares the problems and issues facing indigenous nations within the United States and Canada and examines forms of native resistance. Glenn T. Morris and M. Annette Jaimes summarize the evolution of the "legal status" of indigenous nations under U.S. law and examine how U.S. legal definitions undermine…

This book, issued in observance of the Columbus Quincentennial and on the occasion of the 27th International Geographical Congress, addresses a broad range of contemporary topics including environmental change, dynamics of the world economy, human needs, wants and rights, political order and change, and contemporary cultures. The format is one of…

The essays in this collection address questions raised by a modernity that has become global with the victory of capitalism over its competitors in the late twentieth century. Rather than erase difference by converting all to Euro/American norms of modernity, capitalist modernity as it has gone global has empowered societies once condemned to…

This book provides a step-by-step guide to genealogical research in North America for Native Americans. The book also contains information on the history of Native Americans and their relationships with the United States. Chapters include: (1) "Grandmother Spider's Tangled Web"; (2) "Why Trace Your Roots?"; (3)…