The Obama administration is committed to the needs of Indian Country and to the education of Native American youth. U.S. Department of Education (ED) Secretary Arne Duncan has made it a priority to strengthen opportunities and outcomes for all students, including Native American students. As a result of the secretary's commitment to Native youth…

The recognition and implementation of American Indian treaty rights beginning in the last quarter of the twentieth century are transforming the ways in which landscapes are managed, tribal and state institutions are structured, and civic identities are constructed in a number of states that surround Indian nations. This national treaty-rights…

The harvest of the Great Lakes primary forest stands (ca. 1860-1925) transformed the region's ecological, cultural, and political landscapes. Although logging affected both Indian and white communities, the Ojibwe experienced the lumber era in ways that differed from many of their white neighbors. When the 125,000-acre Bad River Reservation was…

This article examines a brief period of Lake Superior Ojibway history in detail. It describes the territorial dimensions of usufructuary rights and tells how one Ojibway community at Keweenaw Bay, William Jondreau's home, reorganized itself as an Anishnabe state in the 1840s and early 1850s. It also argues that this state-building grew out of…

Wisconsin encompasses an astonishingly representative illustration of the total historical development of federal Indian policy and Indian reactions to it. Wisconsin's Indian population (at least 25,000 people) is the third largest east of the Mississippi River and offers great diversity (3 major linguistic stocks, 6 broad tribal affiliations, and…

This curriculum unit introduces students to the long and complex history of American Indian-White relations in the area that is now Wisconsin. Five historical narratives cover: (1) a general background to Indian-White relations, initial culture contact, and items of cultural exchange; (2) trade, peaceful relations, and intermarriage between the…

A 2- or 3-day activity for middle and high school students, this unit is designed to familiarize students with the concept and reality of tribal governments as they exist today in American Indian tribes. Objectives are to enable students to: (1) become aware that American Indian tribal governments, people, and reservations exist in the United…

The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRETORIA) gives American Indian tribes the option to run their own Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program or leave these services under state administration. Eight case studies were conducted in Oregon, Wisconsin, and Arizona with the Klamath Tribes,…

Explains history of federal-Indian relationship and changing tribal sovereignty rights. Describes treaty disputes and Indian-non-Indian conflicts in Washington, Wisconsin, and Oklahoma. Describes general nature of Indian alliances and support networks. Discusses possible roles for social scientists and social-science studies to mitigate Indian…

In 1989 Wisconsin legislation mandated the integration of American Indian history, culture, and tribal sovereignty into the K-12 social studies curriculum as a component of multicultural education. This document assists teachers to fulfill that mandate, as well as to meet statutory requirements of instruction on the Chippewa Indians' treaty-based,…

This document describes a film and videotape series of seven half-hour programs about two Indian tribes of Wisconsin. The first three programs deal with the Oneida tribe and the final four deal with the Menominee. The programs are: (1) "To Keep a Heritage Alive," discussing the educational history of the Oneida people and their current…

This guide contains information and learning activities for teaching elementary and secondary school students about federal-Indian relations, treaty rights, and tribal sovereignty in Wisconsin. The guide was developed to meet provisions of the 1989 Wisconsin Act 31 that required social studies curriculum to include instruction on treaty rights and…