LEARN NC

North Carolina History Digital Textbook Project

We have a story to tell: Native peoples of the Chesapeake region

From the National Museum of the American Indian, Smithsonian Institution

3.1 Small group project and class presentation

By Gabrielle Tayac, Ph.D. (Piscataway) and Edwin Schupman (Muscogee), with Genevieve Simermeyer (Osage). Edited by Mark Hirsch.

Issues of survival for Native communities of the Chesapeake region

The following activity will help you explore important issues that affect the survival of Chesapeake Native American communities today.

  1. Your teacher will divide your class into small working groups. Each group will be assigned one of the following research topics:
    • Issue 1: The Effects of Treaty Making
    • Issue 2: Denial of Civil Rights
    • Issue 3: The Importance of Legal Recognition

    You will receive text to read, primary resources to study, and guidance on where to find additional resources.

  2. Read the text and study the primary resource images and documents. As a group, discuss what you think are the important aspects of the topic. Use the questions provided to guide your discussion. Think about the various aspects of the topic and, as a group, take a position on a key issue. For example, students working on “The Importance of Legal Recognition” topic might take the position that “The Native American tribes of the Chesapeake region should
    receive federal recognition because…”
  3. Outline your group’s position to determine what additional information you need, and conduct research to find answers to the questions you have. Some supplementary documents are listed on your materials for each topic. These should be read by every group member. They can be found by clicking on “online resources” on the National Museum of the American Indian website.
  4. Your group will develop a 15-minute class presentation to demonstrate your group’s position on the issue. Choose your own method of presentation — oral, written, video, poster, and so on.
  5. You may use the following suggested outline to develop your presentation:
    1. State the historical facts related to your issue.
    2. State the present-day facts related to your issue.
    3. Based on your research, state and elaborate upon your group’s position.
    4. List and discuss the key factors that support your position.