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Christopher J. Carter Josette WoodenLegs Dr. Florence Dunkel
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VÁ'ÔHTÁMA – WELCOME This goal of this integrated media guide is to reach a larger audience who know nothing about the traditions and history of the Northern Cheyenne way of life, Reservation life in general, and to honor these traditions that we as Northern Cheyenne people can relate to and pass on to future generations. -The Northern Cheyenne People
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UNIT INTRODUCTION The goal of this integrated media unit is to promote understanding , communication and knowledge creation between tribal and non-tribal communities through a multimodal educational unit for all disciplines. While multicultural learning has been historically rooted in the social science and humanities this unit aims to address core concepts in intercultural competence and collaboration through experiential learning across disciplines from the 6th grade up.
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DIRECTIONS
Broken into three parts, this media unit hopes to engage students in the journey of three Cheyenne Women as they travel to the village of Sanambele Mali while exploring issues of science, culture and society. In this unit the teacher should take a facilitator but participant role alongside students working with Northern Cheyenne mentors to enhance mutual understanding .
Three Unit Parts
Day 1 Watch Dancing Across the Gap
Present background information and open ended discussion following the film.
Day 2 Clips and Discussion
Discuss questions from clips outlined in this booklet Select an project for next week (Optional) Ethnographic Interviews Photographic Essays Musical/Artistic Rendering of Community
Day 3 Present projects and connect with Northern Cheyenne collaborators
Mentorship is free of charge and required for this educational program. We recommend scheduling days for mentorship a week ahead with the contacts listed below.
Follow up questions and assessment
Northern Cheyenne Cultural Center Contact Information Mina Seminole and Linwood Tall Bull 1 College Dr Box 98 Lame Deer, MT 59043 (406)-477-6215 Extension 148 6
CONTENTS Background Clips & Discussion
Page 6.
Page 8.
..
Connect
Page 17.
Follow up
Page 18.
Assessments
Page 19.
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ORIGIN STORY
Long, long ago, before there were people, water was everywhere. Maheo’o, the Creator, was floating on the water. All of the water birds were swimming nearby the ducks, geese, swans, and other birds that swim. Ma’heo’o called to them and asked them to bring him some earth. One after another, the birds dove down through the deep water, searching for earth. The large birds tried again and again, but they couldn’t reach the bottom. At last a small blue duck (a coot or mud-hen) came to the surface with a dab of mud in its bill. The duck swam to Ma’heo’o, who took the mud and worked it between his fingers until it dried and turned to dust. He took the dust and placed it in little pieces atop the water. Each pile of dust became land that grew and grew until, as far as the eye could see, there was land everywhere. That is how the earth we walk on was made.
HISTORY
The United States government attempted to force the Northern Cheyenne to merge with their traditional enemies the Crow, but eventually the U.S. gave the Northern Cheyenne their own reservation. An Executive Order in November of 1884 identified a tract of land west of the Tongue River in South8 eastern Montana as the Northern Cheyenne Reservation.
Location of the Northern Cheyenne reservation (in pink) and Montana’s six other native american reservations.
LANGUAGE Its commonly known that, "a language dies only when the last person who speaks it dies. One day itis there; the next it is gone."'For the Cheyenne language in Montana, the time of its potential death can almost be pinpointed. In 1996, an informal survey was conducted to find the youngest fluent speaker. The only speaker who could sustain Cheyenne speech for half an hour was Rhoda Glenmore. This 45-year-old lady is now (2012) about 61 years of age. Today a language preservation project hopes to catalog the Northern Cheyenne language withthe help of computer software.
PRESSING ISSUES
Education According to the 2000 census, nearly 50% of Cheyenne families live under the poverty level, and unemployment fluctuated from 60-85% because jobs are scarce and often seasonal on the North- ern Cheyenne Reservation. Initiatives such as the Chief Dull Knife Community College aim to prepare a skilled workforce and the educational tools to leave material poverty. Coal Leases Historically a heated debate, the Northern Cheyenne tribe has faught the development of resource extraction development in the desire to provide a healthy environemnt for future generations, however the debates continue.
SUSTAINING THE CIRCLE The circle here represents the circle of life in the Northern Cheyenne tradition, represented in association with the four directions and four earth colors. The directions help organize and orient individuals lives across their lifespan. A person may be made up of some of the aspects when they are born with but some come9 later on.
Cultural Identity
SUMMARY
In this clip Stacy BearComesOut describes what it means to be a Cheyenne at a the village preschool. Throughout the film the women have varying definitions of what a Cheyenne is and at times refer to books etc. to describe a unique cultural identity.
GET AT THE MEANING
1.)Did you identify with any of the characters in the film? Sherri(Traditionalism). Janelle(Mixture of Old and New), Stacy(Contemporary)? Explain. 2.) How do you describe your people to others? 3) Have you ever had a conflict within yourself describing yourself?
INTERPRETIVE MEANING QUESTIONS 1.)Are their multiple cultures within you?
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In the elders hut in Sanambele one of the Northern Cheyenne women(Sherri) discussed Native history and language. After learning of older generations not passing down language, a village elder notes on the importance of knowing your own language.
GET AT THE MEANING 1.)What does the elder mean when he says if you don’t work in your own language you can’t be free? 2.)What is a dominant society? Colonialism? Assimilation? 3.)Do Malians and the Northern Cheyenne share a common thread in histories with a dominant society?
INTERPRETIVE QUESTIONS
1.)What is your culture? 2.)Do your parents speak a language different than your own? 3.)Is there a difference between assimilation and integration?
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Dominant Society and Assimilation
SUMMARY
What is Poverty?
SUMMARY
In the film Janelle returns to the comforts of a hotel on the way home and reflects on how happy the villagers in Sanambele are even though they appear to be living in abject conditions.
GET AT THE MEANING 1.)What is Material vs. Cultural Wealth? 2.)What is Material vs Cultural Poverty?
INTERPRETIVE MEANING QUESTIONS
1.)How do you define poverty? 2.)Do you feel that you are wealthy? If so, in what way? 3.) How may villagers in Sanambele view wealth? Members of the Northern Cheyenne nation?
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Throughout the film we are offered different notes on reservation life, like when Stacy notes that ““I never understood why my mother took my children away. or when the woman in Mali is surprised to hear that Stacy is a grandmother at 36 years old. Further, before Sherries leaves , her grandfather notes that she is going to come back “ black” from Mali.
GET AT THE MEANING
1.)What are your conceptions of reservation life? 2.)What are your perceptions of places and communities outside of your community? Do you avoid some people or places? 3.)Are elders(Tsé-haa’éhaestse) integral to your life?
INTERPRETIVE MEANING QUESTIONS
1.) Throughout the film as the Cheyenne women travel they note that they wish their family could experience it. What might they like to share about life off of the reservation?
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What is Reservation Life Like?
SUMMARY
Ethnobotany and Medicine
SUMMARY In this clip Sherri lights sweet grass at the hospital in Mali as she visits a mother afflicted by Malaria . Plants like Sweet Grass are used as a cleansing agents in native health. Nearly 80 plants on the Northern Cheyenne reservation can be used for healing and are used and require great knowledge to practice to gather Knowledge of an area place based knowledge can provide healing via local plants.
GET AT THE MEANING 1.)What makes a “healthy human�? 2.)How do you define healthcare? Medicine? 3.)What are common medicines you use in your house? 4.)Have you ever gathered plants for healing? 5.)What is the difference between traditional healing and Western medicine?
INTERPRETIVE MEANING QUESTIONS 1.)Would you be able to recognize a native plant used for healing? 2.)Do you know of anyone in your community that uses native plants? 14
Ethnobotany The cultural use of plants by humans, in a traditional sense to treat the root causes of illness. Here in the context of plains tribes. addressing the balance of emotional, physical , spiritual and environmental health. Western Medicine Pathogen and system based health approaches emerging from the era of European enlightenment.
SUMMARY
Kwashiorkor Is a form of malnutrition that occurs when there is not enough complete protein in the diet. In the remote village of Sanambale, youth can experience this there is a limited or unbalanced food supply.
GET AT THE MEANING
1.) What do you consider to be good nutrition? Malnutrition? 2.) What are some factors that can stand in the way of proper nutrition? 3.) Do you have regular access to fresh vegetables and protein?
INTERPRETIVE MEANING QUESTIONS
1.) It is possible to be obese /underweight and to be malnourished, what may be some of the causes of this state?
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Nutrition
As Janelle walks through the village, men give he a tour of the nearby grains growing and sorghum being stored. Nutrition in rural places relies on either adequate production or the transport of food to that are. Both Sanambele and Northern Cheyenne communities are remote, adequately named “food deserts� and often experience the void of certain foods, from their diets.
Self Determinism & Solidarity
SUMMARY
In the closing of the film John Woodenlegs discusses the concept of ,“We versus I” in relation to the Northern Cheyenne community. One challenge the Northern Cheyenne nation has is that people who pursue a higher education (Háehéne’enovâhestôtse ) may not choose to return to their community positioning, “I” over “we” .
GET AT THE MEANING
1.)What does John WoodenLegs mean by “we” instead of “I? 2.)In what ways do you feel that you are part of a community? Do you feel stronger because of it? 3.) What do traditions mean to you? Individualism? 4.)Do you explain higher education? Does your community play a role in your decision making?
INTERPRETIVE MEANING QUESTIONS 1.) As you pursue ambitions in the course of your lifetime, what role will the community you grew up in play in your life and ambitions? Do you hope to contribute to your community? 16
CONNECT Now, please work with your Northern Cheyenne mentors at Chief Dull Knife Cultural Center to address lingering questions students may have and to encourage conversations between your class room and tribal communities. This is done to avoid misrepresentation and stress some of these questions may have on the teacher. MINA SEMINOLE OR LINWOOD TALL BULL
(406)-477-6215 Extension 148
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FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS Please present these questions 5 days to a Week after the clip discussion
1.)Has this film, discussions and activities affected your students? 2.)Looking forward how will you apply these concepts in school? Community? 3.)If you were to share one thing with a peer about this film what would it be?
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INSTRUCTOR EVALUATION ASSESSMENT 1. Did you find this media unit effective? Will you use this again? What could be improved?
2. What was the impact of this film on your students?
3. What will you do with this knowledge in your classroom?
Please return this assessment via the self-addressed envelope and you will receive a memory bracelet produced by the Women’s Association of Sanambele Mali. Please Address to: Dr. Florence Dunkel 119 Plant BioSciences Montana State University Bozeman MT, 59715
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STUDENT EVALUATION ASSESSMENT 1. What was the biggest thing you learned from the unit?
2. Was there anything that was unclear to you? If so ,what?
3. What will you do with this knowledge in your classroom, family, community?
Please return this assessment via the self-addressed envelope and you will receive a memory bracelet produced by the Women’s Association of Sanambele Mali. Please Address to: Dr. Florence Dunkel 119 Plant BioSciences Montana State University Bozeman MT, 59715
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SOURCES CHAIKIN, E. DUNKEL, F and R. LITTLEBEAR. 2010. Dancing Across the Gap. A journey of discovery. Sustainable Productions, LLC. New York, NY. http://www.montana.edu/ mali/npvideos.html)Film 56 min. DUNKEL, F., SHAMS, A, GEORGE, C . 2011. Expansive Collaboration: A Model for Transformed Classrooms, Community-Based Research, and Service-Learning. NACTA Journal Volume 55. Pages 65-74. DOW, P. 1971. MACOS: Man A Case of Study Curriculum. Curriculum Development Associates. LIPKA, K. 1989. Cautionary Tale of Curriculum Development in Yup’ik Eskimo Communities. Anthropology & Education Quarterly. Volume 20
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