Understanding the Native American Experience in New England
Five College Public School Partnership Events
This chronology details eight years of collaborative activities designed to help teachers strengthen their teaching of the Native American Experience in New England. The program originated in discussions with secondary social studies teachers about the problems of finding primary documents for use in the classroom about Native Americans in our area of western Massachusetts - especially in the 19th and 20th centuries. It has expanded over the years to meet the needs of teachers of the humanities, elementary teachers, and museum and historical society staff. We are providing the complete chronology so you will see the way one project developed over time; we hope you will find some part that you can use in your own community.
1999: Creating and Interpreting Images of Native Americans in New England
February 11, March 11, April 8, April 22, May 13, 1999 at the Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, Deerfield
This series incorporates new academic research and indigenous histories to illuminate the presence of Native American people in communities across New Engand, with a special focus on the "Pioneer Valley." Sessions include themes and techniques for teaching local history, analyzing historical material, and incorporating multiple viewpoints, as well as tie-ins to the structure and content of the Massachusetts Curriculum frameworks, particularly social studies and language arts. The series includes a field trip to the Mashantucket Pequot Museum with an on-site workshop for a look at how Native people portray their own history in the twentieth century.
1997-1998: Adjusting the Lens: Indian Images and Identity
This series continues a popular workshop for teachers designed to enrich their understnading of the Native American experience. This year, we'll be offering a six part workshop series, with a one day professional development day in April (date TBA) to focus specifically on how to adapt the materials for the Massachusetts Social Studies Frameworks. Each session will include a presenter and a teacher-facilitator to lead a discussion on how the material can be used in the classroom. All sessions will be held at Memorial Hall Museum, Old Deerfield. Refreshments will be served at 3:30 p.m.; workshops will be 4-6 p.m. We are continuing to work out the details for the sessions, but the primary themes to be addressed during the series and the presenters are listed below.
· Using Documents/Deconstructing Documents
(Presenters: Neal Salisbury, Smith College History Department; Lynne Manring, Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, Old Deerfield)
Thursday, October 9, 1997; Memorial Hall Museum, Old Deerfield
· Squanto: Case Study
(Presenters: Neal Salisbury, Smith College; Linda Coombs, Plymouth Plantation. Teacher-Facilitator: Rosemary Agoglia)
Thursday, November 6, 1997; Memorial Hall Museum, Old Deerfield
· Unseen Neighbors: Presence, Persistence, and Native American Homelands (Case study dealing with Native communities on the Massachusetts and Connecticut border) (Presenter: Thomas Doughton, Nipmuc Tribal Council; Teacher-Facilitator: Virginia Ahart)
Thursday, December 11, 1997; Memorial Hall Museum, Old Deerfield
· Indian Literature
(Presenter: Ron Welburn, University of Massachusetts. Teacher-Facilitator: Elaine Kachavos)
Thursday, January 8, 1998; Memorial Hall Museum, Old Deerfield
· Fringe, Fur, and Feathers: Stereotypes in Words and Pictures (Session will be done in conjunction with traveling exhibit from Greenfield Community College)
(Presenter: Marge Bruchac, Abenaki Historical Interpreter, Performer, and Smith College Ada Comstock Scholar. Teacher-Facilitator: Barbara MacEwan)
Thursday, February 12, 1998; Memorial Hall Museum, Old Deerfield
· Current Thinking Regarding Issues of Community and Identity
(Panel Presentation: Ron Welburn; Marge Bruchac; Charles Derby, Wampanoag, former teacher and workshop leader on Indian Art; and Thomas Doughton)
Thursday, March 12, 1998; Memorial Hall Museum, Old Deerfield
1996-1997: Understanding the Native American Experience in Every Chapter in American History: Year-long Seminar Series
Funding for this series was provided by the Partnership, the schools/participants (), a grant from the Massachusetts Foundation for the Humanities, and the donated time of the Planning Committee. We are grateful to Memorial Hall Museum for the use of their classroom space.
· Angel Decora: A Case History
(Dierdre Almeida, School of Education, University of Massachusetts Amherst)
Thursday, October 3, 3:30-6:00, Memorial Hall Museum, Old Deerfield
· Indians of Massachusetts and the Civil War
(Thomas Doughton, Member of the Quinsigamond Band of the Nipmuc Nation and Director of the People's Institute, Worcester)
Thursday, November 7, 3:30-6:00, Memorial Hall Museum, Old Deerfield
· Archaeology Without the Dirt: the Study of Material Culture
(Amy Gazin-Schwartz, University of Massachusetts Archaeological Services)
Thursday, December 5, 3:30-6:00, Memorial Hall Museum, Old Deerfield
· Hiding in Plain Sight: Native American Adaptation and Survival in New England
(Margaret Bruchac, Abenaki Historical Interpreter and Performer and Ada Comstock Scholar, Smith College)
Thursday, January 9, 3:30-6:00, Memorial Hall Museum, Old Deerfield
· Making a Living, Keeping Their Place: Native American Lives in "Our Times"
(Russ Handsman, Research Archaeologist, University of Rhode Island)
Thursday, February 6, 3:30-6:00, Memorial Hall Museum, Old Deerfield
· Indians and the New Deal
(Neal Salisbury, History Department, Smith College)
Tuesday, March 4, 3:30-6:00, Memorial Hall Museum, Old Deerfield
· Contemporary Legal Issues
(Peter D'Errico, Legal Studies, University of Massachusetts)
Thursday, April 3, 3:30-6:00, Memorial Hall Museum, Old Deerfield
1995-1996: Understanding the Native American Experience Fall Reading Series
(Ron Welburn, English Department, University of Massachusetts)
4:00-6:00, Old Grammar School, Old Deerfield
Funding for this series was provided by the Partnership, the schools/participants (), a grant from the Massachusetts Foundation for the Humanities, and the donated time of the Planning Committee. We are grateful to Memorial Hall Museum for the use of their classroom space.
· Oct.17: Marilou Awaikta, Selu: Seeking the Corn-Mother's Wisdom, Fulcrum Publishing, .95
· Oct. 24: Melissa Jayne Fawcett, The Lasting of the Mohegans, Part I: The Story of the Wolf People, Pequot Press,
· Nov. 7: John E. Smelcer and D. L. Birchfield (eds.), Durable Breath: Contemporary Native American Poetry, Salmon Run Press,
· Nov. 28: Joseph Bruchac (ed.), New Voices from the Long House, Greenfield Review Press, .
· Dec. 5: Richard Carlson (ed.), Rooted Like the Ash Trees, Eagle Wing Press, . Understanding the Native American Experience: Spring History Series Pochahantas: Then and Now (Neal Salisbury, History Department, Smith College)
· Monday, January 29, 4:00-6:00, Old Grammar School, Old Deerfield
Looking Differently at a Story We Thought We Knew: Indians in the American Revolution (Colin Calloway, Dartmouth College)
· Monday, February 26, 4:00-6:00. Old Grammar School, Old Deerfield
Relearning the History of Families in South Worcester County (Edward Hood, Old Sturbridge Village)
· Monday, March 11, 4:00-6:00, Old Grammar School, Old Deerfield
1994-1995 Funding for this series was provided by the Partnership and the donated time of planners and presenters.
· Native American Culture as Seen in Their Music (David McAlester)
October 4, Amherst College
· Oral Traditions and Native American Authors (Ron Welborn)
November 16, Amherst College
· Indian Images in the Connecticut River Valley: Work in Progress (Louise Minks, Barbara MacEwan, Jane Wanisi)
January 10, Greenfield Community College
· Using Film to Combat Stereotyping (Liz Chilton)
February 9, University of Massachusetts
1993-1994
· World's In Collision: Deerfield 1704
Oct 1, Memorial Hall Museum
(Roesmary Agolia, Dena Dincauze, Suzanne Flynt, Dorothy Krass, Barry O'Connell, Neil Salisbury)
· Teaching About Thanksgiving: Workshop for Elementary School Teachers
October 26, Memorial Hall Museum
(Rosemary Agoglia)
1992-1993: Native Peoples and Museums in The Connecticut River Valley: Using Museums in the Valley to Teach About Native Peoples.
(Workshops by the notebook authors led by the editor, Dorothy Krass)
The notebook was funded by a grant from the Massachusetts Foundation for the Humanities. Copies are still available at cost () from the Northampton Historical Society, 46 Bridge Street, Northampton, MA 01060.
Funding for the spring workshops was provided by NERC, the Partnership, the schools/participants (conference fee), and the donated time of planners and presenters.
· Introductory Session September 22, Historic Northampton
Using the Springfield Science Museum to Teach About Native Peoples in the Connecticut River Valley
September 23, Springfield Science Museum
· Using the Memorial Hall Museum to Teach Native Peoples in the Connecticut River Valley
September 24, Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Hall, Old Deerfield
· Understanding the Native American Experience in New England
all-day preconference workshop, New England Council for the Social Studies, March 1993 (Institute participants and staff)
· Teaching Familiar Books in Unfamiliar Ways: Workshop for Elementary Teachers
March 11, Amherst College
(Barry O'Connell, Rosemary Agoglia)
· Teaching Familiar Books in Unfamiliar Ways: Workshop for Secondary Teachers
April 1, Amherst College
(Barry O'Connell, Rosemary Agoglia)
1991-1992
It was during this year that planning meetings expanded to include museum and historical society staff and Native American representatives. This was the first year of the Non-Newsletter (bi-monthly mailings of current events, publications, materials organized, mailings paid for by subscribers who were also responsible for sending in the materials that were distributed. The Non-Newsletter ended in the spring of 1995.
· Understanding the Native American Experience in New England
All-day preconference workshop, New England Council for the Social Studies Annual Meeting, March 1992
(Institute participants and staff). Supported by NERC, the Partnership, the schools/participants (conference fee) and the donated time of planners and presenters.
1990-1991: Academic Year Program
· Follow-up Meeting for 1988 and 1989 Institute Participants.
October, Amherst College
(Diedre Almeida, University of Massachusetts); March, Sturbridge Village (Peter O'Connell, now at the University of Massachusetts Lowell)
1989-1990
· Understanding The Native American Experience in Southern New England
A summer institute and academic year follow-up for middle and high school educators from Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut
(Neil Salisbury, Smith College; Barry O'Connell, Amherst College; and Dorothy Krass, University of Massachusetts; and guest presenters).
Supported by grants from the Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island Humanities Councils.
· Workshops for Teachers Who Were Unable to Attend the Institute
(led by 1988 and 1989 Institute Participants):
o Understanding the Native American Experience
Thursday, November 2, Birchland Park School, East Longmeadow
o Understanding the Native American Experience
Thursday, November 30, Frontier Regional High School
1988-1989 Supported by grants from the Massachusetts Foundation for the Humanities and the History Teaching Alliance.
·Understanding The Native American Experience in the Connecticut River Valley
A summer institute and academic year follow-up for middle and high school educators from western Massachusetts
(Neil Salisbury, Smith College; Barry O'Connell, Amherst College; and Dorothy Krass, University of Massachusetts; and guest presenters).
Note: Dorothy Krass, who was such an important resource to this project in the early years, is now Manager for Public Education for the Society for American Archaeology. The Society publishes many newsletters and resource materials including the newsletter, Archaeology and Public Education, and the Resource Guide, Classroom Sources for Archaeology Education. For more information contact her directly:
Dorothy Krass
Society for American Archaeology
900 Second Street, NE #12
Washington, DC 20002-3557
202-789-8200 (fax: 202-789-0284)
dorothy_krass@saa.org
