Montana Tribal Histories: Educators Resource Guide and Companion DVD

I’m absolutely loving Julie Cajune’s “Montana Tribal Histories: Educators Resource Guide and Companion DVD”—produced by OPI’s Indian Education Office, which also sent copies to all Montana public school libraries. The guide is also available online. 

I’m especially loving the tribal history timelines she created...

And the primary sources she collected on the DVD....

And her use of specifics: Did you know that when the Flathead Indian Reservation was allotted, tribal members received only 245,000 acres of the 1,245,000 acre reservation?...

And the bite-sized chapters. A busy person might be intimidated by a 200-page resource guide—but you don’t have to read all 200 pages. Just turn to a chapter that aligns with other material you are teaching, or that seems particularly interesting to you, and you’ll get something that stands alone.

Does this resource have a strong point of view? You bet—which makes it a perfect vehicle for addressing Essential Understanding 6: “History is a story most often related through the subjective experience of the teller. With the inclusion of more and varied voices, histories are being rediscovered and revised. History told from an Indian perspective frequently conflicts with the stories mainstream historians tell.”

“Montana Tribal Histories: Educators Resource Guide” will make it dramatically easier to incorporate Indian perspectives and tribal history topics into Montana and American history curriculums. If you haven’t already explored it, I recommend taking a close look.