Unit - First Nation

Multiple Choice

The Cherokee Nation v. Georgia court case

• gave the Cherokee the right to become their own sovereign nation

• was a huge victory for the Cherokee and all Indian Tribes

• was not heard by the Supreme court because they did not recognize the Cherokee as a sovereign nation

• gave the Cherokee thousands of acres of land in Georgia

1. What stands out to you? Why?

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2. What does he say that sounds like events today? Explain.

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3. ​What questions do you have about what he is saying?

Choose 1 of the questions above to answer in your notebook while you watch the video. Be ready to share.

​The First Nations of the Americas​

​10 min

Open Ended

TYPE WHAT YOU WROTE IN YOUR NOTEBOOK:

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What is something he says that stands out to you? Why?

What does he say that sounds familiar or you can make a connection to? Explain.

​What questions do you have about what he is saying?

Poll

Based on the pictures from the page before, which are you most curious about? You may choose more than 1.

​TWQ: Who were the first nations of the Americas, how did they live, and what did they establish?​

Write this question into your notebook. Then we will unpack it.

​5 min ? Should we go over this question before we read?

1. How does art/music play a part in Xiuhtezcatl's activism?

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2. What makes him a good public speaker?

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3. Why does say that his Aztec culture​ is part of his activism?

Choose 1 of the questions above to answer in your notebook while you watch the video. Be ready to share.

​The First Nations of the Americas

​

​10 min

Poll

How willing are you to become an educated spokesperson for a cause that you care about?

• Very willing!

• Willing

• Somewhat willing

• Not willing at all

Indian Removal Act

Indian Removal Act

​Native Americans lived in villages from Georgia to Mississippi for a long time. But President Jackson and other leaders wanted this land for American farmers. They thought new farms would help the economy grow. In 1830, under pressure from President Jackson, Congress passed the Indian Removal Act. This law forced Native Americans living east of the Mississippi River to move to new lands in the West.

​Congress created Indian Territory, which was U.S. land in what is now Oklahoma. They planned to move Native Americans there. Some people, like John C. Calhoun*, supported this idea. They said moving Native Americans would protect them from conflicts with American settlers.

Calhoun said that one big problem for Native Americans was that more and more settlers kept taking their land. He believed Native Americans needed a place that would truly belong to them.

To organize the removal ; Indian removal act , Congress created a new government agency called the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
*John C. Calhoun was an American politician from South Carolina who served as Vice President of the United States from 1825 to 1832

Multiple Choice

In 1830, President ____________________ pushed the Indian Removal Act through Congress

• John Quincy Adams

• Henry Clay

• Andrew Jackson

• James Madison

Multiple Choice

Which Act First allowed the Federal Government to pay Native Americans to move west?

• Federal Act

• Indian Removal Act

• Native American Act

• Settlers Act

Multiple Choice

Where was most of the area set aside for Native Americans in 1834 located today?

• Texas

• Oklahoma

• Dakota

• New Mexico

The Choctaw were the first Native Americans forced to move to Indian Territory. The Mississippi government got rid of the Choctaw’s own government and made their leaders sign the Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek. This treaty gave more than 7.5 million acres of Choctaw land to the state.

The Choctaw had to move during a very harsh winter. The U.S. government did not give them enough food or supplies, and most had to walk. Many Choctaw died from cold, sickness, or hunger—about one-fourth of them did not survive.

Multiple Choice

Who were the first Native Americans sent to Indian Territory?

• The Choctaw

• The Cherokee

• The Quechua

Multiple Choice

What was the name of the treaty that forced the Choctaw to give up their land?

• Treaty of New Echota

• Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek

• Treaty of Fort Laramie

Multiple Choice

Why did many Choctaw die during their journey to Indian Territory?

• They were attacked by soldiers

• They did not have enough food or supplies

• They got lost on the way

The Cherokee thought they could avoid conflicts and stay on their land by following the culture of white settlers. In the early 1800s, they let missionaries open schools where Cherokee children learned to read and write in English. The Cherokee also created a government like the U.S. Constitution. They had elections, a two-part council, and a court system. A principal chief was their leader.

Multiple Choice

How did the Cherokee try to avoid conflicts and removal?

• By adopting the culture of white settlers

• By moving to another country

• By refusing to follow any rules

Multiple Choice

What did Cherokee children learn in the schools set up by missionaries?

• How to build houses

• How to read and write in English

• How to fight in wars

​A Cherokee named Sequoya used 86 characters to represent Cherokee syllables to create a writing system for their own complex language. In 1828 his contribution led the Cherokee to begin publishing a newspaper printed in both English and Cherokee.

Multiple Choice

What did Sequoya create for the Cherokee language?

• A writing system

• A new type of teaching

Multiple Choice

What did the Cherokee start publishing in 1828?

• A newspaper

• A book of stories

Following white culture did not protect the Cherokee. After gold was found on their land in Georgia, their rights were ignored. Georgia leaders planned to remove them. When the Cherokee refused to leave, Georgia’s militia attacked their towns. Instead of fighting back, the Cherokee went to court.

They sued the U.S. government, saying they had the right to be treated like a separate country. In 1831, their case, Cherokee Nation v. Georgia, went to the Supreme Court. But Chief Justice John Marshall refused to hear it. He said the Cherokee were not U.S. citizens or a foreign country, so they could not sue.

Open Ended

Imagine you are a Cherokee during this time. How would you feel knowing your land and rights were being taken away, even after trying to follow the laws? Describe your feelings in your own words.

Multiple Choice

What happened after gold was found on Cherokee land?

• Their treaty rights were ignored

• They became rich

Multiple Choice

How did the Cherokee fight against removal?

• They went to court

• They started a war

Multiple Choice

Why did the Supreme Court refuse to hear the Cherokee case?

• The Cherokee were not U.S. citizens or a foreign country

• The judge was on vacation

​In the spring of 1838, U.S. troops began to remove all Cherokee and resettle them in Indian Territory. A few were able to escape and hide in the mountains of North Carolina. After the Cherokee were removed, Georgia took their businesses, farms, and property.

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The Cherokee’s 800-mile forced march became known as the Trail of Tears. During the march, the Cherokee suffered from disease, hunger, and exposure to harsh weather. Almost one-fourth of the 18,000 Cherokee died on the march.

Multiple Choice

Why was it called the "Trail of Tears?"

• Harsh conditions
• There were many deaths
• People cried over the loss of their "homeland"
• All of the above

Multiple Choice

The consequences of the Indian Removal Act were

• 1/4 of the people that traveled the Trail of Tears died

• Native Americans were pushed onto land that was not suitable for their way of life

• the government established a pattern of treating Native Americans as being inferior

• all of these