Lesson Plan: The Culture Of The Dine

Caroline Allison

Through a Different Lens Film Series

Lesson #1: The Culture of the Dine

Mini-Unit: The Dine

Introduction: This lesson is the first lesson in a mini-unit on Dine culture and history in the latter part of the nineteenth century. The unit is centered on creating a journal detailing the experiences of the Dine during this time period.

Learning objectives:

· Students will be able to briefly describe Dine, or Navajo, life and culture.

· Students will be able to create a Dine ‘persona’ that is detailed, realistic and culturally respectful.

Key Questions:

· What was life like for the Dine in the late ninetieth century, before white men arrived in the west?

· How does Dine cultural differ from Western Culture? What are some similarities?

Activities:

· Introduce journal project and the terms ‘Dine’ and ‘Navajo’.

· Watch minutes 3 - 10 of The Long Walk: Tears of the Navajo and summarize on Who are the Dine? sheet

· Go over the details the video provided and Who are the Dine? sheet. For the section on values, ask the students to note values then the evidence that demonstrates that value. For example, if you stated that Dine valued women, they you would in parenthesis (women were the heads of households).

· Hand out copies of A Navajo Thunder Song. Add to the Dine sheet utilizing themes from the song. (see key)

· Handout Developing a Persona sheet. Discuss the Dine process of naming utilizing the directions and examples on the top of the sheet. Compare the Dine process of naming with the Western process. Ask students if they know what their names mean, or look a few students’ names up before class. Discuss how all names have a meaning, whether implicit or not.

· Students develop a persona by filling in the sheet and discussing the process with the class. As the students create their persona, they will have many questions- this is a great opportunity to share additional information on Dine culture or discuss being culturally respectful.

Homework/Assessment:

Ask students to write a rough draft of the first journal entry Before the Bilangaana. Explain that each lesson will directly relate to one of the journal entries and they will write the journal bit by bit throughout the unit.

Bibliography

Sides, Hampton. Blood and Thunder: The Epic Story of Kit Carson and the Conquest of the American West. New York: Anchor Books, 2007. An epic work with extensive detail on Dine culture and history.

Howe, John dir. The Long Walk: Tears of the Navajo. University of Utah, KUED. A short video on the genocide committed by the American government on the Navajo Nation.

Matthews, Washington (trans). A Navajo Thunder Song. 1887. Accessed February 24, 2009. http://www.eduplace.com/ss/

hmss/3/unit/act2.1blm.html. This primary source is a Native American song encourages rain by honoring thunder.

Looking Westward: The Dine People Journal Project

Directions: The Dine, or Navajo people, did not have a written form of their language until the later part of the nineteenth century. In this activity, therefore, we will take a bit of historical license. The ultimate goal of this project is to create a journal that conveys the perspective, motivations, thoughts and feelings of a Dine person during the American movement west.

Step one: Please create a character utilizing the character brainstorm sheet- the only restriction is that the character must be Dine. You must pass this sheet in with your final journal.

Step two: Write the following journal entries (each should be a paragraph).

· Before the Bilagaana: This entry should describe Navaho life before the Bilagaana, or white men, come. Describe your family, what you do for food and shelter, and other details of your life. Are you happy? Why or why not?

· Conflict: Describe the conflicts between your people and the Mexican Americans- why has there been conflict? What involvement do you have in the conflicts? How do you feel about the Mexican Americans?

· The Treaty: Describe the exchange between Col. Washington and your people. How much of the meeting do you understand? How do you feel about the Bilagaana?

· The Attacks: Describe the attacks on your land by Kit Carson and his people. Do you know what the white men want with your home? How do you feel about your sacred land being destroyed? What are your reasons for staying? What eventually makes you leave?

· The Long Walk: Describe the Long Walk. Why is the journey so terrible? What is happening to you and your people? Where do you end your journey? What is your reaction to your new ‘home’? What has become of your family on the journey?

· Sherman and Home: A new Bilagaana has arrived at Bosque Redondo, General William T. Sherman. Describe him and the meeting that he has with the Dine elders. What are the results? What is your reaction to the news that you will be going back to your home?

· Education: Your parents have decided to send you to a boarding school to get an education. Why have they sent you? What is your new school like? What changes do you have to make? Will you stay at the school or try to run away home? Why?

Step three: Create a cover for your journal with a title, your Dine name, and your actual name. Include either one hand drawn image of the Dine homeland or a photograph or drawing from the internet.

Who are the Dine?

Directions: As you watch The Long Walk: Tears of the Navajo, describe the culture of nineteenth century Dine people (what they did for food and shelter, where they lived and other details) and what the Dine valued (culturally and socially, for example). Next, we will read a song from the Navajo and add to our lists.

Please note: The Dine, or Navajo, as they are known by Westerners, are still today a vibrant nation. Because we are discussing Dine history, we will refer to ninetieth century Dine in the past tense, but we should keep in mind that this does not mean that the Dine, or their culture, have disappeared.

The Dine…

The Dine valued….

Who are the Dine?

The Dine…

From video:

lived in mud and wood houses called hogans

were sheep herders

farmed and planted orchards

lived in the present day American Southwest between 4 sacred mountains

From Song

Danced and sang

The Dine valued….

From Video:

family and women (women were heads of households)

everything their sheep provided (sheep = life to Navajo)

skills (like weaving)

their homeland

From Song:

nature (rain beautifies the land)

their religion (they chanted to bring rain)

Found at http://www.eduplace.com/ss/hmss/3/unit/act2.1blm.html

A Navajo Thunder Song

The song below is part of a Navajo chant for thunder, which brings rain. The Navajo sang the song during the Mountain Chant Ceremony.

Twelfth Song of the Thunder
from the Navajo
(translated by Dr. Washington Matthews, 1887)

The voice that beautifies the land!
The voice above,
The voice of the thunder.
Within the dark cloud
Again and again it sounds,
The voice that beautifies the land.

The voice that beautifies the land!
The voice below:
The voice of the grasshopper.
Among the plants
Again and again it sounds,
The voice that beautifies the land.

Looking Westward: The Dine People Journal Project

Developing a Persona

Name: _________________________________________ History 10

Date: __________________________________________ American West

A note on naming: Dine names are descriptive; the Dine people often do not name their children until they had laughed their first real laugh. Their name told something of their personal nature or physical description. Some examples are No Neck, Skinny Girl, or Little Man Won’t Do As He’s Told. Give your persona a name that describes their personality or physical characteristics. [1]

Dine Name: ___________________________________________________________________

Age: _________________________

Physical Characteristics or Description:

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Personality Traits

Role in family group: (Mother, brother, daughter, etc.)

______________________________________________

Family Members: Relationship (mother, father, sister etc.)

______________________________________ _______________________________

Personal History: What experiences has this persona had in the past that are important to know or has significantly impacted them?

[1]

Sides, Hampton. Blood and Thunder. New York: Anchor Books, 2006.