Ojibwe History and Culture - Dr. Anton Treuer
December 8-9, 2010
Bemidji High School
Agenda
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
7:30 – 8:00 a.m. Check-in and Continental Breakfast
8:00 – 8:15 a.m. Welcome and Introductions
8:15 – 9:30 a.m. Understanding Ojibwe Culture through Language Exploration
There is no better way to understand a people than to explore the thought patterns and cultural mores embedded in their language. You will see Ojibwe people in a whole new light.
9:30 – 9:45 Break
10:00 – 11:00 Columbus and the Curriculum Conquest
This major event in history is taught by most teachers but misunderstood by many. Let’s look at the facts and fiction of Columbus and find truthful, effective ways to teach about him and his legacy.
11:00- 11:30 p.m. Lunch
11:30 – 12:30 p.m. Educating Indigenous People: History of Boarding Schools
From the creation of residential boarding schools in the late 19th century to the revision of the four remaining US government run boarding schools today, this workshop will give participants an overview of America’s assimilation experiment with the education of indigenous people. Understanding existing indigenous attitudes towards education and needs of the community requires a serious look at this chapter of American history.
12:30 – 12:45 p.m. Break
12:45 – 2:00 p.m. Small Group Working Session 1: Assessing Challenges, How to be Effective in Educating to and about Indians
2:00 – 3:15 p.m. Understanding and Educating About Treaty Rights
The legal quagmire around treaty rights has made this issue unapproachable for many teachers, but still very important to understand. Land and natural resource disputes stem from these legal issues as do many of the educational realities faced by indigenous communities today. A special case came from Mille Lacs and went to the Supreme Court of the United States within the current decade.
3:15 – 3:30 p.m. Wrap-up and Evaluations
Thursday, December 9, 2010
7:30 – 8:00 a.m. Check-in and Continental Breakfast
8:00 – 9:00 a.m. Documentary & Discussion: Lighting the Seventh Fire
9:00 – 10:00 a.m. Understanding Tribal Government Today
Why do no individuals own land at Red Lake, but at Leech Lake anyone can, regardless of race and enrollment? Why do Nett Lake and Red Lake have criminal jurisdiction and their own court system, where Mille Lacs and Leech Lake have only limited civil jurisdiction? How come tribal cops pull you over for speeding at one place and state troopers at another? Why does Mille Lacs have different treaty rights than White Earth? Understanding tribal government today helps understand the students we teach and places they come from. Being indigenous is not the same for everyone even in the same area.
10:00 – 10:10 a.m. Break
10:10 a.m. – 11:00a.m. The Truth About Gaming and Gambling
Yet another misunderstood and misrepresented facet of Ojibwe life. This session is designed to explain the development and function of gaming operations in Ojibwe country. Why do some tribes have per capita payments and others none? How does gaming affect Ojibwe communities and students we serve?
11:00 – 11:30 p.m. Lunch
11:30 – 12:44 p.m. Small Group Working Session: State Standards & Native Content, Making
Lesson Plans Work for You
12:45 – 1:45 p.m. Understanding Diversity and Stereotypes, Dealing with Racism
Understanding racial and cultural differences and dealing with misunderstanding is a difficult task. This session will give participants tools to think about and deal with diversity and racism in the schools from all levels—students, curriculum, faculty, and administration.
1:45 – 2:00 p.m. Break
2:00 – 3:00 p.m. White Privilege
3:00 – 3:30 p.m. Wrap-up and Evaluations
Workshop Overview
In the late nineteenth century, traditional Ojibwe ways of life were under assault. The land the Ojibwe could use to farm, hunt and fish had been greatly reduced by treaties and allotment. In addition, Ojibwe children were being sent to government schools, often far from their homes and families. This workshop explores the immediate and long-term effects of allotment and government-imposed education on the Ojibwe. Also discussed will be current issues of treaty rights, mascots, and repatriation. Participants will explore the ways that language contributes to cultural experiences and exchanges as well as present-day efforts to preserve the Ojibwe language.
Objectives:
Teachers will:
· have a greater knowledge and understanding about Ojibwe History and Culture:
· acquire broader understanding Ojibwe culture through language exploration
· examine the facts and fiction of Columbus and find truthful, effective ways to teach about him and his legacy
· examine subjects of Tribal History and Law; Land Allotment Issues; and Government Imposed Education
· explore diversity and stereotypes; dealing with racism
Workshop Scholar:
Dr. Anton Treuer (pronounced troy-er) is Professor of Ojibwe at Bemidji State University. He has a B.A. from Princeton University, M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota. He is Editor of the Oshkaabewis (pronounced o-shkaah-bay-wis) Native Journal, the only academic journal of the Ojibwe language. His published books include Ojibwe in Minnesota (2010), The Assassination of Hole in the Day: Ojibwe Leadership, Land, and Life Transformed, 1825-1868 (forthcoming in 2010), Awesiinyensag: Dadiibaajimowinan Ji-gikinoo’amaageng (forthcoming in 2010), Living Our Language: Ojibwe Tales & Oral Histories, Aaniin Ekidong: Ojibwe Vocabulary Project, and Omaa Akiing. Dr. Treuer has sat on many organizational boards, ranging from the White Earth Land Recovery Project to MeritCare Health System. Dr. Treuer has received prestigious awards and fellowships from the American Philosophical Society, National Endowment for the Humanities, the National Science Foundation, the Minnesota Historical Society, the Minnesota Humanities Commission, the Experienced Faculty Development Program, the Institute for the Study of World Politics, the Committee on Institutional Cooperation, the Grotto Foundation, the MacArthur Foundation, the Bush Foundation, and the John Simon Guggenheim Foundation.
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