BetterMost, Wyoming & Brokeback Mountain Forum
The World Beyond BetterMost => Anything Goes => Topic started by: Monika on November 18, 2010, 07:34:51 am
-
Hey y´ll!
I got a little question for you. I´m currently writing a short essay on Wounded Knee Memorial for my cultural heritage class. I´m interested in getting a understanding of how much the American school system focuses on Native American history, and Wounded Knee in particular. Any guesses to how well-known the Wounded Knee massacre is in general?
The essay is essentially about how one could develop the site as a cultural heritage location and possibly attract visitors
-
Well, I wiki-ied it to be sure I knew the difference between Wounded Knee and Little Big Horn, which shows you how much I know.
I had US History as a high school sophomore, so 1982. It was an Advanced Placement class, which means if you do well, some colleges will give you credit for it. (And an 'A' was worth 5 points instead of 4, so your GPA was given a boost.) This is all to say that it should have been a good class.
But like much of my high school experience, it was basically an exercise in the memorization of facts, dates, and people. There were no essays or research papers to delve into topics with any depth. If memory serves we spent more time on the Teapot Dome scandal and Huey Long. And we didn't make it past WWII.
In general, Native American history as related to white settlers was glossed over or (I realize now) rewritten to a degree. I was in Tennessee, and Andrew Jackson was a hero there, the Trail of Tears notwithstanding.
I imagine the answer varies widely by where you live, public or private school, and the teacher's personal points of view.
Things may be different now. If I were you, I'd put this on FB, maybe craft specific questions, and ask friends to share it so you can find out what kids and their parents know about how it is taught today. Maybe set up an email account especially for responses?
-
Hey y´ll!
I got a little question for you. I´m currently writing a short essay on Wounded Knee Memorial for my cultural heritage class. I´m interested in getting a understanding of how much the American school system focuses on Native American history, and Wounded Knee in particular. Any guesses to how well-known the Wounded Knee massacre is in general?
The essay is essentially about how one could develop the site as a cultural heritage location and possibly attract visitors
I would say most Americans have heard the name, but not the details.
Having been out of school nearly 30 years I can only speak to how it was when I was younger, at that time Native American history was only beginning to be addressed. I have seen documentaries about the massacre on the Public Broadcasting System, and consider it a shameful thing for any one to do such against another group.
I remember as a kid seeing a news story about the standoff that was going on at the Pine Ridge Reservation (circa 1973) and the powers that be paraded out this old bent over woman who was the last survivor, she had been a baby at the time.
-
Never heard of it in school. I learned about it in my independent reading as a student and read Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee.
-
Oops, i thought you actually had a bad knee there Mon!!
-
I would say most Americans have heard the name, but not the details.
Having been out of school nearly 30 years I can only speak to how it was when I was younger, at that time Native American history was only beginning to be addressed. I have seen documentaries about the massacre on the Public Broadcasting System, and consider it a shameful thing for any one to do such against another group.
I remember as a kid seeing a news story about the standoff that was going on at the Pine Ridge Reservation (circa 1973) and the powers that be paraded out this old bent over woman who was the last survivor, she had been a baby at the time.
Same here.
Katharine's raising kids now. Maybe she could tell you, from her sons' experience, whether it's taught in the schools now.
Never heard of it in school. I learned about it in my independent reading as a student and read Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee.
Still one of my favorite books, and I first read it as an adolescent in the early 1970s.
-
We live in a city with a significant Native American population, so I would guess their history is covered in the schools. I'll try to see if I can find out anything more from my sons.