Native Americans Who Are Changing the World | Native America

Being Native American isn’t something that people can turn on and off — cultural ways, traditional values, and how they interact with the world around them are all factors that impact how they live their lives. In these four video clips you’ll meet Native people from around the country, who are inspirational to their communities and working to make the world a better place.

Learning Objectives:

Students will aim to…

1. Evaluate how a connection to place has impacted each of the people shown in the video clips.
2. Discuss ways in which people in the video clips remain connected to their culture.
3. Identify where Native American peoples live today.

The lesson will begin with a pre-viewing class discussion (Before Viewing Questions) focused on activating prior knowledge about Native Americans. Introduce the During Viewing Questions and be sure that students understand what is being asked. While watching the clips, have students jot down the answers along with any questions they have about what they are learning.

After viewing, lead a class discussion during which students can identify what they learned through the clips. The provided Discussion Questions aim to lead students to think about how they can take what they’ve learned from the clips and apply it to their communities: who is doing this work locally, what drives them, and what problem(s) are they hoping to solve? Most importantly, it centers students in the conversation asking them how they can support Native leaders in their work and elevate their voices.