Stories of Tribal Language Resilience | Native America

In this lesson, students will watch video clips from Native America and analyze how Indigenous tribes across the U.S., specifically the Diné (Navajo), Cherokee, and Passamaquoddy, are using modern technology to aid their efforts towards language revitalization and restoration. Students will engage with before, during, and after viewing questions to build their understanding of key topics. To culminate, students will complete an independent activity in which they attempt to write a fair and intentional treaty of their own.

Learning Objectives:

Student will aim to… 

• Understand the conditions that led to language decline among Native American tribes across the U.S.
• Examine the historical circumstances of treaties between tribes and the U.S. federal government, including the significance of treaty language.
• Analyze how federal policy and treaty writing has been as a significant cause of tribal language decline.

About the Author

Zachary Cooper is a citizen of the Navajo Nation, and is also Hopi as well as Mvskoke Creek. He currently lives in Arizona, where he teaches English Language Development (formerly ESL) to students who speak languages other than English. As an educator, he works to help students, staff, and caretakers learn and understand the complexities of the English language, how it brings people together while also recognizing its potential to divide. More importantly, he works to help people understand why language matters.