8.VA:RE7.1

Text - "2-Spirit 4-Ever" with two long-hair people facing one another/

Two Spirit: Understanding and Celebrating Identities

Connecting—Anchor Standard 11, 1.VA:RE7.1, 5.VA:RE7.1, 6.VA:RE7.1, 8.VA:RE7.1, W.8.2, W.8.4, W.8.6, W.8.7, W.8.8, RI.8.1, RI.8.2, RI.8.4, RI.8.6, SL.8.2, WL.CL2.N: Cultural Products, Practices, and Perspectives, WL.CL4.A: Intercultural Influences, 7-8.1.8.G, 7-8.2.2.G, 7-8.4.4.G

This four-lesson unit offers middle school students an opportunity to explore the rich history and cultural significance of Two-Spirit identities within Indigenous communities. Students will begin by understanding the distinctions between gender, sex, and sexuality, setting the foundation for a deeper exploration of Two-Spirit identities. Lessons describe the history of Two-Spirit people, highlighting their roles and traditions within Native American and Indigenous cultures, and differentiating these identities from Western LGBTQIA+ concepts.

Photo © Frank Tuttle

Feathers - A Primary Material

RH.6-8.4, RH.6-8.7, HSS 8.8.2, Connecting—Anchor Standard 11, 7.VA:RE8, 8.VA:RE7.1

This lesson invites students to explore the deep and enduring connection between humans and feathers, focusing on their cultural and artistic significance in Native California. Feathers have long held a central place in Native life, symbolizing both celebration and spiritual balance within a once-thriving ecosystem teeming with birds. Students will discover how feathers served not only as striking artistic materials but also as powerful expressions of identity, ceremony, and ancestral tradition. Through thoughtful observation, note-taking, and discussion, learners will examine the observable qualities of feathers, understand how and why specific feathers were chosen, and explore how feathers were combined with other natural materials to create meaningful cultural objects. With beautiful images, a traditional story, and interactive reflection, this lesson offers a window into the sophisticated ways Native California tribes honored and utilized this cherished natural resource. Teachers will find this opportunity to connect students with Indigenous knowledge, environmental awareness, and the power of cultural expression.

“American Dream Machine” (C) 2016 Harry Fonseca Collection, Autry Museum; 2016.10.1

Imagining the Native American Native California Artists Harry Fonseca (Nisenan Maidu)

HSS 5.8, HSS 5.8.6, HSS 8.8, HSS 8.8.2, Connecting—Anchor Standard 11, 1.VA:RE7.1, 5.VA:RE7.1, 6.VA:RE7.1, 8.VA:RE7.1, PROF.VA:RE7.1

In this lesson, students will explore the life and artwork of Harry Fonseca, a celebrated Native California artist of Nisenan Maidu, Hawaiian, and Portuguese ancestry and a citizen of the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians. Fonseca used his art to express identity, honor Native traditions, and respond to historical events like the California Gold Rush. Through vibrant paintings, symbolic imagery, and recurring figures like the trickster Coyote, Fonseca’s work invites students to think deeply about storytelling, cultural resilience, and how art can be both personal and political.

Jump Middle Stick by Brian Tripp, Photo of Print

Imagining the Native American Native California Artists Brian Tripp (Karuk)

HSS 5.1.2, HSS 5.3.5, 5.VA:RE7.1, 6.VA:RE7.1, 8.VA:RE7.1, Responding—Anchor Standard 8, Connecting—Anchor Standard 11

This lesson introduces students to the life and artwork of Brian D. Tripp (Karuk), a groundbreaking Native California artist, poet, singer, and ceremonial practitioner. Tripp was a powerful early voice in the modern Native California art movement. His work blends traditional imagery and symbolism from Karuk, Yurok, and Hupa cultures with bold, modernist expression, giving visual form to cultural identity, ancestral memory, and contemporary Native experiences.

“Fish Dancer” ca 1973-75 By Frank Day © Oakland Museum of California

Imagining the Native American Native California Artists Frank Day (Konkow Maidu)

HSS 5.1.2, HSS 5.3.5, Connecting—Anchor Standard 11, 1.VA:RE7.1, 5.VA:RE7.1, 6.VA:RE7.1, 8.VA:RE7.1, PROF.VA:RE7.1

In this lesson, students are introduced to Frank Day, a key figure in the development of modern Native California art and widely regarded as the “grandfather” of the movement. A member of the Koncow Maidu tribe, Day used his deep cultural knowledge, passed down from his father and community elders, to create art that bridges traditional Maidu storytelling with modern visual expression. Although largely self-taught, Day painted over 200 images that reflect a lifetime of personal experience, tribal memory, and cultural pride.

Imagining the Native American Native California Artists1

Imagining the Native American Native California Artists Frank Tuttle (Yuki/Konkow Maidu)

HSS 5.1.2, HSS 5.3.5, Connecting—Anchor Standard 11, 1.VA:RE7.1, 5.VA:RE7.1, 6.VA:RE7.1, 8.VA:RE7.1, PROF.VA:RE7.1

This lesson introduces students to the powerful role of Native California artists as cultural storytellers and social commentators, using the life and work of Frank Tuttle (Yuki/Konkow Maidu) as a central case study. Students will explore how Native artists convey identity, cultural resilience, historical trauma, and personal narrative through visual language, particularly within the cultural context of California tribes.

Imagining the Native American Native California Artists

Imagining the Native American Native California Artists Frank LaPena (Nomtipom Wintu)

HSS 5.1.2, HSS 5.3.5, Connecting—Anchor Standard 11, 1.VA:RE7.1, 5.VA:RE7.1, 6.VA:RE7.1, 8.VA:RE7.1, PROF.VA:RE7.1

This lesson introduces students to the concept of art as a powerful tool for storytelling, cultural identity, and historical reflection through the work of Native California artist, Frank LaPena (Nomtipom Wintu). Students will explore how Native artists act as “culture bearers,” sharing community traditions, beliefs, and experiences through visual expression. By examining LaPena’s artwork, students will learn how images can communicate ideas, preserve oral traditions, and honor tribal geographies and ceremonies. The lesson supports students in developing visual literacy by analyzing how LaPena used bold forms, traditional stories, sacred figures, and natural landmarks—like Mt. Shasta—to express a worldview rooted in Native cultural values. Through class discussion, vocabulary building, and reflection, students will consider how LaPena’s artistic choices speak to both resilience and historical trauma, including themes of identity, spiritual belief, and the enduring presence of Native peoples in California. The lesson culminates in opportunities for students to connect their own lives to the themes of memory, tradition, and place. This lesson deepens students' understanding of California history by centering Native voices and recognizing the significance of Indigenous perspectives in shaping both past and present. In doing so, the lesson encourages respectful engagement with Native California cultures while fostering empathy, critical thinking, and cultural awareness.

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