© Uzuri James

Greenville Indian School: Resistance & Continuance

W.9-10.1, W.11-12.2, RH.11-12.7

This 2-3 week unit provides a case study of an evening, in 1916, when 5 young Native girls ran away from the Greenville Indian School, in Plumas County, CA. Students will examine the Greenville Indian boarding school as a historic system of power, designed to erase Native cultures. They will experience stories of Native resistance and strength, historically silenced. Native worldviews and the roles of Native girls and women are centered throughout the discussion. Students will have the opportunity to make connections between historic systems failure and the current crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples. Contemporary voices of the descendants of Greenville School celebrate the cultural continuance, ongoing healing and leadership of Native peoples in Northeastern California. Activities include: the analysis of primary resources, using a critical lens; a readers theater performance; experiencing contemporary film and photographs of native lives; small group discussions to support the understanding of multiple perspectives; art making as a means to process content and perspectives; consideration of community building projects and public art/memorials; the research and development of a cohesive evidence based essay. This unit could be stretched to 3 weeks, a substantial Native focus for an Ethnic Studies course. The learning and support needs of students varies and certain activities could take longer than anticipated. For example, one lesson could take two class periods instead of one. This unit could be shortened to one week if the educator chose to solely focus on the readers theater exercise.

The temple’s design mimics those built in Vietnam, and combines many of the characteristics of Catholic cathedrals (such as a nave and apse) with the nine ascending levels of Buddhist pagodas, as well as aspects of the religious architecture associated with Taoism and ancestral temples.

Religion in Vietnamese American Communities

HSS 11.11, RI.11-12.7, W.11-12.2

Students will analyze the role of religion in shaping Vietnamese American communities, specifically focusing on its impact on community activism, cultural preservation, and intergenerational relationships, by interacting with various text and video sources and creating a poster.

Hmong in American Politics

Hmong in American Political Power

HSS 12.6, RI.11-12.7, W.11-12.2, L.11-12.6

After examining public opinion and demographics discussed in textbooks, students will examine data related to Hmong American communities by: (1) Drawing inferences to ideological learnings and partisanship and connect this to US electoral politics; (2) Learning about the close margins in current electoral politics and the impact of the Hmong vote in a battleground state, such as Wisconsin; and (3) Examining how congressional district demographics impact constituent services by examining HR 8110.

Story Cloth depicting Hmong refugees crossing the Mekong River from Laos to Thailand refugee camps from Hmongstory Legacy Collection.

Hmong Displacement from Laos

HSS 11.9.3, RI.11-12.1, W.11-12.2, SL.11-12.4

Students will learn about how the Hmong were forced from their villages and home to eventually leave Laos after the communist succeeded in taking over Vietnam and Laos. Students will explore the reasons for the forced migrations and create a short essay or presentation to share the refugee experience.

Painting of the couple named Nkawm Kab Yeeb who were the first two people on earth created by Yawm Saub who is known as the Hmong creator by Boonma Yang found in the article “What is the Hmong Soul.”

Hmong Family Practices and Values - Marriage

HSS 11.11.3, RI.11-12.7, W.11-12.2, WL.CL3.I: Cultural Comparisons

This lesson is the third of four on Hmong Family Practices and Values. This lesson explores Hmong marriage practices, where students analyze descriptions of ceremonial wedding practices in Hmong culture, specifically the symbolism of wedding artifacts. Students will also analyze the representation of gender roles within Hmong marriage practices, which offers opportunities for discussion around issues of patriarchal and colonial systems in Hmong marriage practices past and present.