California Indian Resistance and Resilience

Author: This unit was  researched, authored, and edited by the California Indian Museum and Cultural Center, California Indian Education for All, and the San Diego County Office of Education. Key writers and researchers of this unit are Cristapher Torres, Greg Hinchliff, Scott Bankert, Debbie Reese, Jean Mendoza and Taylor Melgoza.  The unit resources were designed and created from funding through the California Department of Education’s Native American Studies Model Curriculum grant and contract.

Grades: 8th-12th Grade

Suggested Amount of Time: 1 hour

Curriculum Themes

• History
• Cultural Strengths
• Relationship to Place
• Cross Curricular Integration

Learning Goals

Students will explore the resistance and resiliency of California Native American tribes during the periods of colonization, the California Gold Rush, and the era of the California missions. By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:

• Understand the various forms of resistance employed by California Native Americans.

• Analyze how Native American communities demonstrated resiliency in the face of settler colonization.

• Examine key historical events that highlight Native American resilience.

• Reflect on the cultural and historical significance of these efforts in Native American communities today.

Lesson Overview