Overview
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Indian Identity in Contemporary Art

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: 9-12th Grades
Suggested Amount of Time: 90 minutes
Curriculum Themes
- History
- Cultural Strengths
- Law/Government
- Relationship to Place
Learning Goals
Students will learn how California Indian contemporary art and reveal identity in their work.
Students will identify and locate the traditional lands of the Tongva people on a map, comparing them to contemporary Los Angeles place names, demonstrating geographic and historical awareness.
Students will activate prior knowledge by responding to open-ended questions related to art, identity, landscape, and tribal sovereignty, and share their thoughts in a pair-share and whole class discussion format.
Lesson Overview