Exploring California Indian History with the CIMCC CA Missions Native Website

This unit explores the history and lasting impact of the California mission system through the lens California Native perspectives, using the California Indian Museum and Cultural Center’s CA Missions Native website. Students will examine California Indian cultures before and during the mission period, analyze how missions disrupted Indigenous lifeways, and investigate how Native communities resisted and survived. Through guided research and critical inquiry, students will deepen their understanding of Indigenous resilience, historical memory, and the importance of Native-led institutions in preserving culture and truth-telling.