Community-based research and learning can never be prescribed. The study entitled "Intergenerational Learning in Indigenous Textile Communities of Practice," funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, illustrated this point in many ways. Although it was conceived as community-based research, it was not initially…

Presented are three short stories describing the ways a community of Native youth, families, and educators in an urban Indigenous education program collectively generated three Native feminist texts--a T-shirt design for a youth group, a design embedded into the floor of a Native Youth Center, and the walls of the center. This article illustrates…

Globalization is blurring the lines between once clearly defined groups of people, making cultural sensitivity more important than ever. Culturally sensitive art education can cultivate the ability for students to empathize with and care about others, but until now, few guidelines have existed to help art educators bring together those from…

In this article, the author writes about the power of representation in the staging of a unique and highly successful series of fashion shows held in 1942. These showcases, presented more than 120 times between 1942 and 1956, aided in the appreciation of American Indian clothing and dress as a messenger of style, purpose, and identity, all…

A model for interpreting the role of clothing in society and culture is presented. From the point of view of the wearer in any culture, the decision as to what to wear is based on two kinds of information: the nature of the occasion and the wearer's image of his social identity. People, therefore, use clothing to project information about…

Produced by the Montana Office of Public Instruction, this teaching resource provides information on powwows and related Native American culture and traditions. A powwow is a gathering where Native American dancing, singing, and celebration take place. Gatherings may include dancing and singing contests, "give-aways," encampments,…

Observes that instruction about Pilgrim and American Indian life often is filled with misconceptions. Explains that the foods and dress of the era differed those usually portrayed in association with the "first" Thanksgiving, a continuation of an ancient harvest celebration. Offers a Thanksgiving quiz for teaching students the realities…

In the mid-nineteenth century, an abrupt transformation occurred in textiles and other art forms of northeastern Woodlands Indians. Trade, tourism, and survival needs sparked changes in materials used and garment types produced, as well as substitution of a new vocabulary of floral imagery for "pagan" iconographic traditions. (SV)

A unit of study on plants grown in the Navajo community of Rough Rock, Arizona, is presented in sketches providing the common Navajo name for the plant, a literal English translation, the English name of the plant, and the Latin name. A brief description of each plant includes where the plant grows, how the Navajos use the plant, and the color and…

A portion of Mississippi Choctaw culture commonly referred to as "material culture" is described with pictures illustrating the process of making some of the traditional Choctaw items which tribal members have chosen to continue to make. The secondary textbook may be used as a supplement to the state-adopted textbook for the course…

The Chumash Indians were one of the most populous, rich peoples of aboriginal California. Though their origins are mysterious, they were reported to be a flourishing people by Spanish explorers in the sixteenth century. Missionization by Spaniards and secularization in 1833 spelled destruction, so that today only a few isolated and impoverished…

The only local tribe to migrate into California during recorded history, the Chemehuevi Indians had one of the largest tribal areas in California, though their population probably never exceeded 800. Today most live on the Colorado River Reservation, where they share membership with the Colorado River tribes. First mentioned in a priest's report…

This illustrated children's book describes the American Indian powwow, an important element of contemporary Native American life in the United States and Canada. The main character of the book, Tess, is a Native American. She explains to her classmates at school about the origin and meaning of the powwow and also about the wars between the Indians…