Short Essay Questions for “Dances with Wolves” and Letters of a Nation
Directions: Choose one of the following 3 essay questions referencing
Dances with Wolves. Everyone must respond to the short essay on
Letters of a Nation. Write your 2 essays on a separate sheet of paper.
Short essays should be at least 10 sentences each. 20 points total.
Choose one:
1. Compare and contrast Native American culture to that of the
white settlers. Use 3 examples from the video to illustrate this
clash of cultures.
2. At the beginning of the video, what is the Native American view
of the whites and why do they view the white settlers in this
manner? Additionally, describe the different approaches to the
white man the Pawnee versus the Lakota Sioux had as shown in the
video.
3. Describe how the soldiers treated John Dunbar as he returned to
the fort. Why did they treat him in this manner? How does this
treatment help describe the military’s attitude toward the Native
American tribes and the ultimate solution to the Native American
issue?
All Must Respond – Letters of a Nation:
1. Discuss how the two letters are similar and how they are
different? Be sure to discuss the tone and attitude of the author
as well as the content of the letters.
Due Date: Wednesday, September 29, 2010