In-depth Study Unit Topic or Title: Montana’s Indian Reservations and Tribes
Essential Question(s):
What are the Indian Reservations of Montana, who lives on them, and what are their traditional names?
What are the Creation Stories of the Salish and Kootenai Tribes?
How is the Tribal Council organized on the Flathead Indian Reservation?
Curriculum written by:
Shawn D. Orr and Susan Black (Arlee Elementary School)
Content Area:
Native American Studies
Grade Level:
4
Description, Purpose and Summary of Outcomes: Students will explore each of the seven Indian Reservations of Montana. In
their explorations, they will discover the Indian tribes and reservations and traditional names of each Indian tribe that occupies the
seven reservations and the one Montana tribe that does not have a reservation. The students will also cover the creation story of the
Salish and Kootenai people of Flathead Indian Reservation and learn and study the governing body of the Flathead Indian Reservation.
The students will create their own version of the creation of world and/or human beings, they will compile similarities/differences into
a blown up Venn diagrams about creation stories, they will complete an anchor chart of the districts and tribal council of the
reservations and will be making their own sets of reservation/tribe flashcards.
Content Standards Addressed
Long Term and Supporting
Assessments
 Possible sources of assessment information
Learning Targets
Using Social Studies Standards &
Montana Essential Understandings
On Indian Education
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Content knowledge, reasoning and skills
Literacy skills: Reading, Writing, Speaking
Citizenship
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EU 1 – There is great diversity among the 12 tribal
1. I can place and name Montana’s Indian
Nations of Montana in the languages, cultures,
Reservations and Tribes on a map of
histories, and governments. Each Nation has a
Montana
distinct and unique cultural heritage that contributes
2. I can describe geographically where
to modern Montana.
each reservation is located in Montana.
EU 4 – Reservations are lands the have been
reserved by the tribes for their own use through
3. I can identify Montana’s Indian tribes
treaties, statutes, and executive orders and were not and compare their common name with
“given” to them.
their traditional name.
S.S. 3.2 – Locate on a map or globe physical
features, natural features, and human features.
S.S. 3.4 – Describe how human movement and
settlement patterns reflect the wants and needs of
diverse cultures.
S.S. 3.5 – Use appropriate geographic resources to
gather information about reservations.
S.S. 6.4 – Identify characteristics of American
Indian tribes and other cultural groups in Montana.
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I can place the Indian Reservations in Montana
by knowing where they geographically belong.
I can place the correct name of the reservation
by its picture by knowing the shape of the
reservation.
I can place the correct Indian tribes with their
reservation by knowing what reservation that
they belong to.
I can name the cardinal direction part of the
state where the reservation is located.
I can name mountains, lakes, rivers, and towns
located on the reservations.
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Communication of understanding
Final tests and products
 Montana Tribes and Reservation Test
 Montana Tribes and Reservation
Flashcards
 Montana Tribes and Reservation Test
with adding Cardinal Directions to
each reservation
 Oral Participation
 Montana Indians Traditional Name
Quiz
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EU 3 – The ideologies of Native traditional beliefs
and spiritually persist into modern day life as tribal
cultures, traditions, and languages are still practiced
by many American Indian people and are
incorporated into how tribes govern and manage
their affairs. Additionally, each tribe has its own
oral histories, which are as valid as written
histories. These histories pre-date the “discovery”
of North America.
S.S. 4.1 – Identify and use various sources of
information to develop an understanding of the
past.
S.S. 4.3 – Examine stories, narratives, and folk tales
to understand the lives of ordinary people to place
them in time and context.
S.S. 4.6 – Recognize the people view and report
historical events differently.
EU 1 – There is great diversity among the 12 tribal
Nations of Montana in the languages, cultures,
histories, and governments. Each Nation has a
distinct and unique cultural heritage that contributes
to modern Montana.
EU 3 – The ideologies of Native traditional beliefs
and spiritually persist into modern day life as tribal
cultures, traditions, and languages are still practiced
by many American Indian people and are
incorporated into how tribes govern and manage
their affairs. Additionally, each tribe has its own
oral histories, which are as valid as written
histories. These histories pre-date the “discovery”
of North America.
EU 7 – Under the American legal system, Indian
tribes have sovereign powers, separate and
independent from the federal and state
governments. However, the extent and breadth of
tribal sovereignty is not the same for each tribe.
S.S 2.2 – recognize tribal governments and identify
representative leaders.
S.S. 2.3 – Indentify the major responsibilities of
tribal government.
S.S. 4.7 – Explain the history, culture, and current
status of the American Indian tribes in Montana.
I can properly pronounce the tribes traditional
names in their language.
I can give the meaning of the tribe’s traditional
names.
4. I can compare the creation stories of
some of the Indian Tribes of Montana.
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I can retell the creation stories of some of the
Indian Tribes of Montana.
I can explain the differences between the
creation stories of the different tribes.
5. I can explain how the Tribal Council of
the Flathead Reservation is organized.
 I can name all of the districts of the Flathead
Indian Reservation
 I can name all of the Council members of the
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Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes Tribal
Council.
I can match the Districts with the Council
member representative.
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Retelling of the Creation Stories
Re-enactment of the Creation Stories
Sketch-plots
Venn Diagrams
Writing of own Creation Stories
 Anchor Chart – matching
representatives with districts and
offices
 Word Wall – placing correct names
under districts
Sequence of Scaffolding Lessons
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What sequence of steps will best engage, support and hold students accountable to reaching the above learning
targets?
What student and teacher involved assessment for learning strategies and routines can you build on?
What instructional practices and protocols will you use?
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Montana’s Reservations, Tribes, and Traditional Names
 Introduce Office of Public Instruction DVD on Montana’s Indian Tribes and How they Got
Their Names.
 Using home made flashcards of Montana’s Indian Reservations, with Tribes and Reservation
Names
 Placing all reservation and tribes flashcards together that go together
 Using cardinal directions to place reservations in geographical area in the state of Montana
 Properly learning and pronouncing the traditional names of Indian tribes of Montana
 Creating flashcards of Reservations and Tribes for own use
 Exit: Montana Indian Reservation and Tribe quiz
 Exit: Montana Indian Traditional Names matching quiz
Salish and Kootenai Creation Stories
 Admit: What is Creation?
 Read Salish Creation (translated by Jesuit priest) and write down important events
 Make sketch plots of Salish creation to re-tell creation
 Read and discuss Salish Creation (told by Johnny Arlee)
 Exit: 2 circle Venn diagram to compare and contrast two Salish creation stories
 Read and discuss Kootenai (Ktunaxa) Creation story
 Exit: 3 circle Venn diagram comparing all three creation stories
 Exit: Writing of students own views( story) on how world and people were created
Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes Tribal Council
 Admit: Who are the leaders of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes?
 Read and discuss the CS&KT constitution and bylaws regarding Tribal Council
 Learn districts, council members, terms, and offices of tribal council
 Complete anchor chart regarding Tribal Council
 Create Word wall of Tribal Council
 Have council members visit – Arlee Representatives and Terry Pitts (former Arlee teacher)
 Field Trip – to tribal council headquarters in Pablo, sit in on council meeting, and have
interview questions ready to ask council members
Instructional Practices
Selected
Inquiry
Admit Tickets
Comprehension
Venn Diagrams (2 and 3)
Exit Tickets
Anchor Chart
Vocabulary Development
Word wall
Oral Participation Protocols
Retelling of Creation Stories
Represent-to-Learn
Re-enactment of Creations
Write-to-Learn
Venn Diagrams
Sketch Plots
Writing of own Creation
Resources:
(e.g. Anchor Texts, District Adopted Materials, Supplementary Resources, Web-Sites)
Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes. http://www.cskt.org.Constitution and Bylaws, Tribal Council.
Ktunaxa Creation and Territory Map. http://www.ktunaxa.org/who/creation.html.
Montana Office of Public Instruction. Tribes of Montana and How They Got Their Names. DVD. Helena, MT.
Montana Office of Public Instruction. January 2007 version. Montana Indians: Their History and Location. Helena, MT.
Salish Kootenai College Tribal History Project. 2008. Challenge to Survive, History of the Salish Tribes of the Flathead Indian
Reservation, From Time Immemorial: Traditional Life, Unit I, Pre-1800. Pgs. 64-72; Salish Creation as told by Johnny Arlee. Pablo,
MT
Two Eagle River School History Project. 1981. Challenge to Survive, Pre-White Culture. Pgs. 80-83; Salish Creation Story. Dixon,
MT.