Teaching History with Art
How We Saw Them:
Depictions of Native Americans
Teaching History with Art
It’s not about the
aesthetic
qualities of the
art
As historians, we
want to know
what art can tell
us about the time
period we’re
studying
“Matoaka als Rebecka daughter to the
mighty Prince Powhatan” from John Smith’s
General History of Virginia, 1627
Objections
But it’s art—it isn’t supposed to be relevant to
time and place.
Answer: There is no category of human
expression that isn’t influenced by context.
Context
Context is particularly important when
considering Native Americans in art
Things to Consider
Who or what is in the art?
– Record the number of men and women, children
and adults
– Look for physical characteristics that distinguish
age, nationality, ethnicity, religion, or race
What are the people wearing?
– What can their dress tell you about the time?
Are the people posing, or caught in action?
Things to Consider
Are the people
carrying/holding
anything?
Portrait painters often
use props and settings
to tell you something
about the subject
Images of Native Americans
Remember that the
artist is generally
an outsider looking
in
Consider how
artist’s bias might
have influenced
depiction
George Catlin, Wi-jun-jon, an Assinneboin
Chief. Going to Washington; Returning to his
home. , Catlin’s North American Indian
Portfolio, 1845. Courtesy New York Public
Library.
Images of Native Americans
Make sure to think about whether the image
is primary:
for example
for Tecumseh
there are no
contemporary
images
“Death of Tecumseh” Currier and Ives
print, 1846. Library and Archives Canada,
Acc. No. 1970-188-1431 W.H. Coverdale
Collection of Canadiana
Images of Native Americans
New York Public Library Digital Gallery: After
Columbus: 400 Years of Native-American
Portraiture
National Museum of the American Indian
Collections *One advantage of this site is that
it includes images and artifacts created by
Native Americans
Classroom Strategies
Compare and Contrast
– Seriously, do I need to explain this?
Compare and Contrast
From J. O. Lewis, The Aboriginal Portfolio, 1836. Courtesy of the New York Public Library Digital Gallery.
Compare and Contrast
Man Who Carries the Sword
(Oglala Sioux), circa 1875,
Courtesy, National Museum of the
American Indian, Smithsonian
Institution 10/9628
Charles Bodmer, Blackfoot on Horseback, from Voyage
d’ans l’interieur d’Amerique du Nord, 1840-1843
Classroom Strategies
30-Second Look
– Students look at the picture for 30 seconds
– Turn the sheet over (or take the powerpoint slide
away)
– Have students write down what they saw
– Turn the picture back over (or bring back the slide)
– Talk about what they saw and remembered, and
what they didn’t
30-Second Look
The Pipe Dance and the Tomahawk Dance of the Chippeway From J. O. Lewis, The Aboriginal Portfolio, 1836. Courtesy of the New York
Public Library Digital Gallery.
30-Second Look
George Catlin, Buffalo Dance, Catlin’s North American Indian Portfolio, 1845. Courtesy New York Public Library.
Combine Strategies
First, the 30 second look
Courtesy, National Museum of the American Indian, Smithsonian Institution 2/6927
Now, Compare and Contrast
George Catlin, Buffalo Dance, Catlin’s
North American Indian Portfolio,
1845. Courtesy New York Public
Library.
Earnest L. Spybuck (Absentee Shawnee), c. 1875.
Courtesy, National Museum of the American Indian,
Smithsonian Institution 2/6927
Other Classroom Activities
Have students re-create the art in a
tableau vivant
Have students create original pieces
inspired by a contemporary event or by
historical art
Another Strategy:
See, Think, Wonder
Can be applied to art or to any image
What’s “See, Think, Wonder?”
Thinking routine from Visible Thinking
Visible Thinking is a flexible and
systematic research-based approach
to integrating the development of
students' thinking with content
learning across subject matters.
http://pzweb.harvard.edu/vt/VisibleThinking_html_files/VisibleThinking1.html
See, Think, Wonder
I Think. . .
I Wonder. . .
• List
• Concrete
• Slow down!
• Based on
what you see
• Inference
• Beyond the
object
• Questioning
Share
Set Up
I See. . .
Share
Let’s Do This!
I see. . .
I think. . .
I wonder. . .
War of 1812
We’ll go through the See, Think, Wonder
process with some other items from this
summer’s CD.
Now, with real primary sources!
I see. . .
I think. . .
I wonder. . .
Remember: I See, I Think, I Wonder
Modifying the Activity
This process can be used for most types of
sources
– Cartoons, broadsides, artworks, etc.
– Can modify slightly for text (Read, Think, Wonder)
Students work from where they are
Uses prior knowledge
Recreating This Activity
Pretty basic analysis activity
– Any topic
– Most any type primary sources, even objects
A little more engaging than a typical analysis
worksheet
Questions?