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Show AN INTRODUCTION TO AMERICAN INDIAN HISTORY W E S H A L L R E M A I N : U TA H I N D I A N C U R R I C U L U M G U I D E 21 TEACHER BACKGROUND The persistent myth that "Columbus discovered America" ignores the rich American Indian cultures that already lived in-and traveled throughout-the so-called "New World" long before the arrival of Euro-Americans. Placing Columbus, a European, at the forefront of American history suggests that all important contributions to this country's past have been made by Europeans, and this Euro-centric point of view downplays the historical importance of native societies and overlooks the impact first contact had on these cultures. Moreover, textbooks that do explore the consequences of contact generally focus on New England and/or Plains Indians, effectively erasing the histories of Great Basin tribes. By telling the story of Columbus in a way that includes the people he first contacted and comparing it to the experiences of Great Basin Indians, students can form a new understanding of American history that recognizes the impact of colonization on non-European cultures. They will also understand that the tribes of Utah experienced the consequences of contact and exchange well before whites began to settle the area in the mid-nineteenth century. RETHINKING FIRST CONTACT: THE EFFECTS OF EUROPEAN ARRIVAL ON THE ESTABLISHED CULTURES OF NORTH AMERICA Objecti ve The student will combine their knowledge of Christopher Columbus with information about first contact among the Great Basin tribes to understand the many consequences of contact between Indians and Europeans in the Great Basin. Teacher Materials At a Glance: Utah's Indians and First Contact Map of the Ancestral Lands of Utah's Indians Map of European Expansion into the Great Basin We Shall Remain: The Navajo (chapter 2, 3:25-5:27) We Shall Remain: The Goshute (chapter 2, 8:55-11:50) We Shall Remain: The Paiute (chapter 2, 4:15-5:15) We Shall Remain: The Ute (chapter 2, 3:25-8:19) We Shall Remain: The Northwestern Shoshone (chapter 2, 3:20-6:19) |