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Native American Websites and Videos for Students
Looking for Native Americans websites and videos to share with your students? If so, this is the list for you. It is a roundup of engaging and informative websites and videos for students all about Native American Heritage.
Kids have access to see, listen to, and read about more than ever before. We can leverage that to our advantage! When we partner with students as they explore the digital realm of the world, we can provide the guidance and tools they need to learn to safely navigate it. You can read more about using websites and videos in the classroom here.
If you’re ready to dive into this list of websites and videos, you can click through the navigation below or keep scrolling. Click on the images to access the resources listed. Be sure to preview all resources to determine age-appropriateness before sharing them with your students.
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Native American Land
U.S. Department of Land and Culture’s “Honor Native Land”
“This video accompanies #HonorNativeLand—a guide and call-to-action to spread the practice of acknowledgment of traditional Native lands at the opening of all public gatherings.”
Interactive Map of Territories, Languages, and Treaties
“We strive to map Indigenous lands in a way that changes, challenges, and improves the way people see the history of their countries and peoples. We hope to strengthen the spiritual bonds that people have with the land, its people, and its meaning.
We strive to map Indigenous territories, treaties, and languages across the world in a way that goes beyond colonial ways of thinking in order to better represent how Indigenous people want to see themselves.
We provide educational resources to correct the way that people speak about colonialism and indigeneity, and to encourage territory awareness in everyday speech and action.”
Bureau of Indian Affairs Map “Indian Lands of Federally Recognized Tribes”
The 2016 map to the right shows federally recognized “tribes” and their land reservations. The map below is an interactive version on the bureau’s website.
Cahokia Mounds
“Small settlements of Woodlands people established in the Cahokia area…One of the greatest cities of the world, Cahokia was larger than London was in AD 1250. The Mississippians who lived here were accomplished builders who erected a wide variety of structures from practical homes for everyday living to monumental public works that have maintained their grandeur for centuries.”
Native American People & Culture
Indigenous Languages
“Meet indigenous speakers and learn how they’re keeping their languages alive.” - Google Earth
OJIBWE
This game comes recommended by Wisconsin First Nations.
“In Growing Up Ojibwe: The Game, players take the role of Tommy or Annie Sky, an Ojibwe youth, sent on a mission by their grandmother to learn important knowledge that has been forgotten by many…Growing Up Ojibwe: The Game is great in any classroom setting. As an introduction to Great Lakes Ojibwe history, it’s a fun way to teach middle school students relevant content that satisfies learning requirements set by Act 31. In addition to information about treaty rights, tribal sovereignty, and harvesting activities, it also includes an Ojibwe language component with Ojibwe words used throughout the game. An easy to read points-system displayed on the levels screen can help educators gauge a student’s level of engagement with the material.”
Wisconsin First Nations also has a video about Walter Bresette and comprehension questions to go along with it.
“Walter Bresette passionately worked to educate others on issues such as tribal sovereignty, American Indian treaty rights, and environmentalism. This member of the Red Cliff Band of the Lake Superior Chippewa (Ojibwe) was an eloquent speaker, organizing rallies and emerging as a leader during the Northern Wisconsin spearfishing controversies of the 1980s. He embodied an intelligent and inclusive model of activism that serves as an example for human rights activists today.”
Menominee
Similar to the video about Walter Bresette above, this video from Wisconsin First Nations shares about Cheif Oshkosh.
“During a time when the United States government was pushing many American Indian nations off their lands, Chief Oshkosh worked to negotiate treaties that would allow the Menominee to stay in their homeland. He also promoted his people’s traditional forest management practices, known today as sustainable forestry.”
Powwow Tradition Lesson
“Exploring Powwow Traditions with Jingle Dancer: In this three-day literacy unit, students learn about American Indian culture while practicing literacy skills such as engaging in a read-aloud, sequencing story events, retelling a story, and creating figurative language.”
Effigy Mound Building
“In this lesson, students explore effigy mounds in Southern Wisconsin, including their history, location, and types. Students first locate effigy mounds on a map, then create tally charts and pie charts, and lastly write a short story about life as an effigy-builder.”
Pequot
“The Pequot Museum is committed to transforming how indigenous culture and peoples are represented to accurately portray a next-generation Native narrative that gives greater understanding to the evolution of a new Native voice.” In keeping with these efforts, the museum has created a very informative history and culture guide. Excerpts could be shared with students.
The museum also offers a children’s trade booklist for grades 2-5.
Kwakwa̱ka̱ʼwakw (Kwakuitl)
The Umista Cultural Center tells the story of creation for 18 of the Kwakwa̱ka̱ʼwakw nations. These stories could be read aloud to students.
The Virtual Museum of Canada has several images and videos honoring the heritage, including one of a potlatch and another telling a legend.
Nimiipuu (Nez Perce)
The National Park Service has a collection of images displaying Nimiipuu artifacts.
“Nimipuutímt, the Nez Perce Language, is a bridge to Nez Perce culture. The two are intertwined together. Learning to speak nimipuutímt and sharing it with your family, strengthens the bonds to not only our language but also our culture. On this website, we provide tools to help you learn.” -Nimipuutimt.org
There are simple video lessons for learning nimipuutímt, among other resources on this website.
Haudenosaunee (Iroquois)
“The Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian is pleased to bring this guide to you. It was written to help provide teachers with a better understanding of the Haudenosaunee. It was written by staff at the Museum in consultation with Haudenosaunee scholars and community members... It was our hope to provide educators with a deeper and more integrated understanding of Haudenosaunee life, past and present. This guide is intended to be used as a supplement to your mandated curriculum.”
Pawnee
This video could be shared with students as a present-day connection to an organization that is actively working to preserve Pawnee culture.
“When the Pawnee lived in present-day Nebraska, they grew corn to sustain the people. The Tribe had developed a great knowledge on how to care for and grow Pawnee corn. Much of the knowledge and the seeds were lost in the move to Oklahoma. The Pawnee Seed Preservation Project works to revitalize the knowledge and the seed bank so that Pawnee corn can once again be a part of their lives.”
Inuit
Inuit are distinct culturally and biologically from the people groups that most associate with the term “Native American”. However, the two groups are often studied in tandem, so a few resources are included for teaching about the Inuit people on this list. Both of the resources below are free PDFs with student-friendly text and images that can be used to share about Inuit heritage.
Oceti Sakowin (Sioux)
A small selection of Lakota tales are students on this site and could be read aloud to students. These tales are shared to preserve the Lakota culture.
Tlingit
This collection of art displays Tlingit work to celebrate their artistry and share about their culture.
TED-Ed’s “The last chief of the Comanches and the fall of an empire”
“Get to know the story of Quanah Parker, a Native American warrior and leader, and the last chief of the Comanche tribe. -- Late one night in 1871, a group of riders descended on a sleeping army camp, stole about 70 horses, and disappeared. Led by a young chief named Quanah Parker, the raid was the latest in a long series of altercations along the Texas frontier between indigenous people and United States forces. Who was this brave warrior? Dustin Tahmahkera details the life of the last chief of the Comanches.”
CONFLICTS
The Invasion of America
The interactive map (left) shows every treaty and executive order between 1776 and 1887, concluding with a map of present-day Native American reservations. The video (right) shares a caption and a time-lapse view of the invasion.
The Pilgrims: Alliance With Massasoit’s People and the First Thanksgiving
“Discover what led Massasoit, the leader of one Wampanoag village, to form an alliance with the Plymouth colony and learn about the harvest feast now called the "First Thanksgiving," in this video adapted from AMERICAN EXPERIENCE: The Pilgrims. In March 1621, a Native man named Samoset entered Plymouth and greeted the Pilgrims in English. Six days later, he returned to Plymouth with Massasoit and 60 armed men. Massasoit and Governor John Carver concluded an alliance of mutual defense. During the late summer or early fall, 52 colonists and some 90 Wampanoags celebrated Plymouth’s first successful harvest.”
You Are the Historian Game: Investigating the First Thanksgiving
Plimoth Patuxet Museums has created "You Are the Historian: Investigating the First Thanksgiving", a popular interactive game that has entertained school-aged children and families since 2002! The game explores Wampanoag life prior to European settlement and the year leading up to the 1621 harvest feast, today known as the “First Thanksgiving." The game investigates the interactions between the Wampanoag people of Patuxet and the earliest colonists known as the Pilgrims by exposing players to archaeological artifacts from the museum’s collections, primary source documents, and oral stories told from generation to generation.
"You Are The Historian" directly responds to the increased demand for nuanced and fact-based history told from both an Indigenous and Colonial perspective. The Museum has created an experience that will transport visitors to Patuxet, the pre-European homeland of the Wampanoag, and immerse them in a story of cultural change and persistence that spans 12,000 years. Students will be able to further explore the rich historical context of the Indigenous and Colonial experiences during their earliest encounters through magical time travel, an anonymous tipster, mysterious riddles, historic artifacts and archives, and plain, old-fashioned smart thinking!
Pequot War
Don’t miss the “TIPS FOR STUDENTS” section that the DPLA provides. These are great considerations to spark discussion when sharing primary source images with students.
Indian Removal Act of 1830
The free map below gives a glimpse into the scope of the impact of the Indian Removal Act of 1830.
Trail of Tears
The video below from the National Museum of the American Indian is excellent. It shares a quick look at the idea of forcefully removing people through the voices of students.
Learn about how several nations tried to resist removal with the interactive infographics linked below.
The map below shows where various nations were living before they were forcefully removed.
The story below shares some of the details about life for the Cherokee people before European contact, as well as the devastating impact of their forced removal.
The removal of Cherokee is often the most well-known removal. However, many nations in addition to the Cherokee were devastated by it. The slideshow below, which includes videos and images, provides an overview of the Muscogee removal.
Boarding Schools
This content may not be appropriate for younger students. There is a collection of “before” and “after” photographs of students that attended boarding schools below.
Battle at Little Bighorn
(also known as the Battle at Greasy Grass and Custer’s Last Stand)
This battle is known by different names by different groups. Use the sonnet by well-known poet Walt Whitman to show how one group of people perceived the outcome of the battle. Contrast it with a Native American perspective, possibly by viewing some of the red markers that stand today where the battle took place. Note that markers for Custer and his men were erected in 1890, but it wasn’t until 1999 that red markers were added to honor the Native American warriors involved in the Battle of Greasy Grass.
View artifacts from the battle via the National Park Service.
Today, there is an ongoing battle in the courtroom over the Black Hills, which is some of the most notable land that was involved in the Battle at Little Bighorn. Explore why newspaper headlines claim that the Sioux are “turning down” +$1 billion. Click each of the images below to access the resources.
