Resisting Erasure and Reclaiming Power • Sequence • Lenny.com

Resisting Erasure and Reclaiming Power

This sequence explores the history of forced assimilation through boarding schools and termination policies, followed by the emergence of the Red Power movement and AIM activism. Students analyze primary sources, oral histories, and major protests like Alcatraz and Wounded Knee 1973 to understand how Indigenous identity was reclaimed.

Assimilating the Soul

Students analyze oral testimonies and photographs from boarding schools like Carlisle to identify the mechanisms of cultural erasure and the resulting intergenerational trauma.

Termination and Concrete Jungles

An examination of the 1950s federal policies aimed at ending tribal status and moving Indigenous people to cities, which unexpectedly fueled pan-Indian activism.

The American Indian Movement

Students research the founding of the American Indian Movement (AIM) and compare its tactics and goals to other 1960s civil rights movements.

Reclaiming the Rock

A deep dive into the 1969 occupation of Alcatraz Island, focusing on the rhetorical power of the 'Proclamation to the Great White Father.'

The Second Wounded Knee

An analysis of the 71-day siege at Wounded Knee in 1973, exploring its internal tribal politics, federal response, and lasting legacy.

Resisting Erasure and Reclaiming Power

This sequence explores the history of forced assimilation through boarding schools and termination policies, followed by the emergence of the Red Power movement and AIM activism. Students analyze primary sources, oral histories, and major protests like Alcatraz and Wounded Knee 1973 to understand how Indigenous identity was reclaimed.