Native American Poetry

Introduction

The indigenous peoples of the world have a wealth of oral history. One way of relaying this history is through chants, songs, and verses that are sung during ceremonies. The young aborigine, while doing his "victory" dance, chanted a ceremonial song of his tribe.

There are certain common ceremonial songs that are played for our cultural occasions also - the wedding march, graduation processional and recessional, and our Happy Birthday song.

Our native American Indians also have similar ceremonial songs. Aborigines have a similar oral culture. It continues today with their dancing and storytelling to share their history with others.

The Task: Free Verse

This is an individual activity, in which you will visit sites that contain native American Indian poetry. As you read some of the poems, develop a sense of their subject, their free style of writing, and their intent upon the reader. You will be writing your own free verse poetry in a similar style.

The Process: Exploring the Web, Creating a Product

1. Visit the following sites to read poetry from our native American Indians:

Native American Poetry On-Line
Sacred Mountains
The Desert
Rain
Leslie Marmon Silko

2. Read several of the free verse poems.
3. Write a free verse poem of your own with the following criteria:

• the subject matter must deal with nature: Mother Earth, Father Sky, weather, common objects such as trees, clouds, sand, etc.

• needs to tell a story within the poem or express a feeling about the subject

• needs to be a minimum of 12 lines in length

4. Edit and proofread your poem for mechanics, spelling, and basic grammar.
5. You may illustrate the poem if desired.
6. Hand your poems in so that they may be displayed on our bulletin board.

The Stolen Generation

Introduction

You will be researching and learning about what the Australians call "The Stolen Generation." It is a hotly debated issue in Australia and is tied directly to the Aboriginal cultural and the Europeans attempt to "civilize" them. It is a heart wrenching story and the effects are still being felt throughout the country.

Task: Writing a Persuasive Paper

You will need to thoroughly research the topic and the publicity surrounding it. You'll have to decide on a stand and then find supporting evidence. There are basically two sides to the story -

The whites felt it was their duty to protect the half-caste children and to help raise them in a Christian manner. The Aborigines had their children taken from them and many were never seen again.

The Process: Research and Planning

1. Using the resources below for primary source material

2. Read the web sites and choose the side.

3. Create a graphic organizer with your thesis and supporting facts and commentary.

4. Write a paper using the writing process.

Writing the Paper

• Decide on who your audience is. You may go back in time and address specific people that were involved in the incident.

• Your paper will be at least five paragraphs long, of 7-10 sentences each, with this content:

  1. Introductory paragraph with a thesis or proposal in a single statement

  2. Body paragraphs (2) with a topic sentence which includes a reason, then at least two concrete (research based) reasons with at least two commentary statements (your opinions). Be sure that your

      two body paragraphs have two distinctly DIFFERENT reasons.

  3. Paragraph stating a reader/audience concern and your counter argument.

  4. Conclusion that restates your proposal in new words and a concrete call for action.

Resources

http://www.antar.org.au/content/view/112/1/ The Stolen Generation and the need for a national apology

http://www.eniar.org/socialjustice.html

European Network for Indigenous Australian Rights

http://www.convictcreations.com/history/stolengenerations.htm

Unbiased opinion giving both sides of the story. Names given

http://www.abc.net.au/rn/talks/bbing/stories/s148775.htm

Background information about stolen generation on ABC international radio

http://www.tim-richardson.net/mambo/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=29&Itemid=50

Seemingly unbiased viewpoint of Stolen Generation – Selections from essay by Robert Manne – Robert Manne (b. 31 October 1947) is a professor of politics at La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia and one of Australia's foremost public intellectuals. Born in Melbourne, Manne's earliest political consciousness was formed by the fact that his parents were Jewish refugees from Europe and his grandparents were victims of the Holocaust. He was educated at the University of Melbourne and Oxford University during the 1960s and 1970s.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/02/world/asia/02australiabrfs.html?ex=1343793600&en=7c73ab2fdaaacca3&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink

NY Times story of first compensation paid to “stolen baby”

http://www.sensesofcinema.com/contents/01/19/rabbit.html

"Long Road Home" Critic of the movie Rabbit Proof Fence

http://members.optushome.com.au/jimball/Rabbitproofmyth.html

Article written by Andrew Bolt, a reporter for the Herald Sun (newspaper in AU)

http://www.eniar.org/news/Bolt.html Refutation of Bolt's article

http://blogs.news.com.au/heraldsun/andrewbolt/index.php/heraldsun/2006/07/23/ Bolt's claim to find only 10 "stolen" children