The Life of Crazy Horse

Lesson Plan - Get It!

Audio:

When Christopher Columbus first arrived in the New World, he called the people he found there, “Indians.”

This was because Columbus thought he had sailed around the world from Europe to some islands off the coast of India. The name stuck and was applied to all the native people of North America. The terms “American Indian” and “Native American” hide an important fact: the natives of the Americas had dozens of independent nations. Many of those nations had their own history, culture, language, and religion. Some of those nations have sadly disappeared forever, and we have no record of them.

One of the most famous Native-American nations, and one that is still going strong today, is the Lakota Nation, also known as the “Sioux” (rhymes with blue). Read more about the Lakota via the short reading, Lakota Indians, courtesy of Tribal Directory. As you read, write down information and ideas to answer the following questions:

• Where are the Lakota people located?
• How have they moved over the centuries?
• What was their relationship with the U.S. government over time?

Collect your information and share it with your parent or teacher. Then, discuss these questions together:

• How do you think Lakota people might look back on their past?
• Who are some important heroes from your people’s past?
• What events, ideas, and feelings do those heroes of your people's past represent?

Native-American history is filled with many stories of brave heroes who led their people through challenging times.

In the Got It? section, learn about a figure who inspires the Lakota people and many other Americans: Crazy Horse!