Tribes of Montana and How They Got Their Names: Teacher Guide (Suggested for 4th Grade)

This guide and accompanying 34-minute DVD explore the historic and contemporary names of 12 Tribal Nations located on the seven Indian reservations of Montana, along with two neighboring tribes. This guide offers suggested activities designed to help teachers in expanding the topics introduced in the DVD. These activities will help students hone their skills in geography, history and reading by building their knowledge of Montana
tribes, their names, and their locations, both past and present.

In the DVD (as well as the online video, available at http://www.opi.mt.gov/Programs/IndianEd/IEFAVideo.html#gpm1_4), tribal educators and elders share the history of their individual tribal names as they were known in Plains Indian Sign Language, followed by a discussion of how each name was conveyed by neighboring tribes and misunderstood by French traders and trappers. Throughout the film, students are introduced to the various misnomers for tribal groups we know today, and learn the name each tribal group uses to refer to themselves. Readers can learn more about the tribes’ origins and land base by visiting www.montanatribes.org where they will find “Montana Tribes Land Basics,” a series of tribal abstracts. These abstracts will be necessary for one of the Post-Viewing Activities.