Active learning ideas
This topic explores the sophisticated societies that existed across Turtle Island long before European arrival. Students will investigate complex governance structures, such as the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, and extensive trade networks like the grease trails. The focus then shifts to early contact and the 'Peace and Friendship' treaties, which were intended to establish a framework for coexistence and mutual benefit.
Activity 01
Assign different regions and resources (e.g., copper, shells, dried fish) to student groups. They must negotiate trades with other groups to get what they need, discovering the complexity of pre-contact economic relationships and the importance of diplomacy.
What did Indigenous societies look like before European contact?
Activity 02
Students examine the structure of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy. They create a visual diagram showing how different nations and clans contributed to decision-making, highlighting the roles of both men and women in this governance model.
How did early trade networks operate?
Activity 03
Pairs of students act as Dutch traders and Haudenosaunee representatives. They must 'negotiate' the terms of the Two Row Wampum, focusing on the concepts of non-interference and parallel paths, then reflect on what this meant for early sovereignty.
What was the original intent of early treaties like the Two Row Wampum?
A few notes on teaching this unit
Watch Out for These Misconceptions
Indigenous peoples were 'primitive' or lacked organized government.
Pre-contact societies had highly organized legal, political, and economic systems. Using simulations of trade and governance helps students experience the complexity of these systems firsthand.
Treaties were always about Indigenous people giving up land.
Early treaties were often about peace, friendship, and sharing resources without any transfer of land ownership. Analyzing the specific language and intent of early wampum belts helps clarify this.
Methods used in this brief
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