Lesson 1: Exploring Treaties

INTRODUCTION
Students will examine the 1855 treaty between the United States and the Yakama Tribe to see what was promised to the Wenatchis. Students will then examine what the Wenatchi Tribe is now asking of the U.S. government and attempt to create an equitable plan that honors the treaty and contemporary land needs.

MATERIALS
· False Promises video
· Treaty of 1855, Article 10 (Appendix 1)
· Written Document Analysis Worksheet (Appendix 2)
· Treaty Grid (Appendix 3)

PROCEDURE INTRODUCTION (10 -15 minutes)
Ask students what they know about Indian tribes, reservations and treaties. Younger students may want to look up the words "treaty" and "reservation" in the dictionary.

During discussion with students, note the following:

1. The Indian tribes in the United States, Canada and elsewhere are sovereign nations, with their own leaders and laws.

2. A treaty is a binding agreement between two (or more) countries and the highest form of law a nation can enter into. For grade 7 - 8 civics students, note that this is the power granted to the President and the Senate in Article II, Section 2, Clause 2 , of the U.S. Constitution, the power to make treaties with foreign nations.

VIEWING ACTIVITY (15-20 minutes)
START video at beginning and play until the title. PAUSE tape. Can students tell whose words are being spoken ? (Chief Harmelt). START tape and play until you hear Richard Hart speak about the treaties. STOP tape. Ask students - what's unusual about the Wenatchi Tribe's situation? (None of the treaties or agreements have ever been honored.)

DOCUMENT ANALYSIS (15-20 minutes)
Hand out copies of the Treaty of 1855, Cover and Article 10 and the Written Document Analysis Worksheet. Article 10 pertains specifically to the original Wenatchi Reservation. After students have completed the Document Analysis Worksheet, discuss their findings. Concentrate on item 6A - what are three things in the document that appear to be important? Why are they important? What do students think is the significance of the Indian names with "x, his mark"?

More for grades 7 - 8: Distribute copies of page 3, the opening page of the treaty. Ask students to read through the page and ask what is the significance of the phrase, "…confederate tribes and bands of Indians…who, for the purposes of this treaty, are to be considered as one nation, under the name of 'Yakama'…"

After students have discussed the possible problems (or advantages) of many tribes being grouped together as one tribe, explain that in 1894, the Yakama Nation ceded the Wentachi Reservation, but the Wenatchis were promised allotments of land and continuing fishing rights. In fact, the Wentachis never ceded their rights to the reserve or waived any rights to the area.

HOW COULD THE TREATY BE HONORED TODAY? (30 - 45 minutes)
Can the United States comply with its promises and guarantees to the Wenatchi Tribe that were made in the 1855 Treaty and the 1894 Agreement? Today, about 28% of the land in the area that should have been the Wenatchi Reservation is still a part of the public domain.

Educators may wish to review the "Where was the Wenatchi Reservation?" series of lessons before teaching this lesson.

VIEWING ACTIVITY
FAST FORWARD tape to the PowWow…STOP after you see the parade in the town of Cashmere. Ask students how they feel about the feelings of the Wenatchis about the land.

CLASSROOM ACTIVITY
Ask students to review the chart below. (See Appendix 3).

After reviewing the grid, discuss the following questions with students:

· How would students define the term "land base" ? How much land should a "land base" include?

· What does "…hunting, fishing and gathering rights…" mean ? And where could those rights be exercised ?

· What are student ideas about how to honor the Wenatchis' requests - and those of the people who now live in the area. (Much of the land once promised to the Wenatchis is now occupied by the towns of Leavenworth and Cashmere).