AGS Summer Reading Assignment
August 2017
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Oyeniyi, Doyin. “Native Americans Continue the Fight to Stop the Trans-PecosPipeline in West Texas.” TexasMonthly, 1 February 2017, http://www.texasmonthly.com/energy/ native-americans-continue-fight-stop-trans-pecos- pipeline-west-texas/. Accessed 21 August 2017.
In this English assignment, I read the above article over the current Native American fight against the Trans-Pecos Pipeline here in West Texas. This piece was written just after Trump took office and created executive orders to again continue the construction of this pipeline. As a result, the author emphasizes just how destructive the invasive pipeline would be on the Native land, and she calls on the community to step up and openly oppose it's construction. This falls under the Investigate the world pillar because I explored a modern day local issue, which remains a highly controversial and heated topic of debate in the political world. Furthermore, it directly relates to my question because this current event has to do with invasive aggression directed at Native culture and land. The article also explores how the national community has joined the Native American efforts to resist the invasive efforts of the federal government. |
The Tribes of the West and the U.S Government
January 2018
In history class, we researched and studied the American Indian tribes of the west and their interaction with the US government. In the assignment, we looked at the various military encounters between the US army and Indian tribes, the treaties that were not honored, and the later assimilation attempts that followed the Indian Wars. When looking in detail at these events, its easy to understand that Native Americans generally acted in defense of their sacred tribal lands, which were being invaded by the influx of white settlers, and the US government acted aggressively and irrationally. This assignment fits within the Investigate the world pillar, because we learned about the history of atrocious conflicts and betrayals that destroyed the Native American resistance to westward settlement. These events sealed their fate to be confined onto reservations where their way of life would be systematically dismantled. Furthermore, this connects to my broader question because it provides adequate background information that explains the rise of the assimilation era.
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Amsco Ch 16 Notes
January 14th, 2018
In history class, we read and took notes over Amsco Chapter 16, which covered the topic of US expansion into the last of the western frontier, as well as the changing scene in the South. In covering this later chapter of US expansion, it delved into the conflicts that arose between American settlers and the residing Native Americans. More specifically, this section of the reading went over the brutal Indian Wars as well as government led assimilation attempts such as the Dawes Act. These amsco notes fit within the Investigate the World pillar of AGS because they explored key interactions and policies dealing with Native Americans. By exploring these important historical events, we can better understand the reasons behind the developments of today, such as the current cultural revival in response to assimilation. This assignment also connects to my overarching question because it directly covered the causes for, and the beginnings of assimilation. In covering the brutal Indian Wars and the harsh US response with the Dawes Severalty Act, this reading bettered my understanding of this dark chapter in American History.
Empire of the Summer Moon
January 2018
Gwynne, S.C. Empire of the Summer Moon: Quanah Parker and the Rise and Fall of the Comanches, the Most Powerful Indian Tribe in American History. New York, Scribner, 2010, p. 12-35.
In English, we read the first few chapters of "Empire of the Summer Moon", by S. C. Gwynne, and had a class discussion regarding Comanche culture as well as their brutal relationship with white settlers and the United States Government. This reading fits within the Investigate the World pillar because it gives a detailed description of the rise and fall of the Comanche empire. This powerful tribe, which fought a long and bloody war against the US, would have an influential impact on both Native American treatment and American views on their people. Furthermore, both the excerpt we read and our class discussion support the concept of this pillar in that we were learning more about the world around us and how past events have shaped the society of today. This source also addresses my overarching question in that it illustrates the determined and violent resistance that Native Americans amounted against assimilation and confinement to a reservation.
In English, we read the first few chapters of "Empire of the Summer Moon", by S. C. Gwynne, and had a class discussion regarding Comanche culture as well as their brutal relationship with white settlers and the United States Government. This reading fits within the Investigate the World pillar because it gives a detailed description of the rise and fall of the Comanche empire. This powerful tribe, which fought a long and bloody war against the US, would have an influential impact on both Native American treatment and American views on their people. Furthermore, both the excerpt we read and our class discussion support the concept of this pillar in that we were learning more about the world around us and how past events have shaped the society of today. This source also addresses my overarching question in that it illustrates the determined and violent resistance that Native Americans amounted against assimilation and confinement to a reservation.
National Museum of Nuclear Science and History
April 26th, 2018
On one of the last days of our Southwest trip, we visited the Nuclear Science Museum, where we learned about the history of the nuclear age. The various featured exhibits covered the production of the first atomic bomb as well as the many advancements in weaponry that occurred throughout the Cold War. This can connect to our physics class because we have studied the processes that occur within the bombs, fission and fusion. Additionally, the museum taught us extensively about the process of obtaining and purifying the massive quantity of Uranium needed for the bombs. Because large deposits of this rare resource could be found on or around Navajo reservations, extensive mining operations soon threatened the health and security of many Native American people. This fits within the Investigate the World pillar because we explored the often untold process in making the atomic bomb, as well as the effects this process had on the Navajo people and the environment. This connects to my overarching question in that governmental neglect for Native American rights and securities was a common trend of the era of assimilation.