Origin Stories of the Plains Indians
In this activity, students will learn about Native American culture by reading the creation stories of the Arikara, Hidatsa, and Mandan Indians and see how they are depicted on a buffalo hide painting. It is included in an OurStory module entitled Tracking the Buffalo: Stories From a Buffalo Hide Painting. OurStory is a series of modules designed by the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History to help children and adults enjoy exploring history together through the use of objects from the Museum's vast collections, quality children's literature, and engaging hands-on activities. Ideal for afterschool use, OurStory resources allow students to think critically, to be creative, and to achieve academic standards both in and out of the classroom.
National Standards
Historical Thinking (Grades K-4)
- Historical Thinking Standard 2: Historical Comprehension View Details
- E. Appreciate historical perspectives. (NSH (K-4) Th2E)
- Historical Thinking Standard 3: Historical Analysis and Interpretation View Details
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B. Compare and contrast differing sets of ideas, values, personalities, behaviors, and institutions. (NSH (K-4) Th3B)
E. Compare different stories about a historical figure, era, or event. (NSH (K-4) Th3E)
Standards in History (Grades K-4)
- Topic 1: Living and Working Together in Families and Communities, Now and Long Ago; Standard 1: Family Life Now and in the Recent Past; Family Life in Various Places Long Ago View Details
- Topic 1: Living and Working Together in Families and Communities, Now and Long Ago; Standard 1B: The student understands the different ways people of diverse racial, religious, and ethnic groups, and of various national origins have transmitted their beliefs and values. (NSH (K-4) HT1S1B)
- Topic 1: Living and Working Together in Families and Communities, Now and Long Ago; Standard 2: History of Students' Local Community and How Communities in North America Varied Long Ago View Details
- Topic 1: Living and Working Together in Families and Communities, Now and Long Ago; Standard 2B: The student understands how communities in North America varied long ago. (NSH (K-4) HT1S2B)
- Topic 2: The History of Students' Own State or Region; Standard 3: The People, Events, Problems, and Ideas that Created the History of Their State View Details
- Topic 2: The History of Students' Own State or Region; Standard 3A: The student understands the history of indigenous peoples who first lived in his or her state or region. (NSH (K-4) HT2S3A)
- Topic 3: The History of the United States: Democratic Principles and Values and the People from Many Cultures Who Contributed to Its Cultural, Economic, and Political Heritage; Standard 6: Regional Folklore and Cultural Contributions That Helped to Form Our National Heritage View Details
- Topic 3: The History of the United States: Democratic Principles and Values and the People from Many Cultures Who Contributed to Its Cultural, Economic, and Political Heritage; Standard 6A: The student understands folklore and other cultural contributions from various regions of the United States and how they help to form a national heritage. (NSH (K-4) HT3S6A)
United States History Standards (Grades 5-12)
- Era 1: Three Worlds Meet (Beginnings to 1620) View Details
- Era 1: Three Worlds Meet (Beginnings to 1620); Standard 1: Comparative characteristics of societies in the Americas, Western Europe, and Western Africa that increasingly interacted after 1450 (NSH (5-12) USHE1S1)
Historical Thinking (Grades 5-12)
- Historical Thinking Standard 2: Historical Comprehension View Details
- F. Appreciate historical perspectives. (NSH (5-12) Th2F)
- Historical Thinking Standard 3: Historical Analysis and Interpretation View Details
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A. Compare and contrast differing sets of ideas. (NSH (5-12) Th3A)
B. Consider multiple perspectives. (NSH (5-12) Th3B)
F. Compare competing historical narratives. (NSH (5-12) Th3F)
Keywords
Native American; Indian; buffalo; hides; stories; origins; creation; storytelling; myth; Arikara; Hidatsa; Mandan; plains; the West; culture; fur; clothes; westward expansion; animal; Louisiana Purchase; Lewis and Clark;
