GREAT TRIBAL LEADERS OF MODERN TIMES
Class


The The Great Tribal Leaders of Modern Times class was developed by Elizabeth Furse, Director of the Institute for Tribal Government, and Kay Reid, oral historian for the Great Tribal Leaders of Modern Times Project. The course uses the Great Tribal Leaders of Modern Times Curriculum and explores the contributions made by Native American leaders from 1940 to the present in shaping federal Indian policy, law, natural resource management and other topics of regional, national, and international concern.

Video-recorded interviews, recorded and produced by the Institute for Tribal Government, are key study tools. An accompanying workbook presents the historical, social, political and legal contexts that tribal leaders face. An extensive bibliography and study guides for the individual interviews are also provided.

The course discusses the eras of "federal Indian policy" since the founding of the U.S. government, the exercise of power by federal legislative, judicial and executive branches, and their effects on tribal societies. The personal stories of the tribal leaders who worked in these contexts add a unique dimension to the study of the history and US policies. The continuing survival of Indian tribes and the evolution of tribal governments to meet unforeseen challenges are recurring themes of this course.

The class was first offered at Portland State University Spring Term, 2004. It was offered Winter Term, 2004 at both Portland State and Lewis and Clark College and is scheduled to be offered at PSU Spring Term 2005 both as a regular enrollment course on campus and as a distance learning opportunity for tribal members of the Grand Ronde Community. Lewis and Clark College will offer the course Summer, 2005. The Institute is encouraging other colleges and universities to make the course available to their students.

In early 2004, the Institute began planning to enable other educators to use the curriculum at the middle school, high school, and post-secondary levels. Under a grant from The Meyer Memorial Trust, the curriculum will be launched in at least two rural and two urban Oregon schools in September 2005. Under a grant from the Qwest Foundation, the curriculum will also be presented in six selected schools in the states of Washington, Oregon, South Dakota, North Dakota, Arizona, New Mexico, and Minnesota.

The course is of interest to Native Americans and students of American history, political science, public administration, sociology, and related fields. If you are interested in making this course available in a school near you, please contact the Institute for Tribal Government.