BOOK GUIDES
Native Ways of Knowing Literature Circle Discussion Questions
Chapter 4: Blunt Force of Removal: 1828-1839 Removal and the Trail of Tears 1.What were the key factors that led to the implementation of the Indian Removal Act, and how did it affect the Cherokee? 2.Analyze the differing perspectives within the Cherokee Nation regarding removal and resistance. 3.How did the U.S. government's policies and actions during the removal process reflect broader attitudes toward Native Americans? 4.What were the immediate and lasting impacts of the Trail of Tears on the Cherokee people? 5.How did the Cherokee maintain their cultural identity during and after the forced relocation? 6.Discuss the role of leadership and community organization in the Cherokee's survival during this period.
Chapter 5: Dawn of New Opportunities: 1839-1861 Reconstruction and Resilience
1.How did the Cherokee Nation rebuild its government and institutions after relocation? 2.In what ways did the Cherokee adapt their economic practices in the new territory?
3.Discuss the challenges the Cherokee faced in re-establishing their educational and religious systems. 4.How did the Cherokee engage with other Native nations and the U.S. government during this time? 5.What strategies did the Cherokee employ to preserve their language and cultural practices? 6.Analyze the significance of the Cherokee Phoenix newspaper in promoting unity and information dissemination.
Chapter 6: A Nation Divided: 1861-1865 Maintaining Sovereignty and Survival Amid Internal Tribal Division and External Civil War 1.What factors led to division within the Cherokee Nation during the Civil War? How did internal disagreements reflect larger political pressures facing the Nation? 2.How did the choices made by Cherokee leaders and citizens during this period affect the Nation’s sovereignty? Were these choices about survival, strategy, or ideology? 3.In what ways did alliances with the Union or the Confederacy create long-term consequences for the Cherokee Nation after the war ended? How does this chapter complicate the common narrative of the Civil War as only a conflict between North and South? 4.How did war impact Cherokee communities at the local level (families, towns, governance, daily life)? What evidence from the chapter illustrates these impacts? 5.What lessons about leadership, unity, and survival can be drawn from this period of division in Cherokee history? How might these lessons still be relevant for Tribal Nations today?
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