BOOK GUIDES
Native Ways of Knowing Literature Circle Discussion Questions
Chapter 9: Adrift in a Sea of Survival: 1907-1935 Survival and Cultural Continuity in the Absence of a Formal Tribal Self-governance 1.What does the phrase “adrift in a sea of survival” suggest about the Cherokee Nation’s condition after Oklahoma statehood? How did the loss of formal governance affect Cherokee communities during this period? 2.How did Cherokee citizens maintain identity, community, and cultural continuity when Tribal government powers were restricted or dismantled? 3.In what ways did federal policies between 1907 and 1935 limit Cherokee self-determination? How did these policies differ from earlier assaults on nationhood? 4.How does this chapter challenge the idea that the absence of formal government means the absence of a nation? What examples show Cherokee survival beyond political structures? 5.What role did families, communities, and informal leadership play in sustaining Cherokee life during this era? 6.How does understanding this period help explain the later resurgence of Tribal governance and self-determination in the Cherokee Nation? Why is it important to study this “in-between” time in history? 7.How did Oklahoma statehood in 1907 change the political status of the Cherokee Nation and its ability to govern itself? 8.What challenges did Cherokee citizens face as federal policies limited Tribal authority and control over land during this period? 9.How did Cherokee families and communities work to preserve culture, identity, and belonging without a fully functioning Tribal government? 10.In what ways did economic hardship, land loss, and changing laws affect daily life for Cherokee people during this era? 11.How did this period of survival lay the groundwork for the later rebuilding and restoration of Cherokee self-governance? 12.Why is it important to study this time period, even though it may appear as a gap or pause in formal Cherokee political history? Chapter 10: A Glimmer of Hope for Rebuilding: 1935-1997 Sovereignty and Self-Determination 1.Why is this period described as a “glimmer of hope” for the Cherokee Nation? What changes between 1935 and 1997 signaled the possibility of rebuilding Cherokee Nationhood? 2.How did federal policy shifts during this era create new opportunities for Cherokee self-governance? In what ways did the Cherokee Nation take advantage of these openings? 3.What role did Cherokee leadership and citizen engagement play in restoring governmental structures and authority? Why was internal leadership just as important as external policy change? 4.How did rebuilding efforts during this period address the long-term effects of allotment, statehood, and political suppression? 5.In what ways did cultural, educational, and community initiatives support the rebuilding of Cherokee identity alongside political restoration? 6.How does this chapter help explain the transition from survival to active self-determination in the modern Cherokee Nation? Why is this period essential for understanding the Nation today? 7.What legal and political strategies did the Cherokee employ to regain self-governance in the 20th century? 8.Discuss the significance of the 1971 re-establishment of the Cherokee Nation's government.
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