Dakota and Ojibwe Educator Guides and Virtual Exhibit Tour Now Available Online

In a partnership with the Minnesota Indian Affairs Council, a group of Dakota and Ojibwe scholars and educators developed educator guides that enhance the Why Treaties Matter: Self-Government in the Dakota and Ojibwe Nations exhibit content. This traveling exhibit - now available online - focuses on treaties between Dakota and Ojibwe Nations and the U.S. Government. Each guide includes teacher background, student readings and activities, vocabulary, and suggested resources.

Guides explore:

• A Deep Connection to Place
• An Ojibwe Narrative: Reconnections to Place
• Ways of Learning: An Ojibwe Childhood
• The Chippewa National Forest
• Traditional Anishinaabe Economy
• Treaty Economy
• We Have Always Been Sovereign Nations

In August 2010, a resolution creating a unique partnership of the Minnesota Indian Affairs Council, the Minnesota Humanities Center, and the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C. was approved by the Minnesota Indian Affairs Council and made it possible for development of the Why Treaties Matter traveling exhibit as an educational tool for Minnesota audiences.

Educator guides are available at TreatiesMatter.org.

I learned a lot about the Dakota and Ojibwe's past, how they were impacted by the settlers coming here, not just by how the settlers were impacted by them. I also learned about the Dakota and Ojibwe peoples' traditions and cultures, and how they interpret the world. - 9th grade student, Eden Prairie High School