Shawnee Indian political leader and war chief Tecumseh (1768-1813) came of age amid the border warfare that ravaged the Ohio Valley in the late 18th century. He took part in a series of raids of Kentucky and Tennessee frontier settlements in the 1780s, and emerged as a prominent chief by 1800. Tecumseh transformed his brother's religious following into a political movement, leading to the foundation of the Prophetstown settlement in 1808. After Prophetstown was destroyed during the Battle of Tippecanoe, the Shawnee chief fought with pro-British forces in the War of 1812 until his death in the Battle of the Thames.

For every object that ends up in a library or museum collection åÐ whether itåÕs a manucript, a photograph, or something more approaching the concept of åÒartåÓ åÐ there is a narrative, a story that gets told. The story a visitor to an exhibit ends up hearing, of course, is dependent upon who is telling the story and the slant of their own perspective. When the subject of the exhibit is Native Americans in the Upper Midwestern United States during the extraordinary upheaval of the 19th century, one must be particularly careful about the story being told since the narrative that largely exists is one of cultural denouement, of endings, as told by a colonizing population to its descendants. The dominant narrative of the demise of traditional Native American culture in the face of colonization, conversion to Christianity, confinement to reservations and economic collapse is, however, not the only story that can be told. The accounts of the lives of Native Americans during the 19th century that are told by Native peoples themselves are strikingly different to those recounted in history books, movies, and all too frequently in museums. Rather than narratives solely recounting destruction and demise, Native stories about Native history tend to focus on what White Earth Ojibwe scholar Gerald Vizenor has called survivance åÐ a narrative incorporating themes of survival and resistance that insist on the inclusion of the Native presence. The following is an exhibit of resources that can be found within the Digital Public Library of America retold through the lens of Native American survivance in the Minnesota region. Within are a series of objects of both Native and non-Native origin that tell a story of extraordinary culture disruption, change and continuity during 19th c., and how that affects the Native population of Minnesota today. This exhibit was created by the Minnesota Digital Library.

In this activity, students read two primary documents from the early 1800s: a journal entry from the Lewis and Clark expedition and a Lakota Indian "winter count" calendar. Using an analysis worksheet, students identify key ideas and details from the documents, while also examining the craft and structure of each document. They draw upon both the content and form of the documents to make inferences about the respective cultures of Euro-Americans and Native Americans in the early 1800s.

In this video, the director of the Indian Health Services Department discusses the history of the department and American Indian health care, including traditional practices, diabetes, and tele-medicine. [10:58]

Learn about the different concepts of land ownership, effects of the first contact between American Indians and Europeans, relocation, allotment, and loss of land and culture. [5:08]

This interview covers a timeline that explains American Indian governance and relationship structures based on sacred creation stories. [10:32]

Various speakers discuss myths and truths about Native Americans in this video. [4:43]

Students will be able to understand the connection between land and spirituality for Native Americans (specifically Sioux or Lakota/Dakota) and how this impacts economic decision-making.

Singer/songwriter Jim Boyd, of the Colville Tribe of Washington State, plays guitar and sings original songs. Boyd's contributions to contemporary Indigenous music include four original songs on the soundtrack of the movie "Smoke Signals". [9:38]

This video examines the relationship between Native American tribes and the United States federal government. Topics discussed include health care, justice systems, business opportunities, religious artifacts in museums, gaming on reservations, and sovereignty. [4:49]

In this activity, students read a series of primary source documents, including the 1872 print "American Progress," that depict the social, political and cultural conflicts between settlers and Native Americans during the 19th century. Then, working in small groups, students will consider the events from the perspective of Native Americans, and create an illustration to counter George A. Crofutt's famous print of "American Progress" moving across the Great Plains.

This collection uses primary sources to explore Jacksonian democracy. Digital Public Library of America Primary Source Sets are designed to help students develop their critical thinking skills and draw diverse material from libraries, archives, and museums across the United States. Each set includes an overview, ten to fifteen primary sources, links to related resources, and a teaching guide. These sets were created and reviewed by the teachers on the DPLA's Education Advisory Committee.

The scenes in this rollover interactive depict typical village life of Native American Indians of the Mississippian culture. The village was occupied from 1100 AD until about 1350 AD.

Get ideas and a lesson plans for teaching about the Aztec, Inca, and Maya cultures.

This collection uses primary sources to explore the idea of Manifest Destiny and its influence. Digital Public Library of America Primary Source Sets are designed to help students develop their critical thinking skills and draw diverse material from libraries, archives, and museums across the United States. Each set includes an overview, ten to fifteen primary sources, links to related resources, and a teaching guide. These sets were created and reviewed by the teachers on the DPLA's Education Advisory Committee.

A five page document in PDF format documenting some of the Metis natives that were involved in the Lewis and Clark Expedition in 1804-1806.

Visit Moundville Archaeological Park in this episode of Yellowhammer History Hunt to see how the Native Americans of the Mississippian Period lived. Considered the "Big Apple" of its time period, AD 1000 to AD 1450, Moundville was an important political, economic, and religious center. [6:15] Support materials are provided.

Essay on contemporary Native American lands and the environmental impact they have suffered, policy regarding them and public perception of how land and resources should be used.

Ninety-four primary sources-historical documents, literary texts, and visual images-that explore the challenges, opportunity, and turmoil of late-nineteenth-century America. They examine the economic expansion in an America re-united after the Civil War, the costs of that growth, and the challenges faced domestically and internationally during a time of enormous change and progress.

Site explains the federal law that was passed in 1990 that protects Native American cultural items: the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act(NAGPRA). The site answers FAQ on the NAGPRA and keeps online databases of artifacts and human remains.