This Land is Your Land, This Land is My Land…Or is it?
Native Americans are said to call the November full moon the Beaver Moon. American Indians traditionally had strong connections to the land and most engaged regularly in ceremonies to thank the creator for the land. Attitudes towards, and uses of, our land have changed over time and these patterns of change can be observed throughout history. Use Project Learning Tree’s activity, “Native Ways” to explore some traditional American Indian attitudes with respect to the land and our natural resources.
Students can research local past Indian Chiefs and explore their tribes’ relationship to the land.
Students can interview individuals within their community, or within a local Native American tribal community, about their relationship to, and attitude toward, the land and land use.
Suggested extension activity - Project WILD’s “Wildlife Issues: Community Attitude Survey”. Explore the differing beliefs, attitudes and values towards our land, the environment, and wildlife within your community.
Book List
Grades PreK-2
Bruchac, J. 1997. Thirteen Moons on Turtle's Back: A Native American Year of Moons. Penguin Young Readers Group.
Bruchac, J. 1998. Earth under Sky Bear's Feet: Native American Poems of the Land. Penguin Young Readers Group.
Carlson, L. 1994. More Than Moccasins: A Kid's Activity Guide to Traditional North American Indian Life. Chicago Review Press.
Hamanaka, S. 1999. All the Colors of the Earth. HarperCollins Publishers.
Jeffers, S.J. 1991. Brother Eagle, Sister Sky: A Message from Chief Seattle. Dial.
Macgill-Callahan, S. 1996. And Still the Turtle Watched. Penguin Young Readers Group.
Morris, A. 2002. Grandma Maxine Remembers: A Native American Family Story. Lerner Publishing Group.
Orie, S. 1996. Did You Hear Wind Sing Your Name? Walker & Company.
Schmid, E. 2000. The Living Earth. North-South.
Grades 3-5
Adler, N. 1996. Dial Book of Animal Tales from around the World. Penguin Group (USA) Incorporated.
Bruchac, J. 2000. Pushing Up the Sky: Seven Native American Plays for Children. Penguin Group.
Caduto, M.J. 1997. Keepers of the Earth: Native American Stories and Environmental Activities for Children. Fulcrum Publishing.
Gates, F. 1994. Owl Eyes. HarperCollins Publishers.
Goble, P. 2005. All Our Relatives: Traditional Native American Thoughts About Nature. World Wisdom Books.
Levitt, P.M. 1989. Stolen Appaloosa and Other Indian Stories. Bookmakers Guild, Incorporated.
Lopez, B.H. 1998. Crow and Weasel. North Point Press.
Mayo, G.W. 1989. Earthmaker's Tales: North American Indian Stories about Earth Happenings. Walker & Company.
Miller, J. 1996. American Indian Festivals. Scholastic Library Publishing.
Ortiz, S.J. 1988. People Shall Continue. Children's Book Press.
Williamson, R.A. and J.G. Monroe. 2007. They Dance in the Sky: Native American Star Myths. Houghton Mifflin Company.
Dalgleish, S. 2002. Managing the Land. Chelsea House Publishers.
Grades 6-8
Bruchac, J. 2003. Our Stories Remember: American Indian History, Culture, and Values through Storytelling. Fulcrum Publishing.
Gleason, K. 1996. Native American Literature. Chelsea House Publishers.
Harvey, K.D. and L.D. Harjo. 2006. Indian Country: A History of Native People in America. Fulcrum Publishing.
Hirschfelder, A.B. 1993. Rising Voices: Writings of Young Native Americans. Random House Publishing Group.
Kavin, K. 2006. Tools of Native Americans: A Kid's Guide to the History and Culture of the First Americans. Nomad Press VT.
Keoke, E.D. 2005. American Indian Contributions to the World: Food, Farming and Hunting. Facts on File.
Legay, G. 2007. Dictionary of North American Indians and Other Indigenous Peoples. Barron's Educational Series, Incorporated.
Marsh, C. 1996. Iowa Indian!: A Kid's Look at Our State's Chiefs, Tribes, Reservations, Powwows, Lore and More From the Past and the Present. Gallopade International.
Murdoch, D. 2005. North American Indian. DK Publishing, Inc.
Nies, J. 1996. Native American History: A Chronology of the Vast Achievements of a Culture and Their Links. Random House Publishing Group.
Waldman, C. 2006. Encyclopedia of Native American Tribes. Facts on File, Incorporated.
Leopold, A. 1989. A Sand County Almanac. Oxford University Press.
Whitman, S. 1994. This Land Is Your Land: The American Conservation Movement. Lerner Publishing Group.
Willis, T. 1992. Land Use and Abuse. Scholastic.
Grades 9-12
Austin, M. 2004. Trail Book. University of Nevada Press.
Waldman, C. 1985. Atlas of the North American Indian. Facts on File, Incorporated.
Cronon, W. 2003. Changes in the Land: Indians, Colonist and the Ecology of New England. Hill and Wang.
