South Dakota Indian Studies Course Strands

Strand	Content
1. Culture Dynamics	a. Establish a fundamental awareness of cultural dynamics such as race and gender bias, stereotyping, assumptions, etc. b. Examine the culture of Lakota/Dakota people, their worldview, values, kinship system, oral tradition, health, economy and environment.
2. History	a. Survey the history of Indian/White encounters and that of South Dakota from early contact to the present. b. Study U.S. federal Indian policy, land and trade conflicts, treaty and legislative history. c. Cover contemporary legal and political issues such as sovereignty and jurisdiction on and off the reservation.
3. Educational Theory and Background	a. Inquire into traditional tribal education. b. Summarize the history of church, federal, public and tribal education of Indian leaders. c. Explore legislative issues regarding Indian education such as Title V or Title VII.
4. Implementation and strategies	a. Examine school and community relations. b. Analyze questions of Indian learning and teaching styles. c. Conceptualize and encourage integrated curriculum development. d. Evaluate authentic assessment.