THE WASHOE TODAY

OBJECTIVE: Students will learn about the organization and territory of the Washoe Tribe today.

TEACHER BACKGROUND: See student booklet of the same title.

KEY POINTS: Efforts to return to traditional culture, number of Washoe today, four communities, Tribal government, Tribal Council, autonomy.

MATERIALS: Large sheet of paper and large marker (or chalkboard).

MATERIALS FROM KIT: Lesson 13 notetaker (Appendix C), lesson 13 booklet.

ACTIVITIES:

1. Hand out the booklet for Lesson 13, and have the students read individually or with partners, filling out the notetakers as they do

2. Call the Education Director or the senior Center Director at the Washoe Tribe, (702) 265-4191, to find out about the availability of a guest speaker from the Tribe.

3. Letter-writing activity: As a class, you may wish to write a letter to the Washoe Tribe, asking for information about the Tribe and, if possible, a written response. Be specific about what information you would like to have. Have the students use this information (perhaps with additional research) and report on the government of the Washoe Tribe today. (Suggested Resources: Wa She ShU by Jo Ann Nevers, and Nevada Tribal History and Government, a Social Studies unit produced by the Yerington Paiute Tribe, 1981). Have them compare this form of government to either the traditional Washoe form of government loosely organized bands with headmen or headwomen) or the Nevada state or U.S. federal government.

4. To demonstrate why the Tribal Council consists of representatives from the colonies, Reno-Sparks, and off-reservation, ask the opinions of only some or half the class about what game to play at recess or some other activity. After you finish the activity, ask the unrepresented students how it felt not to have a say in the activity. Explain that this is why we have representation in tribal, local, state, and federal government.

5. Stage a debate in your class with two teams. Give each team an opinion they must argue on a current Washoe issue. There are several issues concerning land the Washoe consider their traditional homeland or sacred sites being developed by public and private land developers. Have the students research some of these recurring issues, or make up a theoretical issue and have each team develop their argument and take turns presenting it.

6. Have the students write about the recent history and current life of the Washoe in a story form, as it would have been passed on to Washoe children in years past. Have them address the questions, why is it important to pass on culture and history and stories? Without this heritage, would people have to make the same mistakes and suffer from the same problems again?

OPTIONS: Take the class on a field trip to the Lake Tahoe visitors' Center, to the Pine Nut Hills, or to other significant locations for the Washoe. Discuss how this place was and is important to the Washoe people.

CLOSURE: Have the students write a list of some of the things they now know about the Washoe (list the lesson names on the board to give them hints, if you wish). Then have the students find their lists of what they knew about the Washoe before they began this unit. Have them quietly compare the two, then have a discussion as a class about the differences between the two lists. Refer back to Lessons 1 and 2 to discuss what they learned about culture, stereotypes, and prejudice, and whether and why they think it is important to learn about cultures.

EVALUATION: Students' research, their debate, and their story will demonstrate their understanding of how the Washoe Tribe functions today. Student's closure activity and their writing in Activity 4 will Show what they have learned over the course of this unit.