1. Describe the cultural and political patterns of Plains Indians
before the arrival of Europeans.
2. How did Plains Indians acquire horses and European technology? How
did the economy, trade patterns, warfare, and culture of Plains Indians
change?
3. Describe the most important ceremonies of the Plains Indians.
4. Describe the Reservation Policy. Why did Americans call for this
policy? How did they push this policy on the Indians? Describe the most
important treaties Indians signed.
5. Describe the goals of the government on these reservations. Results?
6. Describe the difficulties American soldiers had in fighting Plains
Indians.
7. Describe conditions on the reservations. Discuss the impact of
reservation life on tribal unity, and traditional culture.
8. Discuss the military tactics of the American military and Plains
Indians.
9. Discuss the different methods that Americans used to destroy Plains
Indian culture? Which methods had the greatest impact?
10. Describe the American wars with the Apache and Navajo. Who were the
main participants? How were these battles fought? Results?
11. Discuss the efforts to subjugate Natives in Texas. Describe the
most important participants and battles. What were the results?
12. Describe the “return of the prophets.” Who were the most important
Indian prophets in the middle and late 1800s? What conditions prompted
the appearance of so many?
13. Describe the major tenets of the Ghost Dance religion. How did the
religion spread? Why did certain tribes Indians, particularly the
Sioux, follow this religion?
14. Describe the importance of the buffalo to Plains Indians. How did
horses change the hunt? 15. Describe how Natives used the buffalo as
source of food and tools. How was the buffalo used in Native spiritual
life?
16. Describe the government’s hierarchy of command from Washington to
the reservation.
17. Discuss the responsibilities and powers of agents and other
officials on reservations.
18. Discuss the government’s efforts to “civilize” the Indians. What
programs did they initiate? Why these? What were the results?
19. Describe the different humanitarian organizations that wanted to
reform Indian policy. What policies did they suggest? Why? Results?
20. Discuss the reasons for the government’s decision to end treaty
making with Indians
21. Discuss the purposes , implementation, and results of the Grant
Peace Policy.
22. Discuss the purposes, implementation, and results of the Dawes
Severalty Act.
23. Describe the Indian resistance to white assimilation efforts.
24. Describe what happened to the Five Civilized Tribes in Oklahoma as
Indian Territory became a state.
25. Describe the growth of government boarding schools and other
efforts to educate Indians.
26. Discuss the different experiences that Indians had at boarding
schools.
27. Discuss how Ishi came to be the last of his people. How did he
adjust to the life among whites?
28. Discuss the ceremonies and spread of the Native American Church.
29. Discuss the most important legislation and court cases that dealt
with Native religious freedoms