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Additional Projects/Activities IV
- Connecting Martin Luther King and Leonard Peltier
- Have half the class read “Native American
Resistance in the 1960’s,” excerpted from
the U.S. History textbook, The Americans, and
answer the question at the bottom. Have the other
half of the class read “Day of Shame,”
statement by the Leonard Peltier Defense Committee
and answer the question at the end.
- Form groups of four (and five, if necessary) in
which two students read the excerpt from The Americans
and the other two read “Day of Shame.”
Have each subgroup compare their perceptions what
happened at Pine Ridge in the early 1970s.
- Students discuss why their perceptions of what happened
at Pine Ridge differed. Do they think that either
account they read is “objective”? Is
it possible to be objective? If either or both accounts
have a bias, what is the bias of each? Focus especially
on the textbook’s point of view here, since
it is presumed “objective,” until proven
biased.
- Discuss and write about the similarities between
the following:
- how the textbook, The Americans, describes
what happened with AIM and the FBI
- The Americans’ treatment
of Martin Luther King, both in his political message
and the failure to mention any of the FBI’s
campaign against him.
- You could also have students read “Who Killed
Martin Luther King, Jr.?” by Douglas Valentine
for more evidence that King was not killed by a “lone
assassin.” Have students talk about why the
content of one’s ideas and the degree to which
others are listening might make one a “threat”
to those in power.
- Finally, students could consider these questions: If
they can hide Martin Luther King, Jr., in plain sight,
along with the other things we’ve uncovered, what
other things might be hidden? What questions do we need
to ask to find what is being kept from us? How can we
expand our frame of reference? And once we do expand
our awareness, what should we do? (Or, does increased
awareness come after you get directly
involved in political and social issues?)
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