High School Unit 4 Contemporary World Problems
Corresponding Videos
Contemporary Voices Along the Lewis and Clark Trail
Native Homelands Along the Lewis and Clark Trail
Civic Action and the Economy: Nation-Building and Taxation
Historical Era
The Present: Nation Building
STI Unit Overview
Level 1:
By watching oral testimonies about the importance of tribal traditions and values by identifying misconceptions about Indians and taxes, and by reading and discussing the article, "Taxing Times in Native America", by Gabe Galanda.
In a seminar, students will use evidence from the text to:
- Identify and explain how the US Constitution determines the tax status of federally recognized tribes. (Commerce Clause).
- Explain why tribal individuals and some businesses pay federal tax but generally do not pay state taxes.
- Explain one exception where tribal members do pay state taxes.
- Explain why it is difficult for tribes to generate revenue.
- Identify one instance where a tribe collects state taxes.
- Identify one non-Indian organization that a local tribe contributes to.
Level 2:
After completing Level 1, students will create graphic organizers that compare tribal and state revenue generation in order to analyze the disparities between the two systems.
Level 3:
This builds on Levels 1 and 2. To prepare for the Government Revenue and Responsibility CBA, the class will use the conflict between Thurston County and The Chehalis Tribe as a case study to reinforce responsible research practices and analysis process. If your class is well aware of the CBA process, they can go straight to their own projects. However, it might be valuable for them to know how to find reliable tribal sources.
STI Essential Questions
- What is the legal status of the tribes who negotiated or who did not enter into the United States treaties?
- What do local tribes do to meet the challenges of reservation life? What do these tribes, as sovereign nations, do to meet the economic and cultural needs of their tribal communities?
Standards for Social Studies, English Language Arts, Environmental and Sustainability Education, and Social Emotional Learning
OSPI-Developed Assessments for Social Studies
Unit Developed By
Shana Brown (Yakama descendant)
Except where otherwise noted, "Since Time Immemorial: Tribal Sovereignty in Washington State" by Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction in partnership with the Federally Recognized Tribes in Washington State is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. All logos are property of their respective owners.