Tribute to Native Americans [Native American Heritage Month - November, 2011]

Collective Research by the 7th Grade Class

The 7th grade class was asked to do collective research at the Library of Congress web site to pay tribute to the Native Americans and in keeping with Native American Heritage Month [November]. They went online at:

http://www.loc.gov/index.html

to collect photographs and information about the Native Americans that Edward Curtis documented in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

This tribute to the Native Americans is also a classroom exercise to create greater awareness of the utilization of the Library of Congress web site to study:

American History, Arts and Culture, Government, Politics and Law, Maps and Geography, News and Journalism, Religion and Philosophy, Science and Technology, Business, Sports and Leisure, World History and Cultures.

About the Curtis Collection:

The Edward S. Curtis Collection offers a unique glimpse into Curtis' work with indigenous cultures. The more than 2,400 silver-gelatin photographic prints were acquired by the Library of Congress through copyright deposit from about 1900 through 1930. About two-thirds (1,608) of these images were not published in Curtis' multi-volume work, The North American Indian. The collection includes a large number of individual or group portraits, as well as traditional and ceremonial dress, dwellings and other structures, agriculture, arts and crafts, rites and ceremonies, dances, games, food preparation, transportation, and scenery. The portion of the collection that is cataloged online represents those photographs for which copy negatives or transparencies exist.

The teacher [Mr. Chambers] is also a documentary photographer:

http://www.tomrchambers.com

and his recent project, Just Words is a "take" on the Curtis Collection as a tribute to the Native Americans. The namesake of the project is a play on the "White man's" broken promises, and the words seen as a part of the art reflect his emotional states or reactions to the mistreatment and near annihilation of the indigenous population by his Anglo Saxon Ancestors. He hopes to begin to find closure for his haunted existence with this attempt as a political statement through the Arts.

Click on names below to open the students' research papers in PDF format.

Daniel Acosta Jovany Aguirre Angel Alvarado Maribel Andrade Javier Bahena
Jazmin Banda Jennifer Barajas Maria Benitez Diana Bernal Jesus Berumen
Julia Boone Lesly Bravo Jesus Calderon Adriana Castillo Jimy Castro
Nayely Celis Jose Cervantes Brandon Chacon Cristal Covarrubias Kelly Cruz
Albert Cuellar Hector De La Cruz Adrian Delgado Ivannia Encinia Raul Espinoza
Jose Flores Lorena Flores Jennifer Fontes Mercedes Gallegos Eric Garcia
Gloria Garcia Jackelin Garcia Renato Garcia Maribel Garza Yailin Gomez
Ana Gonzalez Enrique Gonzalez Jessica Gonzalez Ruben Gonzalez Viviana Gonzalez
Erik Guerrero Sergio Guerrero Raul Gutierrez Wendy Gutierrez Crisante Guzman
Clarissa Hernandez Jorge A. Hernandez Jorge U. Hernandez Marissa Hernandez Moses Hernandez
Yolanda Hernandez Yareli Hinojosa Fernando Huerta Brenda Izaguirre Yailene Izarraras
Isai Jasso Chelsea Linares Maria Lopez Rene Lopez Jennifer Luna
Malberth Mairena Abigail Manzano Griselda Marin Jose Marquina Carmen Martinez
Gabriel Martinez Jesus Martinez Michelle Martinez Nancy Martinez Paola Martinez
Rossy Martinez Galyleah Medina Jorge Mendez Jennifer Morales Jessica Morales
Francisco Moreno Jailenne Moreno Destiny Ocampo Amanda Oliva Jessany Oliva
Samuel Palacios Yulissa Perez Edgar Reyna Perla Reyna Brandon Rodriguez
Daniel Rodriguez Joselly Rodriguez Adriana Ruiz Mario Ruiz Gladys Ruvacalba
Brian Salgado Emily Saucedo Dulce Torres Gualberto Torres Miguel Tovar
Celeste Urbano Tori Valerio Michael Vallejo Diana Vargas Alberto Vasquez
Nathan Vasquez Janet Zuniga Jose Zuniga