Tracks Project-

Senior college application process

IMAGES OF THE NATIVE AMERICAN IN AMERICAN FILM AND HISTORY IMAGES OF THE NATIVE AMERICAN IN AMERICAN FILM AND HISTORY IMAGES OF THE NATIVE AMERICAN IN AMERICAN FILM AND HISTORY IMAGES OF THE NATIVE AMERICAN IN AMERICAN FILM AND HISTORY

.........Fleur, the protagonist of the novel Tracks, is a fictional Native American woman, the last of the Pillager tribe. She is a complex figure in this novel, created by an author who is herself half Chippewa In this assignment, you will compare this fictional character to the images of Native American woman you are familiar with from history and fiction, from Sacajawea to Pocahontas.

1. Choose one of the topics below to explore. You will need to write down the address of this website for future research:

http://www.howhist.com/jfraser/tracks.htm

OUTLINE FOR ESSAY CLICK HERE

2. Either use the notes page handout, or create your own, opening a new word document.

Disney Misportrays Pocahontas

#1. The Disney movie Pocahantas received a good deal of criticism from a number of areas. Read the comments of Chief Crazy Horse in Chief Crazy Horse's Response

a) Take notes on his objections to the Disney portrayal of Pocahontas.

b) Read and take notes on The "Real" Pocahontas. in "Real Pocahontas "

ESSAY

c) First, using your above notes, compare and contrast the fictional Pocahontas and the actual Pocahontas.

d) Next. explain what qualities the fictional Fleur in Tracks has in common with the Disney Pocahontas? How was she like the true historical figure Pocahontas?

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#3. NATIVE AMERICAN FILMS: This assignment offers 10% extra credit. It demands more reading and is more complex an issue.

a) Read the articles about Native American film makers today.

    Article #1."Native American Films Attempt to Cross Over."

Take notes on the difficulties and challenges Native Americans have as film makers.

    Article #2 Read the article, "Native American Dreams"

Take notes on the issues Native American actors and filmmakers have experienced in the past and how that is changing today.

        Article #3 Native American Studies.

Look over the list of recently produced films by Native Americans. Can you make any generalization about their subject matter? Write down examples to prove your generalization.

ESSAY:

Using the above notes, write an essay about Native Americans in films in the past and today. Decide for your thesis whether you think progress is being made in accepting Native Americans as equals in the film industry. Make sure you use quotations from all articles read.

NATIVE AMERICAN ACTORS AND WANNABES:

#4. Read the essay on Native American stereotypes in film by a Native American:http://www.nativepeoples.com/article/articles/174/1/COYOTE-GOES-HOLLYWOODoyote Goes Hollywood"Coyote Goes Hollywood

a) Take notes on the history of the portrayal of NA in film, including quotations from the essay.

b) Read a Native American's review of "Smoke Signals."

Take notes on why he approves of the film.

ESSAY:

Discuss why this film is considered a breakthrough film in the history or films portraying Native Americans, USING INFORMATION FROM BOTH YOUR SOURCES ABOVE.

Contemporary Native American Issues

#5. Surf the largest Native American newspaper , http://indiancountry.com

a) Identify and discuss three current issues that concern Native Americans today. Copy down direct quotations and headlines.

ESSAY:

b) Discuss any two of the issues that are also dealt with in the novel Tracks explaining in full the issues as they affect Native Americans today as well as how they relate to this novel.

The Status of Native American Women in the 1800s

#6. Historians often refer to the work of three explorers from the early 1800's who traveled the West and took notes about Native American life.

Read three descriptions of the status and roles of Native American women in the early 1800s

Using direct quotations from the authors (deToqueville (1831), Cather (1836), and Arese (1837) a)describe the roles and status of the Native American women from their viewpoint.

b) Then discuss how the characters Margaret Kashpaw and Fleur of the novel Tracks, set a century later in 1919, seem to fit or contradict those descriptions.

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.Non-fictional Native American Womenvs the Fictional Character Fleur

#7. Lewis &Clark Expedition: Sacagawea (1803-1806)

a) Read and take notes on the PBS excerpt describing Sacagawea's contribution to the expedition.

b) Then, using a search engine such as www.google.com find other resources that detail Sacagawea's biography and take notes on the information you discover, making sure to note all URLs of your internet sources.

c) Describe the actual character and personality of Sacajawea footnoting your information.

d) Now examine the fictional character Fleur in Tracks. Does this character seem realistic when compared to this actual historical character? Note the differences and similarities between this actual Native American woman and the fictional Fleur.