Review the document "Pennacook People of the Merrimack Valley."
Page 1: Look closely at the picture of the wigwam. What do you think were some of the advantages and disadvantages to this type of structure?
Page 2: Think like an archeologist and, in your own words, describe the evolution of the tools shown in the bottom picture. How do you think these tools were made? What can they tell us about the people who made and used them?
Page 3: Look closely at the picture. Look up, look down, look left, look right.
- What do you see?
- What do you wonder?
- If you could jump into the picture, what would you see, hear, taste, smell, and feel?
Page 4: In your own words, explain how European-diseases invaded native communities and what happened to tribes as a result.
Page 5: What do you think were some of the advantages and disadvantages of John Eliot creating a written version of the Massachuset language, that had previously only been a spoken language?
Page 6: People in the past wrote and spoke very differently than we do today. Read the quote very carefully and rewrite it in your own words.
Page 7: Compare and contrast the two portraits. What do you think each artist is saying about the subject in his respective work?
Page 8: Read John Eliot’s petition (the text in the box). Explain his argument against enslaving and killing native people.
Page 9: Read the two quotations (written at about the same time). How are the two descriptions of native people similar and different? What perspectives are the authors communicating about native people?
Page 10: Read the transcription of the newspaper article and answer the following questions about it.
- When was this source created?
- Who created it? If no individual’s name is apparent, can you guess their position within society?
- What was the original purpose of this source? Why was it created and what was its intent?
- Who is the intended audience of the source? How does this influence the way information is presented?
- Is there anyone, besides the author, who is represented in the source? What can you learn about them?
- How has the meaning of the source changed over time?
- How might a historian use this source as a piece of evidence? What research questions might it help to answer?
After reading the documents and answering the questions above, respond to this writing prompt:
Think:
How do we know what we know about life in the Merrimack Valley 400+ years ago? Who did those stories come from? Why does it matter who is telling the story?
Write:
People indigenous to the Americas – and other groups of people – have long upheld the traditions of their ancestors for current and future generations. And through those traditions they believe that you should leave the world a better, more equitable and just place than you inherited. With that in mind, respond to the following prompt: What kind of world will you leave for future generations?