The online tool for teaching with documents, from the National Archives

Assimilation of American Indians

Focusing on Details: Compare and Contrast

All documents and text associated with this activity are printed below, followed by a worksheet for student responses.

Introduction

Examine each document. Then hypothesize who created each of these documents. Be prepared to share your answers with the entire class. You can click on the magnifying glass and arrow icons in the blue menu bar at the bottom of the document to explore closer.


Name:
Class:

Worksheet

Assimilation of American Indians

Focusing on Details: Compare and Contrast

Examine the documents included in this activity and write your response in the space provided.


  • What do these documents have in common?
  • What differences can you find?
  • Why do you think the author created these documents?
  • What is the author's tone in these documents?

Your Response




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Activity Element

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Activity Element

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Conclusion

Assimilation of American Indians

Focusing on Details: Compare and Contrast

Write a one-sentence caption to describe each document. Then answer the following question: What do these documents tell us about the relationship between American Indians and the Federal government in the early 20th century?

Your Response




Document

[Reservation Survey for] Frank Doud

5/13/1922

J.W. Balmer, the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Superintendent at the Lac du Flambeau Agency in Wisconsin submitted this document as part of a survey of reservation families. The Commissioner of Indian Affairs in Washington, D.C. requested this survey be completed by superintendents across the country on each reservation in order to assess American Indian families for industriousness (i.e. work or employment), health, education, and living conditions. The survey was intended to assess the circumstance of each family so that a general program of improvement could be implemented. After four or five years the families would again be surveyed to determine their progress.
This primary source comes from the Records of the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
National Archives Identifier: 282202
Full Citation: [Reservation Survey for] Frank Doud; 5/13/1922; Surveys of Indian Industry, 1922 - 1922; Records of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, ; National Archives at Chicago, Chicago, IL. [Online Version, https://www.docsteach.org/documents/document/survey-frank-doud, March 28, 2024]


[Reservation Survey for] Frank Doud

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Document

[Reservation Survey for] Magite Gauthier

1922

This primary source comes from the Records of the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
National Archives Identifier: 282203
Full Citation: [Reservation Survey for] Magite Gauthier; 1922; Records of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, . [Online Version, https://www.docsteach.org/documents/document/[reservation-survey-for]-magite-gauthier, March 28, 2024]


[Reservation Survey for] Magite Gauthier

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