Thomas Barry

Teaching Indian Removal to English Language Learners

Indian Removal is an ideal topic for students to explore fundamental concepts of justice in American history. Unfortunately, it is one of the most neglected ones that high school history teachers cover in their curriculums. Statewide, limited classroom time is designated for in depth study of Indian Removal and this curricular negligence was the initial reason why I selected it for my Pursuing Justice project. Additionally, it has been rare in my experience to find students that have more than basic knowledge about Indian Removal. Most students hear “Indian” and they think of casinos, gambling, and great wealth, not issues of justice, equality, and poverty. For this reason, teaching justice through Indian Removal can be an uphill battle. My situation was complicated in that I would be teaching to a diverse group of English Language Learners (ELL) with limited communication skills and not the even the slightest background knowledge. For an issue obscure to many American students, Indian Removal would be twice as remote for ELL students. I soon discovered, though, that their ignorance would lead to deep student learning and result in a truly rewarding experience.

Besides the language and cultural barriers I would need to overcome I still had essential questions I wanted my ELL students to wrestle with. The two greatest issues were to explore whether the United States government acted justly or unjustly in their treatment of Native Americans and what abilities minority groups have to protest and defy strong governments. While planning my lessons I gravitated towards the normal sanctuaries of dense and sometimes obscure primary sources included but not limited to the Treaty of New Echota, several of President Jackson’s inaugural addresses, and some densely worded Supreme Court decisions. My initial excitement was soon replaced by the realization that even an advanced placement class would have difficulty with these sources. Somehow, I envisioned being able to use them with my ELL class, a class that took an entire 55-minute block to decipher the first two lines of the Gettysburg Address. Even with some heavy editing I did not anticipate students to comprehend more than basic knowledge of the topic.

I immediately proved myself wrong when we dissected liberally edited primary sources. The most revealing and insightful learning happened during discussions stemming from these sources. I was more than pleasantly surprised to see that when we reduced the essential questions to straightforward exercises the class generated well thought-out, logical, and emotional ideas. One particularly insightful conversation was ignited by a simple writing prompt. After reading one of Jackson’s addresses that explained how removal was in the best interest of the tribes, I asked students how they would feel if the government forcibly removed them from their homes. My question was met with a deluge of passionate ideas. To begin with, students became upset and took exception to even the notion of having to leave their home against their will. All together, the students created a compelling list of detailed responses. One student said they would just move as not to cause any trouble, whereas others expressed strong desires to remain and fight. One of the Chinese students suggested that they would acquiesce to the government’s order but in their heart would be against it. A student from Uganda expressed a strong desire to retain personal sovereignty and fight if need be. In these two responses it became clear to me that the students were revealing a lot about their personal backgrounds and culture without explicitly saying so. As other students offered their opinions and debated the justness and fairness of removal, what had initially been designed to be a 20-minute activity consumed the entire class.

Other student responses were equally insightful and it turned out that every idea the class brainstormed had an exact historical equivalent that was attempted by Indian groups faced with removal. “I would go to the Supreme Court, I would write a letter to the government, I would fight, I would be quiet and move, I would get a group of supporters together and stay put, etc.” I overwhelmingly found that the ELL students understood much more than I had expected and continually amazed me by how they embraced the material. One of my largest gripes about being a teacher is student apathy. The fact that one simple question led to several great and passionate discussions on issues of justice with an engaged ELL class was refreshing and we have referred back to these discussions numerous times throughout the year.

I feel that any course that deals with issue of justice would be incomplete without the compelling issue of Indian Removal. Teaching Indian Removal at any level can be an eye opening and rewarding experience, but this is especially true with English Language Learners. I believe that their life experiences and cultural backgrounds help them relate to the gravity of the issue and they leave class with a greater understanding of justice in American History. Although lessons require more time and significant explanation, there is great learning potential in the ELL environment. These students are human sponges that absorb everything they can. I have found that most do not exhibit the same ambivalence that afflicts some mainstream students. ELL students bring a genuine interest and open attitude to class and are not afraid to speak their minds. In their reactions to activities they exhibit a keen awareness and passion for justice, equity and fairness. I hope that next year’s ELL students will embrace Indian Removal with as much enthusiasm and vigor as my students did this year. Looking back on this experience I feel a quote of mine from last summer says it all, " I strongly believe there is great potential for deep student understanding and I would hope that students will be able to apply their cultural uniqueness and life experiences to this investigation of justice.”