Anishinaabe/Ojibwe/Chippewa: Culture of an Indian Nation
![Full blood Chippewa Indian, 1918.](/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/resource/Chippewa-Indian-large_0.jpg?itok=9uILfwxS)
Full blood Chippewa Indian, 1918.
This lesson provides information and activities about one American Indian Nation, the Anishinaabe, called Ojibwe in Canada and parts of the U.S., and Chippewa other regions of the U.S., and engages students in research on its history, location, and past and present culture. By focusing on one Native American tribe, students will acquire a differentiated and accurate understanding of one of the many diverse peoples and cultures living throughout the lands that are now referred to as North and South America, in addition to recognizing elements of a common history of conquest and displacement by Europeans that affected all Native American peoples.
Students will be introduced to the past and present cultures of the Anishinaabe/Ojibwe people, the tribe's original and contemporary locations, and the meanings and history of their different names. The class will then research together the topic of historical migration of the Anishinaabe/Ojibwe, and the lesson culminates with group research projects focusing on different aspects of the culture and traditions of this tribe.
While this lesson focuses on the history and culture of the Anishinaabe/Ojibwe people, you can adapt the activities to a Native American tribe that has played an historical or contemporary role in your school's region or community. A related EDSITEment lesson for grades 3-5 is Not "Indians", Many Tribes: Native American Diversity, which studies the interaction between environment and culture for the Abenaki, Hopi, and Kwakiutl Nations.
Guiding Questions
Who are the Anishinaabe people, what was their life like in the past, and how do they live today?
What historical events led to changes in location, traditions, and culture?
Learning Objectives
Identify the different names and locations of the Anishinaabe/Ojibwe/Chippewa Nation
Discuss the language, history, and culture of the Anishinaabe people
Name this group's cultural traditions and customs that have changed over the centuries as well as those that have continued into the present
Understand the history and background of this Native American tribe and relate these to cultural changes and the group's way of life today
Describe the historical and contemporary locations, houses, clothing, food, and cultural traditions of the Anishinaabe.