Treaties with the Caddo
Activity 1: This activity will be challenging. The document is hand-written in cursive and uses 19th century language. The first 13 pages are images of the treaty, and the following images are the typed transcription.
For Teachers: The PDF is a treaty the US government signed with the Caddo Native Peoples in 1835. It is hand-written and includes what the government considered written signatures of the native leaders. Discuss with the students the difference between the western idea of a written document as an agreement and the Native tradition of making agreements. Not only were there cultural differences but the language barrier would have made understanding impossible for the native peoples.
The entire document is 19 pages long including the transcription. Print the document. Have students work in small groups attempt to read a page of the treaty. Note the variants in spelling. Have students discuss how to decipher cursive writing from the 19th century.
-Use the primary source analysis and guiding questions to analyze the document {Here}
For Students: This document is from the National Archives in Washington DC. It is an original document that deals with the Caddo nation. It is written in cursive. Work together to read the writing and answer the questions on your worksheet.