Chapter One - Follow the Corn

Chapter Summary - In chapter one, the relationship between cultivating the earth, sustenance, and survival of Indigenous peoples globally are conceptualized with corn as the sustaining factor in the development of traditions. This chapter focuses on the origins of corn and stewardship (the job of supervising or taking care of something, such as an organization or property) of land to unfold the story of how Indigenous peoples established thriving societies and practices that survive into contemporary existence.

Directions: Read chapter 1 in An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States and select ONE of the following prompts to write about (minimum 375 words):

1. While Indigenous nations are unique and separate from one another, there are similar practices and histories, such as ........

2. Many Indigenous nations of the past had complex social, scientific, political, military, and governmental systems that shaped their societies by ........