Establishing Historical Context for Content

Throughout American history the First People of North America (FPONA) have been labeled Indians, Native Americans or “red-man” depending on how current popular

Figure 1 Columbus' Arrival
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/america/gallery.shtml

culture felt about them. As a History Major at Empire State College, especially one with a concentration in American History, I would be negligent in my course work if I had not included a course of study on those people who were in North America when Europeans arrived.  Native Americans are not "one group" that fits conveniently into a simple definition of who they are and what they believe. By looking into the past and see how culture has come to group all Native people together we can see the variances and begin to understand what the native culture has lost.

As I was perusing the Online Resource guide for our first module of study, I came across an interesting website that was developed as a companion to a PBS series titled The West. PBS has developed quite a few series/website collaborations to varying degrees of success. Most people have heard of Ken Burns Baseball and some have even heard of the small children’s show Sesame Street.



The West appears to be  one of the little gems of PBS that was not on my radar. While the program covers over five centuries of Western North American history, it has the potential to provide interesting look into

Figure 2 The West Timeline 

http://www.pbs.org/weta/thewest/events/

some of the various initial and continued contact experiences between Euro-American and Native American Cultures. From the interactive timeline highlighting different decades, to the full episode availability, and onto the linked People page that gives a general background on the major "players" in the West, there is a sense of depth that this website and series can provide a consistent and solid historical framework for this history course. I am expecting this framework to provide quality context to the events and happenings that have shaped and molded Native American culture from the time Europeans arrived in North America.
I would like to send you all off with a movie quote that highlights what the ultimate goal of this course of study on FPONA (serious Bonus Points to the one who guesses the movie, the actor or how many Oscars it won):
“Nothing I have been told about these people is correct. They are not thieves or beggars. They are not the bogeymen they are made out to be. On the contrary, they are polite guest and I enjoy their humor.” 
        - LT. John J. Dunbar