Cam was absent today.

We watched a great documentary that coincided with Section 3 of Chapter 17 in our text. We learned the following terminology: open range, cattle drive, vaquero, and cattle kingdom. We learned that in Texas after the Civil War, longhorn cattle were plenty and worth only about $8 or $40 per head by today's standard. However, they were worth more in the east at about $38 or $775 per head, by today's standard, if the ranchers could get them east. There was a supply and a demand for beef, so the cattle drives were necessary. The great cattle drives began and followed the historic Goodnight-Loving, Chisholm, Western, and Shawnee Trails from Texas to the railroads. The cattle industry helped to restore the Texas economy. The cattle drive was long, hard, and dangerous. Cam may want to include this in his narrative.

During the second half of the documentary, we learned about the Indian Civil Rights Act, the Indian Self-Determination and Education Act, the Santa Fe Indian School, and some notable and heroic Native Americans in contemporary history. Cam did not understand the impact of what the Navajo Code Talkers did to help America successfully end WWII, so we discussed that. We also reviewed some of the terminology: assimilation, ethnic cleansing, people of color, and stereotypes.

We watched the first half of the PBS Documentary: Unspoken: America's Native American Boarding Schools. This documentary explores the history, experiences, and trauma from the perspective of Nation Americans at the hand of United States boarding schools. Important terms such as assimilation, ethnic cleansing, historic trauma, vocational training and trades, Pan Indian, self-determination, and stereotype. We learned about the impact of the Dawes Act, Carlisle Indian Boarding School, Haskell United States Indian Industrial School, and Sherman Boarding School.

Cam was absent today due to illness.

Cam was ill today and went home early.

Today we learned about how the Sand Creek Massacre started a period of war with the Native Americans against the federal government. The massacre of the Battle of Little Big Horn ended the wars, as the army of white soldiers grew and forced Native Americans onto reservations. We learned that the buffalo was being killed for sport and profit by the railroad and white settlers. We learned about how the Plains Native Americans looked to the buffalo for survival and used the entire buffalo: meat for food, bones for tools, sinew for string, and the hides for coats and tipis. The tipi was used by the Plains Lakota for easy set up and take down when traveling for hunting, and it was cool in the summer and warm in the winter. We looked at Native American contemporary artist Jaune Quick-to-See Smith for her portrayal of Custer as the unjust enemy of Native Americans. We also looked at her work quoting Chief Seattle in his 1854 speech advocating for the protection of the environment for all living creatures. The environment is still a big issue in modern day America and around the world.

Cam read me his fact-filled and interesting narrative starting with before the Civil War, through Present Lincoln's assassination, and to Sitting Bull and General Custer. We will begin our study of Native American perspectives and their struggle to survive and maintain their identity.

Cam went on the playground. We played ping pong and football.

Cam reviewed with me his learning in the course thus far. We discussed our goals, and I plan to incorporate art history and artists and their work where appropriate for U.S. History. For example, to better understand the cultural experiences and perspective of the Native Americans in Chapter 17, I will be introducing the artwork of Jaune Quick-to-See Smith. For Chapter 22, The Jazz Age, we will learn about the Harlem Renaissance. I am looking forward to this successful and exciting journey with Cam!