Latinos on the Reservation

Mexican-American and Yakama students at White Swan High School. In the past, there was a lot of hatred between the two groups. But the next generation is learning to get along.

In CultLit class in 9th grade you read The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, and learned about the history of the indigenous people in the United States.

Over Thanksgiving weekend I listened to a story about a reservation where there are more people who live on the reservation that are Latinos (people from Latin America) than Yakama (the indigenous population).

 Click here (or here) or below to listen to the story (you can download it on your smart phone by subscribing to LatinoUSA podcast).

Hot Tamale Activities

Create a blog post on your Spanish blog and include answers to at least 5 of the questions below

• Summarize the situation in your own words. 
• What brought Latinos to the reservations?
• Who owns most of the land on the reservation? How were they able to acquire it?
• Describe in your own words what a blood quantum is and why it's important in the context of this issue.
• Think 10-25 years into the future and describe what you think will happen on the reservation.
• Why are "tensions high" between the Latinos and the Yakama people?
• Do you think that the people you get to know in this story are treated fairly? Explain your answer.
• In what ways are the Yakama people and the Latinos who move to the reservation similar?
• What new information did you learn while listening to this story?