Borders

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

Consider what you know about the reservation systems in the United States and the reserve systems in Canada. Who established these systems? What were their purposes? What were the effects of both systems on Indigenous peoples?

Teaching Suggestion: This question orients students with the historical context of King’s story. In both North American countries, Indigenous peoples were marginalized by colonial invaders. Within the United States, Native American communities were forced to move onto reservations in order to both separate native communities from the colonizing Western powers, as well as to indoctrinate these communities with Americanized identities. Similarly, the Canadian government, with the support of the United Kingdom, established the reserve system for First Nations peoples to Westernize these communities. Ultimately, both systems had negative impacts on their relative communities, usually related to the loss of identity and cultural traditions, the increase of alcohol and drug dependency as coping mechanisms, and widespread poverty. This question links to themes of The Outside World and Citizenship and Identity.

• This article discusses the treaties that led to the creation of the US reservation system.