The United States of America has been a beacon - albeit a very imperfect one - of freedom and democracy for more than 200 years.  At its finest America has been a defender of freedom and human rights both at home and abroad.  However, the United States has also has also failed in some instances to live up to its lofty ideals, most notably in its treatment of black Americans and the American Indian. 

This Trackstar lesson focuses on the clash of the culture of the Indians of the Great Plains and white settlers looking to move westward onto the great westward frontier.  In the following tracks you will read about the culture of the Plains Indians, the value of the buffalo to their way of life, and how the Great Plains changed with the arrival of the white settlers.  You will also learn about two tragically dark chapters of American history, known as the Sand Creek Massacre and Wounded Knee.  Finally, you will learn the important role that Red Cloud, Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull played with their people.