How to Be an Indian in the 21st Century Education Materials
Grades 9-12
Multiple Class Periods
In his poetic memoir How to Be an Indian in the 21st Century, Louis V. Clark III explores questions about race, identity, religion, and more, drawing from personal experiences. In this packet, students will discover the different methods and vocabulary inherent in the poetry forms Louis used to tell his story.
PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS MEMOIR CONTAINS ADULT LANGUAGE AND THEMES. PLEASE REVIEW ALL MATERIALS BEFORE ASSIGNING THEM TO STUDENTS TO ENSURE THEY ARE APPROPRIATE AND TO PROVIDE CONTEXT.
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Objectives
Enduring Understanding
Poetry is a form of personal expression and storytelling. As such, poetic form is an excellent way to explore the nuances of a person’s character. A person’s character is complex and made up of personality, events, family, community, race, gender, and more that are experienced throughout one’s lifetime.
Essential Questions
What has changed and what has stayed the same for Indigenous people in this country?
How does poetry allow for greater expression of self?
What role does race play in how we experience the world?
What factors such as race, religion, family, and community impact identity and daily life?
Students will:
Analyze free verse poetry
Understand how a person’s intersecting identities impacts the way they live their lives
Reflect on what impacted the development of their identity
Learn to identify major elements such as character, characterization, metaphor, simile, and personification in poetry
Activity
Education materials for use with the book "How to Be an Indian in the 21st Century"
This activity is designed for grades 9-12 and encourages students to tell their own life stories in poetry and prose in the way that Menominee Indian and poet Louis V. Clark III (Two Shoes) did in this award-winning memoir.
Download ActivityHow to Be an Indian in the 21st Century
“My name is Louis Clark. They call me Two Shoes. I am of two worlds.” So begins How to Be an Indian in the 21st Century, the memoir of Oneida poet and author Louis V. Clark III, or Two Shoes. Composed from verse and prose, the book reveals a profound story of loss, identity, race, racism, and culture. Clark employs his unique voice to take readers on a deeply personal quest to discover what it means to be Native American in today’s world.
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Last Updated: September 9, 2026
