The Problem: The case against the plaintiffs claimed that the "Indian" identity of the Mashpee had been lost, over and over, since the mid-seventeenth century. Can you build a case for the plaintiffs through the colonial documents included in the reader (or any others you desire to use)? What are the defining characteristics of Ninnimissinouk culture upon which a claim for continuity might be based? What is culture?

 STEPS:

• Conference confronts/discusses the problem.
• In groups, conference members organize prior knowledge and attempt to identify the nature of the problem.
• Groups pose questions about what they do not understand to conference as a whole. Conference as a whole narrows their questions.
• Groups design a plan to solve the problem and identify the resources they need.
• Groups begin to gather information as they work to solve the problem.

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