Tsi’yu-gunsini, or Dragging Canoe in English, is a Cherokee chief who leads raids against illegal settlements by American colonists on Native lands. Their British allies urge them to be patient, but Dragging Canoe doesn’t hesitate. In response, thousands of colonial militiamen pour into Native territories and wage a war of total annihilation. This program is made possible by viewers like you. Explore with your students differing perspectives on the conflict over Cherokee land and understand more about the complexity and consequences of decisions that individuals such as Tsi’yu-gunsini (Dragging Canoe) made during the American Revolution with this free, curriculum-aligned resource: Tsi’yu-gunsini (Dragging Canoe) and Resistance to American Expansion During the American Revolution (9-12)
Find more video clips and discussion about Native American involvement and perspective on the American Revolution in the PBS LearningMedia American Revolution Collection
Learn what perspectives and experiences Native Americans had during the American Revolution and the forming of the new United States.
Explore Native Stories From The American Revolution:
- Native Nations Before the American Revolution (3-5)
- Conflict Over Land and the American Revolution (6-12)
- Native Nations and British Colonial America: Sovereignty, Diplomacy, and Resistance (6-12)
- The Meaning of Democracy During the Founding Era (6-12)
- Native Americans and the American Revolution (9-12)
- The Stockbridge Community During and After the American Revolution (9-12)
- Tsi’yu-gunsini (Dragging Canoe) and Resistance to American Expansion During the American Revolution (9-12)
- Joseph Brant/Thayendanegea: Native Sovereignty During the Revolutionary Era (9-12)