Highsmith, Carol M. Mission bell at Santa Inés Mission in Santa Ynez, California. 2013. Photograph. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division. https://www.loc.gov/item/2013631415/.
In this lesson, students will begin by viewing and reflecting on two images of Mission bells on the El Camino Real, including the bell at Santa Inés Mission, as their primary source. They will engage in a quickwrite to record initial thoughts and then share what they already know with the class. These images serve as the catalyst for discussing the complex historical meanings of the bells and their connection to Indigenous social movements and cultural preservation efforts, which will unfold through Socratic dialogue and an exit ticket reflection.
A total of 585 bells can be seen hanging on eleven-foot-tall “shepard’s crooks” (sic) between San Diego and Sonoma County, historic reminders of El Camino Real (the Royal Highway), a highway that linked 21 Spanish missions together. Though these bells were erected in 1906 after detailed research by historical societies, there are many Indigenous groups who would like to see them removed, as they are physical reminders of the attempted erasure and suffering of their ancestors.
Source: https://www.laalmanac.com/transport/tr32.php
- How do the images of the mission bells on the El Camino Real, and specifically the bell at Santa Inés Mission, serve as a starting point for understanding the complex and often conflicting historical narratives surrounding the California Mission system?
- What visual elements or characteristics of the mission bell images might provoke different emotional or historical interpretations among various groups of people, particularly Indigenous communities and descendants of mission-era settlers?
- Considering the symbolic nature of the mission bells as physical artifacts, how might their placement along the El Camino Real contribute to or challenge existing narratives about California’s history?
ELA Standard
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.9-10.1-Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
Social Studies Standard
HSS: Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum, Theme Social Movements and Equity
Local Indigenous social movements such as language revitalization, cultural renewal, dam removal, and environmental advocacy; current Land Back movements, such as the transfer of Wiyot land back to the Wiyot Tribe by the City of Eureka is one example
Students apply a wide range of strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate texts. They draw on their prior experience, their interactions with other readers and writers, their knowledge of word meaning and of other texts, their word identification strategies, and their understanding of textual features (e.g., sound-letter correspondence, sentence structure, context, graphics).
- Start the lesson by showing students the two mission bell pictures side by side, and then ask if anyone has seen a bell like this before. Follow up with, Where have you seen it? What do you know about them?
- Briefly review the historical context of the California Mission system and its impact on Indigenous peoples, emphasizing the shift in perspective from fourth-grade history to a high school-level ethnic studies lens.
- Introduce the NPR report “Many Indigenous people see California mission bells as a reminder of painful history” by Jerimiah Oetting. Students will read along or listen to the audio report. As they engage with the report, encourage them to mark the text with the varying opinions about the bells, specifically noting why some Indigenous communities advocate for their removal while others or different groups support adding new bells. Focus on how these differing views reflect ongoing social movements and cultural interpretations.
- Optional: Share this postcard of Mission Santa Cruz. This is where the first mission bells have been removed as a result of the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band’s advocacy, which has extended across the state.
- Facilitate a Socratic seminar or structured class discussion centered on the historical value of the mission bells and what should be done with them. Guide students to consider:
- What do the bells symbolize for different groups?
- How do the bells represent both history and harm?
- What responsibilities do communities have regarding historical markers like these bells?
- Should they be removed, recontextualized with new interpretive signage, or maintained as they are? Encourage students to support their positions with evidence from the NPR report and their historical understanding.
- Conclude by asking students to reflect in a quickwrite by answering the second focus question. Be sure to reiterate that the debate over the mission bells is a living example of Indigenous social movements advocating for equity and cultural preservation.
- Extension
- Consider exploring the historical and present advocacy work of the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band by visiting their website or their Land Trust.
- Consider extending the lesson to learning about the debate over historic statue removals.
Highsmith, Carol M. Historic bell on the El Camino, San Diego, California. 2012. Photograph. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division. https://www.loc.gov/item/2013631935/.
Santa Cruz Mission, founded 1793, Santa Cruz, California. 1908. Postcard. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division. https://www.loc.gov/item/2025662928/.