Native Guard

By Natasha Trethewey

Study Guide for grades 6th-12th

Created by DeKalb School of the Arts Drama classes of Candace Lambert and Richard Wright

As part of the Alliance Theatre Institute’s

Dramaturgy by Students Program
Under the guidance of Teaching Artist Ebony Tucker

The Atlanta History Center, 130 West Paces Ferry Rd, NW, Atlanta, GA 30305
Friday, January 13- Sunday, February 4, 2018
Student Matinees: January 25, 30, 31 & February 1-2, 2018

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 Native Guard: Table of Contents

Curriculum Connections______________________________________________ pg. 3

The Playwright: Natasha Trethewey____________________________________ pg. 4

Native Guard: Synopsis ______________________________________________ pg. 5

Native Guard: Vocabulary, People, and Phrases _________________________ pgs. 6-12

The Louisiana Native Guard ___________________________________________ pg. 13

Native Guard History: The Civil War ____________________________________ pg. 14

Native Guard: Pre and Post Show Discussion ____________________________ pg. 15

Native Guard: Writing Poetry – Word Dump _____________________________ pgs. 16-17

Native Guard: Student Written Poems__________________________________ pg. 18-19

Native Guard: Quotes to Ponder_______________________________________ pgs. 20

Native Guard Crossword Puzzle _______________________________________ pg. 21

Native Guard Crossword Puzzle Answer Key _____________________________ pg. 22

Resources __________________________________________________________ pg. 23

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Curriculum Connections

English Language Arts Georgia Standards of Excellence

ELAGSE9-10RL4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the
text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the
cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone (e.g.,
how the language evokes a sense of time and place; how it sets a formal
or informal tone.)

ELAGSE9-10SL1 Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions

(one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades
9–10 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing
their own clearly and persuasively.

Social Studies Georgia Standards of Excellence

SSUSH8 The student will explain the relationship between growing north-south
divisions and westward expansion.

SSUSH9 The student will identify key events, issues, and individuals relating to the
causes, course, and consequences of the Civil War.

Theatre Art Georgia Standards of Excellence

TAHSFTI.1 Analyzing and constructing meaning from theatrical experiences,

dramatic literature, and electronic media

TAHSFTI.8 Examining the roles of theatre as a reflection of past and present

civilizations

TAHSFTI.10 Critiquing various aspects of theatre and other media using appropriate
supporting evidence

TAHSFTI.11 Engaging actively and appropriately as an audience member in theatre

and other media experiences

Language Arts Core Curriculum Standards:

CCRA.R.3. CCRA.R.4. CCRA.L.3. [Link].2. ELACC6-8RH2

National Core Arts Standards:

TH: Pr4.1.6. TH: Re7.1.6. TH: Re8.1.8. TH: Re9.1.8. TH: Cn10.1.8. TH: Cn11.2.6.

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The Playwright: Natasha Trethewey

Natasha Trethewey was born in Gulfport, Mississippi in 1966. She was of mixed race and
the daughter of poet Eric Trethewey. Her parents divorced when she was six years old. She
spent half of her time in Atlanta, Georgia with her mother and half of her time in New Orleans,
Louisiana with her father. She was interested in reading and writing as a child and studied
English at the University of Georgia and studied creative writing at Hollins University. She then
earned an MFA in poetry at the University of Massachusetts. She marrie d Bret V. Gadsden in
1998, at the age of thirty-two. Her first collection, Domestic Work, was published in 2000.
Native Guard was her third book, written in 2006.
Native Guard is a book of poems inspired by Trethewey’s mother’s death. After her
mother’s death, Trethewey turned to poetry to make sense of the world around her. Many of
her poems explore the experiences of working class African Americans and women. Many of
Trethewey’s books were inspired by the members of her family and their experiences. Native
Guard was converted into a play and won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 2007.
Her most recent book was a work of nonfiction entitled Beyond Katrina: A Meditation on
the Mississippi Gulf Coast. It captivated readers with the experiences of poor families who were
victims of Hurricane Katrina. She has been honored with many awards including the 2008
Georgia Woman of the Year for her writing.
Trethewey served two terms as the 19th Poet Laureate of the United States (2012-2014).
The Poet Laureate is the official poet of the United States and seeks to develop a greater
appreciation for the reading and writing of poetry.
Trethewey is currently a professor at Northwestern University.

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Native Guard: Synopsis

Native Guard, the Pulitzer Prize winning collection of poetry by former U.S. Poet
Laureate Natasha Trethewey, will be staged as part of the Alliance Theatre’s season amidst the
Atlanta History Center’s extraordinary Civil War collection. First adapted for the stage by the
Alliance in 2014 to sold-out audiences, Native Guard juxtaposes the deeply personal
experiences of Trethewey, a child of a then-illegal marriage between her African-American
mother and Caucasian father living in 1960s Mississippi, with the experience of a soldier in the
Native Guard, the first African-American Union troop in the Civil War who was charged with
guarding white Confederate captives. Years after her mother’s tragic death, Trethewey reclaims
her memory, just as she reclaims the voices of the black soldiers whose service has been all but
forgotten.
For the second act of each performance, you're invited to join a discussion about the
play. Each discussion will be hosted by a different community leader, who will share their
thoughts on the show before opening the discussion. Hosts include Sheffield Hale (President &
CEO, Atlanta History Center); Dr. Paul Wolpe (Director, Emory Center for Ethics); Pellom
McDaniels III (Curator, African American Collections, Rose Library); Doug Hooker (Executive
Director, Atlanta Regional Commission); Doug Shipman (President and CEO, Woodruff Arts
Center); and more.

January LaVoy in the Alliance Theatre’s world premiere production of Native Guard

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Native Guard: Vocabulary, People and Phrases

Act I Vocabulary:

Bulging (n.)
a rounded projection, bend, or protruding part; protuberance;
hump.

Crinoline (n.)
a petticoat of haircloth or other stiff material, worn under a full Crinoline
skirt to keep it belled out.

Vanity (n.)
excessive pride in one's appearance, qualities, abilities, achievements, etc.; character or
quality of being vain; conceit.

Narcissus (n.)
any bulbous plant belonging to the genus Narcissus, of the
amaryllis family, having showy yellow or white flowers with a
cup-shaped corona.

Treacherous (adj.)
characterized by faithlessness or readiness to betray trust;
traitorous.
Narcissus

Divinity (n.)
the quality of being spiritual or related to a god or goddess; divine nature.

Luminous (adj.)
radiating or reflecting light; shining; bright.

Fleeting (adj.)
passing swiftly; vanishing quickly; transient; transitory.

Clavicle (n.)
(in humans) either of two slender bones, each articulating
with the sternum and a scapula and forming the anterior part
of a shoulder; collarbone.

Temporal (n.)
any of several parts in the temporal region, especially the
temporal bone.

Errant (adj.)
deviating from the regular or proper course.

Hollowing (adj.)
having a space or cavity inside; not solid; empty.
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Forsake (v.)
to quit or leave entirely; abandon; desert.

Wheedle (v.)
to endeavor to influence (a person) by smooth, flattering, or beguiling words or acts .

Flit (v.)
to move lightly and swiftly; fly, dart, or skim along.

Act II Vocabulary Words

Bluff (n.)
an attempt to deceive someone into believing that one can or will do something.

Yazoo (n.)
a river flowing southwest from North Mississippi into the Mississippi River at Vicksburg. 188
miles (303 km) long.

Catacombs (n.)
an underground passageway, especially one full of twists and turns.

Bales (n.)
a large bundle or package prepared for shipping, storage, or sale, especially one tightly
compressed and secured by wires, hoops, cords, or the like, and sometimes having a
wrapping or covering.

Gaunt (adj.)
extremely thin or bony.

Deformity (n.)
the quality or state of being disfigured, or misshapen.

Mound (n.)
a natural elevation of earth.

Barge (n.)
a capacious, flat-bottomed vessel, usually intended to be pushed or towed, for transporting
freight or passengers; lighter.

Cleft (n.)
a hollow area or indentation.

Aperture (n.)
an opening, as a hole, slit, crack, gap, etc.

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Disembark (v.)
to go ashore from a ship.

Bondage (n.)
slavery or involuntary servitude; serfdom.

Dirge (n.)
a funeral song or tune, or one expressing mourning in
commemoration of the dead.

Churn (n.)
a container or machine in which cream or milk is agitated to
make butter.

Battalion (n.)
a ground force unit composed of a headquarters and two or Churn

more companies or similar units.

Crosshatched (v.)
to mark or shade with two or more intersecting series of parallel lines.

Unfettered (v.)
to release from fetters (a chain, shackle or anything that restrains).

Bondsmen (n.)
a person who stands surety for a bond. For example, a bondman is the person responsible
for another person’s appearance in court or the payment of a debt.

Captivity (n.)
the state or period of being held, imprisoned, enslaved, or confined.

Conscription (n.)
compulsory enrollment of persons for military or naval service; draft.

Dictate (v.)
to say or read (something) aloud for another person to transcribe or for a machine to
record.

Hardtack (n.)
a hard, saltless biscuit, formerly much used aboard ships and for army rations.

Borne (v.)
a past participle of bear (as in to carry).

Haggard (adj.)
having a gaunt, wasted, or exhausted appearance, as from prolonged suffering, exertion, or
anxiety; worn.

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Wren (n.)
any of numerous small, active songbirds of the family Troglodytidae, especially Troglodytes
troglodytes, of the Northern Hemisphere, having dark-brown plumage barred with black
and a short, upright tail.

Willet (n.)
a large, eastern North American shorebird, Catoptrophorus semipalmatus, having a striking
black and white wing pattern.

Egret (n.)
any of several usually white herons that grow long, graceful plumes during the breeding
season.

Loon (n.)
any of several large, short-tailed, web-footed, fish-eating diving birds of the genus Gavia, of
the Northern Hemisphere.

Dunes (n.)
a sand hill or sand ridge formed by the wind, usually in desert
regions or near lakes and oceans.

Mossbacks (n.)
a person holding very antiquated notions; reactionary.
Dunes
Freemen (n.)
men who have been freed from slavery.

Maimed (v.)
to deprive of the use of some part of the body by wounding or the like; cripple.

Phantom (n.)
an appearance or illusion without material substance, as a dream image, mirage, or optical
illusion.

Molder (v.)
to turn to dust by natural decay; crumble; disintegrate; waste away.

Scaffolding (n.)
a temporary structure for holding workers and materials during the erection, repair, or
decoration of a building.

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Act III Vocabulary Words

Pasture (n.)
an area covered with grass or other plants used or suitable for the gravity of livestock.

Lowing (v.)
to utter the deep, low sound characteristics of cattle.

Croons (v.)
to utter a low murmuring sound.

Blackface (n.)
the facial makeup for an entertainer doing the role of a black person, generally used by non -
blacks.

Pastoral (n.)
a poem, play or the like, dealing with the life of shepherds, commonly in a conventional or
artificial manner, or with simple rural life in general.

Miscegenation (n.)
marriage or cohabitation between two people from different racial groups.

Mongrel (n.)
an animal (usually dogs) or plant resulting from crossbreeding.

Mulattoes (n.)
a derogatory word used to describe people with parents or ancestors of more than one
race (usually black and white).

Maternal Impression (n.)

an emotional stimulus experienced by a pregnant woman could influence the development
of the fetus.

Imprint (n.)
any impression or impressed effect.

Stanch (v.)
to stop the flow of (blood from a wound).

Arbor (n.)
a leafy, shady recess formed by tree branches, shrubs, etc.

Salutation (n.)
something uttered, written, or done by way of saluting.

Bucked Eyes (adj.)

eyes that bulge or protrude out of their normal position.

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Créche (n.)
a small or large modeled representation or tableau of Mary, Joseph, and others around the
crib of Jesus in the stable at Bethlehem, as is displayed in homes or erected for exhibition
in a community at Christmas season.

Primer (v.)
a person or thing that primes. To make ready for a purpose or operation.

Foreground (n.)
a prominent or important position; forefront.

Lain (v.)
past participle of lie.

Peckerwood (adj.)
Southern U.S. slang; offensive term to describe somebody who is poor and white.

Haunches (n.)
Architecture. Either side of an arch, extending from the vertex or crown to the impost.

Muck (n.)
filth, dirt, or slime.

Glyphs (n.)
a sculptured figure or relief carving.

Trussed (adj.)
tied, bound, or fastened.

Wicks (n.)
a bundle or loose twist or braid of soft threads, or a woven strip or tube, as of cotton or
asbestos, which in a candle, lamp, oil stove, cigarette lighter, or the like, serves to draw up
the melted tallow or wax or the oil or other flammable liquid to be burned.

Frond (n.)
an often large, finely divided leaf.

Weaving (v.)
to direct or move along in a winding or zigzag course.

Subterranean (adj.)
existing, situated, or operating below the surface of the earth.

Arteries (n.)
a blood vessel that conveys blood from the heart to any part of the body; a main channel
or highway, especially of a connected system with many branches.

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Begrudge (v.)
to envy or resent the pleasure or good fortune of (someone).

Lee (n.)
protective shelter.

Casemates (n.)
an armored enclosure for guns in a warship.

Regiment (n.)
a unit of ground forces, consisting of two or more battalions or battle groups, a
headquarters unit, and certain supporting units.

Phalanx (n.)
any body of troops in close array.

Crude (adj.)
lacking finish, polish, or completeness.

Intone (v.)
to utter with a particular tone or voice modulation.

Deliberate (adj.)
leisurely and steady in movement or action; slow and even; unhurried.

Dialectic (n.)
the art of investigating or discussing the truth of opinions.

Swath (n.)
a strip, belt, or long and relatively narrow extent of anything.

Boll (n.)
a rounded seed vessel or pod of a plant, as of flax or cotton.

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A History of the Louisiana Native Guard

The Louisiana Native Guard is known to be the first black regiment to fight for the Union
in the Civil War. The men were from the area around New Orleans, typically with mixed
backgrounds. In fact, the regiment was the first to have both black and white soldiers.
This guard originated from a group of men who met up in the city during the war,
hoping to get involved in the fight. At first, they wanted to support the Confederacy, but the
government turned them down. The Confederacy did not want to include these men because
they believed that whites were superior to blacks. Even though the Guard was turned down,
they still received a lot of praise for their patriotism in local newspapers.
On the Union side, General Butler issued an order that allowed black troops to serve.
The Louisiana Guard joined the Union and did well in the camps but rarely fought on the
battlefield.
Then, a huge battle in Port Hudson required the aid of the Guard. 1,800 fought intensely
in the battle with a casualty of 37 soldiers. They received praise for their fighting, and they
continued to display courage and determination throughout the rest of the war.

[Link]

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Native Guard: The Civil War

[Link]

The Confederate States of America and the Union fought in the Civil War between 1861-
1865. The Civil War broke out mainly over the succession of the Confederate States and the
topic of slavery. The Confederate States of America (Confederacy) in the South believed in
slavery and were more conservative. On the other hand, the Union in the North did not believe
in slavery and were more liberal.

Quick Facts:
• The Civil War began in 1861 when the Confederacy bombed the Union’s Fort Sumter.
• The Battle of Gettysburg and Vicksburg, both Union victories, were huge turning points
of the war.
• The Union States basically outnumbered the Confederacy in soldiers.
o There were over 2,100,000 soldiers in total in the Union. There were over
1,000,000 soldiers in the Confederacy.

Important Dates:
• January 1861- The Southern states (Confederacy) secede from the rest of the United
States
• April 12, 1861- The Battle of Fort Sumter
• July 12, 1861- First Battle of Bull Run
• April 5-July 1, 1862- Seven Days Campaign/Seven Days Battles
• May 3, 1863- Fredericksburg, Virginia
• May 18-July 4, 1863- Siege (Battle) of Vicksburg
• July 1-3, 1863- Battle of Gettysburg (Pennsylvania)
• May 31-June 12, 1864- Battle of Cold Harbor
• June 15-18, 1864- Battle of Petersburg
• April 12, 1864- Battle of Fort Pillow
• May 13-15, 1864- Battle of Resaca (Georgia)
• July 22, 1864- Battle of Atlanta (Georgia)
• December 15-16, 1864- Battle of Nashville
• April 8, 1865- Appomattox Courthouse (General Lee of the Confederate Army
surrenders to General Ulysses S. Grant at the Appomattox Courthouse).

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Native Guard: Pre- and Post-Show Discussion

Pre-Show Questions
1. How has the South changed since the Civil War? What has changed since the end of Jim
Crow Laws and segregation?
2. In relationships, people often make choices they later regret. In your relationships, what
are some things you have done that you wish you could change?
3. Have you ever dealt with a loss of any kind? What was your reaction? How did you
handle it?
4. Discuss a time when you felt different because of your race, ge nder, social status or
abilities. What are ways we can embrace or celebrate differences in our communities?

Post-Show Questions
1. How is this play similar to or different from other plays you have seen?
2. Imagine that, after seeing this play, someone asks you what it was about. How would
you respond?
3. Did you make any personal connections to the themes of the play?
4. Which poem was your favorite and why?
5. What are positive ways someone might cope with the loss of a loved one?

Writing Prompts
1. Native Guard tackles the question, “Can you move forward without looking back?”
Respond to the question, providing examples from the play as well as your own life.
2. Reflect on the memory you shared at the end of Act 1. How does your personal bias
impact the truth of what really happened in your memory?
3. Go to [Link] to view examples of Native Guard scenes
created by students at DeKalb School of the Arts. How do these actors use their bodies
and minds to illustrate Native Guard? Which artistic choices stand out to you the most?

Thomas Neal Antwon Ghant in the Alliance Theatre’s world premiere production of Native Guard

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Native Guard: Writing Poetry – Word Dump

Individually or as a class, write poems based on the themes of Native Guard. Brainstorm using a
Word Dump.

Word Dump Instructions:

• A Word Dump unpacks the curriculum’s text by encouraging in depth reading that
demonstrates and reinforces students’ understanding of the content collaboratively.
• Students must have read or heard the source text.
• Students begin calling out words that are significant to them “popcorn style,” with text
in hand.
• The words can relate to the theme, character, emotions, or action.
• Any response is accepted.
• Leader writes all the words down to be kept for reference throughout the writing
process.
• If a word is repeated, place an X or check next to the word to track its significance.
• Once the word dump is completed, students select the nouns, verbs, adjectives, and
adverbs. The leader circles each in a different color.
• Additional options:
o The most significant words can be utilized in the tableau drama activity. Use one
word that morphs into different tableaux, building a mini-story from words from
the Word Dump.
o Revisit Word Dump during the writing process, including additional words on
sticky notes.

January LaVoy in the Alliance Theatre’s world premiere production of Native Guard

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The graphic below shares a Word Dump from the Mrs. Lambert’s drama students at DeKalb
School of the Arts.

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Native Guard: Student Written Poems

Here are a few poems written by students at DeKalb School of the Arts inspired by Native
Guard.

Anonymous
Choosing between two sides of the same coin
Neither side is better than the other
Black or White?
Mother’s melanin earning her side looks on the street
Father’s light complexion rewarded with sympathetic
glances
Both are tied into her genes
Both apart of who she is
So why choose?

Pain
That is what I have seen
Being mulatto, a half breed
I never really belonged, never connected to home
Mississippi

Loss
I have felt losses
Changing from Native Guard
To Corps D’Afrique
Loss of heritage
Loss of gravestones, buried underwater, among their bones
Losing my mother
Who loved me
I wept
She lives on, when I dream, but not when I wake
Awake, she is but a shadow, a memory

Promise
My mother
California
Flickers of promises, glimpses of what could be
Instead of bring divided
People, not choosing sides from the civil war
Me, embracing my southern heritage
My Identity
Being more than just mixed
Finally changing from colored to negro
To Black

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The South
Mississippi, my home
Free slaves and veterans
A master and a slave, black or white
Secrets that I guard with my life
Where I grew up, where I went to school
My mother, loving her and missing her
Flowers, I picked on the way to school
Wilted, and no longer missed

Alone
Free slaves
Traveling from place to place
Canada, California, Mississippi
Me
Picking flowers for my mother, who died
I was asleep while you were dying

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Native Guard: Quotes to Ponder
Students from DeKalb School of the Arts selected the following quotes because they relate to
the major themes of Native Guard.

As a post-show writing exercise, select one quote, and describe how it relates to Native Guard,
supporting your argument with examples from the play.

“The water is clear, but your wrists are stained. Your face says happy, but your eyes say pain.” -
r.h. sin

¨Behind my smile, there’s a story you would never understand.¨ - Unknown

“Sometimes we wear masks so long to hide what we truly feel that those layers become an
extra skin, a part of our identity.”- r.h. sin

¨If you’re going through hell, keep going¨ - Winston Churchill

“It wasn’t love, just heavy manipulation.” – r.h. sin

“I don’t think it was you. I didn’t fall for you. I fell in love with your potential to be what i
thought I needed at the time.”- r.h. sin

¨Don’t worry when I fight with you, worry when I stop because it means there’s nothing left for
us to fight about¨ - Unknown

¨A tragedy staying in an unhappy marriage, teaching your children the wrong things about
love.¨ - Jennifer Weiner

¨Hell sent us the most evil disease and we humans called it love¨ -Conny Cernik

¨Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate;
only love can do that.¨ -Martin Luther King

“Sometimes you will never know the true value of a moment until it becomes a memory.” – Dr.
Seuss

“Memory...is the diary that we all carry about with us.” – Oscar Wilde

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Native Guard: Crossword Puzzle

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Native Guard: Crossword Puzzle Answer Key

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Resources

“Black in Grey — Did Some African Americans Really Fight For the Confederacy?”
[Link], 29 Aug. 2017, [Link]/2012/06/20/black-in-
grey-did-african-americans-fight-for-the-confederacy/.

“Marianne Boruch.” [Link], Academy of American Poets, 15 Mar. 2017,

[Link]/poetsorg/poet/natasha-trethewey.

“Natasha Trethewey.” Poets & Writers,

[Link]/category/theater_video_tags/natasha_trethewey.

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