In May 2015, Washington Senator John
McCoy (Tulalip) successfully sponsored a bill requiring that tribal history and
culture be taught in Washington’s common schools. Washington Senate Bill 5433
was seen as a refinement of a 10-year-old Washington State House Bill (HB 1495)
sponsored by then Representative McCoy encouraging
such teaching. In support of HB 1495 and SB 5433, Washington
State’s Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) has published
curriculum developed in collaboration with Washington’s tribes—free and
available at indian-ed.org. This
curriculum entitled, Since Time
Immemorial is endorsed by all 29 federally recognized tribes in Washington
and can be adapted to incorporate unique regional differences through
collaboration between school districts and the local tribe(s).
What might seem to some like a mere adjustment
in social studies curriculum can also be framed—by Native peoples—as an
important step in healing education systems after decades of tumultuous
history. For generations the role of education systems in Washington State and
beyond was to enforce federal policy calling for the eradication of Native
languages and cultures and the assimilation of Native people into mainstream
“American” ways of being. This forced assimilation caused incredible trauma for
Native
communities and their children forced to attend Indian boarding schools; for
many, the trauma can still be felt in tribal families today. Many contend that this trauma is a considerable
factor in the ongoing struggle for Native students in today’s schools. This
ongoing struggle is call to action for educators seeking success for all
students.
In a study from the early
1990s, the Indian Nations at Risk Task Force, (United States Department
of Education, 1991) a committee assembled by the United States Secretary of
Education to determine solutions to the ongoing struggle for American Indian
students in meeting their fullest potential, culture is implicated in many
important ways. Citing federal assimilationist policy from the 1880s, the task
force highlighted the importance of strategically and intentionally
incorporating traditional tribal cultures into schooling to both reverse the
impact of such assimilation policies and strengthen tribal communities through
student success in contemporary times. Task force members make the following
suggestions:
·
Educators
must incorporate culture and language into regular instruction.
·
The
community must be highly participatory and collaborative in efforts to
educate children.
·
The
pedagogy of the school must genuinely incorporate students’ backgrounds
and experiences into the school
program.
More recently, and locally,
Washington State’s OSPI published Proposed Standards for
Culturally-Responsive School (2000). This set of standards begins to become
somewhat more specific about what educators will actually do in schools
in which tribal culture is recognized and leveraged. OSPI’s Office of Native
Education suggests the following standards: Educators who have been properly
trained are responsive to and incorporate local Native ways of knowing,
learning and teaching in their work. Educators who meet these standards:
1.
Use the local environment and community
resources on a regular basis to link what they are teaching to the everyday
lives of the students.
2.
Participate in community events and
activities in an appropriate and supportive way.
3.
Work closely with parents to achieve a high
level of complementary educational expectations between home and school.
4.
Recognize the full educational potential of
each student and provide the challenges necessary for them to achieve that
potential.
5.
Adapt instruction to the culturally
contextual learning & cognitive styles, and needs of their American Indian
students.
As school districts and teachers work to
meet the requirements of SB 5433, suggested
In today’s diverse classrooms, though,
the answer to this critical question (Why is it important to teach Native history and
culture?) is complex. The same classrooms serving our students of
tribal descent serve students from many rich, diverse cultures. Why might the
teaching of Native history and culture be important for all students? Because Washington’s 29 federally recognized
tribes are unique in our history and contemporary society, it is important that
an accurate account is shared with our non-Native neighbors. Since
Time Immemorial offers history and culture free of common stereotypes
(pilgrims and Indians, and other pre-1900 ideas of Native people from other
regions, for example). Using curriculum written with local tribes allows for
the development of cross-cultural relationships that are built upon a
foundation of understanding of true tribal history and culture. This foundation will lead to a more
productive and just society.
References:
Proposed Standards for
Culturally-Responsive Schools: Indian Education Plan for Washington State. (2000).
Olympia: Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction.
Since
Time Immemorial. indian-ed.org
United States. (1991).
Indian nations at risk: An educational strategy for action : final report of
the Indian Nations at Risk Task Force. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Dept. of
Education.
Anthony
B. Craig (Yakama), Ed.D.
Marysville
School District
Director,
Cultural Competency & School Support
Chelsea
Craig (Tulalip)
Marysville
School District
Teacher/Cultural
Specialist
Chrissy
Dulik-Dalos (Makah)
Marysville
School District
Manager,
Indian Education Department
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