Anpetu Wasteyedo (it’s a good day).
Happy Native American Heritage Month! I extend to you greetings from the OPI Indian
Education Division. I am writing to
share some ideas and resources for teaching about American Indians and am also
promoting some of our latest Indian Education for All materials.
If you are curious about when and why November was
designated as Native American Heritage Month check out the following links. National
American Indian Heritage Month had its origins in 1986 when Congress passed Pub. L. 99-471 which authorized and requested the
President to proclaim the week of November 23-30, 1986 as “American Indian
Week.” But a resource from the Library
of Congress shows that efforts started back as early as 1915.
- http://nativeamericanheritagemonth.gov/about/
- http://www.loc.gov/law/help/commemorative-observations/american-indian.php
Are you looking for some curriculum resources but don’t know
where to start? I would start by going
to our Indian Education website and checking out the various resources for
different grade levels and content areas.
Here’s a teachable moment: all across the U.S. we teach
about Thanksgiving so why not use materials that give a more inclusive look at
this event. We have a
lesson based upon the book, 1621 A
New Look at Thanksgiving, the lesson includes links to these excellent
resources.
This
on‐line article from James Loewen highlights some of the common misconceptions
associated with Thanksgiving.
It is highly recommended this be read before you teach the lesson.
National Museum of the American Indian also has resources
for teaching about Thanksgiving. Their website has teaching materials that
offer rich Native perspectives on the history and contemporary life of many
different Native tribes.
Visit this link for ideas and activities for teaching about
Thanksgiving. The article has background information and links to other
resources that look at Thanksgiving from American Indian
perspectives.
Finally, here are a few newer IEFA lessons that you should
check out.
- Using Primary Source Documents to Understand Tribal Sovereignty
- Building Bridges, Building Friendships: Place-Based Approaches to Develop a Successful Cross-Cultural Exchange
- Evaluating American Indian Materials and Resources for the Classroom
- Resilience: Stories of Twenty Indian Women
- Crossing Boundaries Through Art: Seals of Montana Tribal Nations
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