Author: dankrutka

#sschat Facebook Takeover

During the week of January 14th to 18th, Drs. Leilani Sabzalian (Alutiiq) and Sarah B. Shear took over the #sschat Facebook page. If you missed it, you can find all their posts below, but you have to go to facebook.com/socialstudieschat to see all the comments and questions too.

Promo Post (Sunday): We have a new feature on #sschat! We are going to have different educators and scholars “takeover” our Facebook page for a week to provide their go-to resources, ideas, and approaches to teaching different topics!

We’re starting off with an Indigenous Studies Takeover! Dr. Leilani Sabzalian (Alutiiq) is Assistant Professor of Indigenous Studies in Education at the University of Oregon (@leilanisabz) and Dr. Sarah B. Shear is Assistant Professor of Social Studies Education at Penn State University-Altoona (@SBShear). They are  featured in Vision’s of Education Episodes 15, “Indigenous (Mis)Representations in U.S. history with Sarah Shear” and Episode 95, “Affirming Indigenous Sovereignty with Sarah Shear, Leilani Sabzalian, & Lisa Brown Buchanan” (links below).

Check back every day this week for new posts! Add ideas and questions in the comments for Leilani and Sarah to answer!

VoE Episode 15: https://visionsofed.com/2016/06/30/episode-15-indigenous-misrepresentations-in-u-s-history-with-sarah-shear/

VoE Episode 95: https://visionsofed.com/2018/11/19/episode-95-affirming-indigenous-sovereignty-with-sarah-shear-leilani-sabzalian-lisa-brown-buchanan/

POST 1 (Monday):

INDIGENOUS STUDIES TAKEOVER DAY 1

Our first #sschat post focuses on resources from scholars and organizations working to prioritize Indigenous voices & experiences in P-12 curriculum & teacher education:

— Teachers should read Dr. Debbie Reese’s (Nambe Pueblo) blog, American Indians in Children’s Literature. AICL offers teachers lists of books w/ Indigenous characters recommended and NOT recommended for P-12 learners. Another excellent resource for teachers and students alike is Dr. Reese’s post, “Are we ‘people of color’?” Follow Dr. Reese on Twitter, @debreese https://tinyurl.com/AICLReese

— Along with resources based on their past and current exhibits, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian offers P-12 social studies teachers inquiry-based lessons centered around Indigenous ways of knowing and being. Follow NMAI on Twitter, @SmithsonianNMAI https://tinyurl.com/NK360. NMAI also offers a variety of educational videos, such as Nation to Nation (https://tinyurl.com/NationToNation) and The “Indian Problem” (https://tinyurl.com/IndianProblemVideo), as well as the online exhibit “Nation to Nation” (https://americanindian.si.edu/nationtonation/) to support student understanding of treaties and tribal sovereignty.

— In addition to resources for justice-oriented curriculum, Zinn Education Project supports teachers in rethinking how Indigenous peoples and Native nations are taught in P-12 schools. Their “Abolish Columbus Day” program is one you should definitely check out! Follow Zinn Project on Twitter, @ZinnEdProject https://www.zinnedproject.org/

— Indigenous educators have pushed states to examine their state standards in light of Indigenous peoples’ experiences, perspectives, and histories, as well as current issues tribal nations face. We recommend you take a look at the lessons and resources offered by Washington’s “Since Time Immemorial” http://www.indian-ed.org/ and Montana’s “Indian Education for All” https://tinyurl.com/IndianEdforAll. Though specific to each state, the Essential Understandings provide educators with foundational knowledge on Indigenous identity and sovereignty, among others.

– Drs. Leilani Sabzalian (Alutiiq) & Sarah B. Shear

 

POST 2 (Tuesday):

INDIGENOUS STUDIES TAKEOVER DAY 2

Today’s #sschat post highlights resources from organizations working to promote and protect tribal sovereignty around the world. We hope educators use these resources w/students in their learning about government-to-government relationships and the responsibilities of citizens:

— The National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) provides an accessible introduction to tribal sovereignty, nationhood, governance, and treaties. Follow NCAI on Twitter to stay up-to-date on current events related to tribal sovereignty. Follow NCAI on Twitter, @NCAI1944 https://tinyurl.com/NCAI1944

— Not all tribal nations are recognized, but tribal sovereignty is inherent. “Promised Land” documents the Duwamish and the Chinook nations’ pursuit of federal recognition, and their efforts to have their treaty rights honored. https://tinyurl.com/PromisedLandMovie

— To examine global Indigenous issues, and how Indigenous peoples work to sustain & protect their homelands, languages, customs, and governments, educators can explore the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). https://tinyurl.com/UNIndigenousPeoples

— Tribal sovereignty is not just about self-governance, but also self-representation. We recommend teachers visit tribal nations’ websites so that they can learn about these nations from their perspectives. Many tribal nations, such as The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde (https://www.grandronde.org/), have websites that provide information on their government, history, culture, and current events and issues. Other sites, such as the Haudenosaunee Confederacy (https://www.haudenosauneeconfederacy.com) can provide Indigenous perspectives on governance, land rights, treaties, and cultural misconceptions (among others).

— Indian Land Tenure Foundation (ILTF), a national, community-based organization assisting Native nations recover their rightful homelands. ILTF works “to promote education, increase cultural awareness, create economic opportunity, and reform the legal and administrative systems that prevent Indian people from owning and controlling reservation lands.” https://iltf.org ILTF also provides P-12 lessons and resources for teachers on their “Lessons of Our Land website,” https://www.lessonsofourland.org

– Drs. Leilani Sabzalian (Alutiiq) & Sarah B. Shear

 

POST 3 (Wednesday):

INDIGENOUS STUDIES TAKEOVER DAY 3

Today’s #sschat post builds on the resources we shared on Monday and Tuesday to include text recommendations for critical Indigenous histories we hope educators find useful for their own learning. Teacher educators may also find these texts useful for their courses:

— In An Indigenous People’s History of the United States, Dr. Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz unpacks U.S. history and policies designed to deny tribal sovereignty and eradicate Indigenous peoples. The YA version is coming this summer! Follow Dr. Dunbar-Ortiz on Twitter, @rdunbaro https://tinyurl.com/IndigenousPeoplesHistory

— The edited book, Why You Can’t Teach United States History Without American Indians, rethinks history in light of Indigenous peoples, and recasts college courses using themes like settler colonialism, nationhood, and global Indigeneity. https://tinyurl.com/TeachingUSHistory

— Red Pedagogy by Quechua scholar Sandy Grande (@RedPedGrl) illustrates how Indigenous social and political thought challenges the Eurocentric foundations of Western critical theory and democracy, and forwards an Indigenous vision for education https://tinyurl.com/RedPedagogy

— Drs. Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz & Dina Gilio-Whitaker’s (Colville Confederated Tribes) “All the real Indians died off” & 20 Other Myths bust Columbus, Thanksgiving, sport mascots and more! This is a very resource to counter social studies curriculum. Follow Dr. Gilio-Whitaker on Twitter, @DinaGWhit https://tinyurl.com/AlltheRealIndians

– Drs. Leilani Sabzalian (Alutiiq) & Sarah B. Shear

 

POST 4 (Thursday):

INDIGENOUS STUDIES TAKEOVER DAY 4

Today’s #sschat encourages P-12 teachers and teacher educators to keep up on contemporary issues and current events related to Indigenous peoples and Native nations:

— Educators can follow Native news sources like Indian Country Today for up-to-date stories & commentaries about events unfolding in tribal communities. Many of the stories aren’t covered by “mainstream” media, so these are vital outlets for news! Follow Indian Country Today on Twitter, @IndianCountry https://newsmaven.io/indiancountrytoday/. Another news outlet educators is Native News Online! You can also follow them on Twitter, @Native_NewsNet https://nativenewsonline.net

— Another way to learn about current events is to follow Native organizations working to protect the health and well-being of Indigenous peoples today. The National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center (http://www.niwrc.org), Native Youth Sexual Health Network (http://www.nativeyouthsexualhealth.com), Center for Native American Youth (http://www.cnay.org), Indigenous Environmental Network (http://www.ienearth.org), Honor the Earth (http://www.honorearth.org), etc. Following these sites on social media will update your news feed with a variety of current issues, and positive ways Indigenous peoples are creating social change.

— Today, Native nations are bringing to light several contemporary issues, and are working tirelessly to redress centuries of colonial violence. One current example is the documentary “Dawnland,” which follows the first truth & reconciliation commission (TRC) in the U.S. that gathered testimony on the impact of Maine’s child welfare system on Maliseet, Micmac, Passamaquoddy, and Penobscot communities. The website includes a teaching guide! Be sure to follow “Dawnland” on Twitter, @DawnlandMovie http://dawnland.org

— Organizations like the National Indian Education Association are dedicated to promoting Native languages and cultures in schools and improving schools for Indigenous children. NIEA’s website has lots of resources & info for educators! Follow NIEA on Twitter, @WereNIEA http://www.niea.org. Many states, such as Oregon, also have organizations like the Oregon Indian Education Association (https://tinyurl.com/OregonIndianEd). We encourage teachers to learn about the local Indigenous education communities in their own states.

– Drs. Leilani Sabzalian (Alutiiq) & Sarah B. Shear

 

POST 5 (Friday):

INDIGENOUS STUDIES TAKEOVER DAY 5

For educators who want to deepen their understanding of settler colonialism and Indigenous studies in social studies, this post contains some of our go-to readings! Some articles are open access while others require library access:

— The edited volume “Native Studies Keywords” provides an overview of Indigenous Studies’ major keywords… sovereignty, land, Indigeneity, nation, blood, tradition, colonialism, and Indigenous epistemologies/knowledges…giving educators key background information to critically teach Native studies. https://uapress.arizona.edu/book/native-studies-keywords

— In “Uncovering settler grammars in curriculum,” Dolores Calderón (Mexican/Tigua) makes colonization explicit in ss curriculum, critically interrogating colonial tropes, such as the US is a “nation of immigrants” or the lands here were “empty.”

https://tinyurl.com/SettlerGrammars

— Dr. Jeanette Haynes-Writer’s (Tsalagi/Cherokee) “Broadening the meaning of citizenship education: Native Americans and tribal nationhood” helps educators rethink Eurocentric civics education to include tribal citizenship. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ915845

— Drs. K. Tsianina Lomawaima (Mvskoke/Creek) & Teresa McCarty’s “When tribal sovereignty challenges democracy” urges us to learn from Indigenous students’ experiences to challenge standardization and advocate for a more just multicultural education https://tinyurl.com/TribalSov-Dem

— Drs. Eve Tuck (Unangax) and K. Wayne Yang’s “Decolonization is not a metaphor” teaches us that decolonization is specifically the “repatriation of Indigenous life and land,” not a catchall phrase for the types of educational changes, including social justice, that teachers may want to make in their classrooms, schools, or communities. Follow Dr. Tuck on Twitter, @tuckeve https://tinyurl.com/DecolonizationIsNotAMetaphor

–”Yakama Rising” by Michelle Jacob (Yakam) offers case studies of Indigenous grassroots activism and cultural revitalization. Her portraits of Yakama decolonizing praxis offer social studies educators (and high school students who read them) powerful examples of decolonization. https://uapress.arizona.edu/book/yakama-rising

— The Native American & Indigenous Studies Association is an interdisciplinary, international organization of scholars working in the field of Indigenous Studies. NAISA publishes Native American and Indigenous Studies and hosts a conference every year. Follow NAISA on Twitter, @NAISA https://www.naisa.org. Teacher educators should also check out academic journals, such as the Journal of American Indian Education (https://jaie.asu.edu) and Decolonization: Indigeneity, Education, and Society (https://jps.library.utoronto.ca/index.php/des) that feature Indigenous analyses of education and society.

– Drs. Leilani Sabzalian (Alutiiq) & Sarah B. Shear