Manataka American Indian Council

 

 

 

 

TEACHING ABOUT AMERICAN INDIANS

 

 

Teaching Resources for Educators

Here are resources if you've ever wanted classroom-teaching activities on American Indians beyond the Thanksgiving holiday or the history of American Indian Education or best teaching practices addressing American Indian learners. Resources include books, magazines, articles, bibliographies, maps, etc. Although often times there is overlap, these resources are organized in four categories:


TEACHING ABOUT AMERICAN INDIANS:

Native Peoples Magazine

The magazine provides information on Native people as they live their culture today. The magazine is dedicated to the sensitive portrayal of the arts and life ways of the Native peoples of the Americas. Curriculum guides are also available to provide cultural education, role models, and positive direction and self-esteem for American Indian students and students learning about American Indians. The lesson plans, designed for middle and secondary school students, are based on the Constructivist model of education, which supports active, social, and creative learning. The lessons engage students in culturally relevant and community-based activities, such as Service Learning. Authentic assessment procedures, such as the use of rubrics, also support this type of learning mode.

Native Peoples Magazine Media Concepts Group, Inc.

5333 North Seventh
Street, Suite C-224 Phoenix, AZ 85014 http://www.nativepeoples.com/


A Critical Bibliography on North American Indians (K-12)

This  bibliography, compiled by the Anthropology Outreach Office of the Smithsonian's  National Museum of Natural History, is a response to these and other teachers' concerns about choosing culturally se nsitive and historically accurate books for children about American Indians and Alaska Natives. Parents and the general public may also find it to be a valuable resource for making informed choices about books. The anti-bias guidelines and critiques found here can help readers develop an ability to critically evaluate books and
teaching curricula and provide a foundation by which to assess the value of materials about any culture or ethnic group.

Native Peoples of North America

The Cambridge Library provides an overview of on-line sources of information for kids http://www.ci.cambridge.ma.us/~CPL/kids/nativepeoples.html

Native American Foods Recipes Web sites of Native American foods and recipes http://www.links2go.com/topic/Native_American_Recipes

Close Up Foundation

Offers special publication on American Indian Tribal Sovereignty issues and well as excellent education activities in the area of Civics education.  Close Up Foundation 44 Canal Center Plaza Alexandria, VA 22314-1592  800-CLOSE UP (256-7387) TTY: 800-336-2167 http://www.closeup.org/

 


CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE PEDAGOGY FOR AMERICAN INDIAN LEARNERS:

ERIC Clearinghouse on Rural and Small Schools ? American Indian/Alaska
Native Education http://www.ael.org/eric/indians.htm

Improving Academic Performance among Native American Students

A Review of the Research Literature. By William G. Demmert, Jr. This literature  review examines research-based information on educational approaches and  programs associated with improving the academic performance of Native American students. A search reviewed ERIC's over 8,000 documents on American  Indian education, as well as master's and doctoral dissertations and other  sources of research on the education of Native America. Includes a bibliography  of 23 additional references to other literature reviews and non-Native studies. http://www.ael.org/eric/demmert.htm


Next Steps: Research and Practice to Advance Indian Education

Edited by Karen Gayton Swisher and John W. Tippeconnic III, 331 pp., 1999, soft cover, ISBN 1-880785-21-8, $24.  What is "Indian education" today? What will it look like in the future? The editors and 12 other Native scholars respond with 13 chapters that help readers explore two important themes: (1) education for tribal self-determination and (2) the need to turn  away from discredited deficit theories of education to an approach that builds on the strengths of Native languages and culture and the basic  resilience of indigenous peoples. Published by ERIC http://www.ael.org/eric/aibooks.htm


The Journal of American Indian Education

A peer reviewed scholarly journal, which publishes papers specifically related to the education of American Indians and Alaska Natives. The JAIE is located at the Arizona State University's Center for Indian Education in Tempe, AZ. Journal of American Indian Education.

Center for Indian Education, Arizona State University, Box 871311, Tempe, AZ 85287-1311
http://jaie.asu.edu/

Native American in Basal Reading Texts:  Are There Enough?   http://jaie.asu.edu/v26/V26S1nat.htm
Classroom Learning Environments http://jaie.asu.edu/v26/V26S1cla.htm

Native American Education

Cradleboard Teaching's Partnering Program

Cradleboard Teaching Project's signature Partnering Program includes a partnership between an indigenous class and a non-indigenous class of the same age. Together, the children learn about themselves and their partner class, while also studying Nihewan core curriculum in Science, History, Music, Geography and Social  Studies, as seen through an indigenous perspective. http://www.cradleboard.org/


RESEARCHING AMERICAN INDIAN EDUCATION:
Journal of American Indian Education

Special issues from the Journal of American Indian Education dedicated to "the wisdom and perspectives of recognized Native and non-Native elder leaders and scholars in the field  of American Indian Education". Excellent resource for university students writing papers on American Indian Education. http://jaie.asu.edu/abstracts/abs1999.htm

IndianEduResearch.Net

Tools for Educational Research and Development  The ERIC Clearinghouse on Rural Education and Small Schools (ERIC/CRESS) has created this site as a special project to assist individuals and organizations engaged in research and development to better understand  and improve education for American Indian and Alaska Native children and adults. ERIC/CRESS is hosted by AEL, Inc. (Charleston, WV).  http://www.indianeduresearch.net/index.htm


American Indian Education History and Facts

Provides a concise review  of the history of American Indian Education. American Indian Education Foundation. P.O. Box 27491 Albuquerque, NM 87125-9847 Tele. 800-881-8694  http://www.aiefprograms.org/history_facts/index.html

 

 

OTHER RESOURCES:
 

American Indian Content Standards The American Indian content standards were developed by the Bureau of Indian Affairs through their Goals 2000 effort to help schools in the development of local standards with an
emphasis on American Indian/Alaska Native learners. The Indian standards can also be used to help non-Indian learners and schools understand the contributions of American Indians and Alaska Natives in the Americas.
http://www.ldoe.org/cetia/aics.htm

Center for Educational Technology in Indian America

The Center for Educational Technology in Indian America builds on the foundation of the Four Directions project. The Center represents a consortium of schools, agencies, universities, professional associations, museums and private sector organizations committed to improving learning opportunities for American Indian students through the use of technology.  http://www.ldoe.org/cetia/resource.htm


Oyate Books
Oyate is a Native organization working to see that our lives and histories are portrayed honestly, and so that all people will know our stories belong to us. For Native children, it is as important as it has ever been for them to know who they are and what they come from. It is a matter of survival.


For all children, it is time to learn the truth of history. Only in this way will they come to have the understanding and respect for each other that now, more than ever, will be necessary for life to continue.


Our work includes evaluation of texts, resource materials and fiction by and about Native peoples; conducting of teacher workshops, in which participants learn to evaluate children's material for anti-Indian biases; administration of a small resource center and library; and distribution  of children's, young adult, and teacher books and materials, with an emphasis on writing and illustration by Native people.

 

Oyate Books

2702 Mathews St.
Berkeley, CA 94702
(510) 848-6700
(510) 848-4815 fax
oyate@oyate.org
http://www.oyate.org/

 

 

MORE RESOURCES:

American Indian Issues: An Introductory and Curricular Guide for Educators.
http://sorrel.humboldt.edu/~go1/kellogg/intro.html

Culturally Responsive Curriculum for Secondary Schools
http://www.evergreen.edu/nwindian/curriculum/index.html
 

 

 

Submitted by Indigenous News Network Digest, issue 884.  Edited by Andre Cramblit
 

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