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indigenous education
Explore " indigenous education" with insightful episodes like "Auntie Dr. Kahente Horn-Miller (Kanyen'kehà:ka) Educator, Visual Storyteller", "S2:E3 K. Fran Davis Part 2", "S2:E2 K. Fran Davis Part 1", "A big idea for Indigenous education" and "A big idea for Indigenous education" from podcasts like ""The Aunties Dandelion", "Deep Conversations with Strangers", "Deep Conversations with Strangers", "The Front" and "The Front"" and more!
Episodes (16)
S2:E3 K. Fran Davis Part 2
This is Part 2 of a deep conversation with K. Fran Davis, who's Haudenosaunee from the Grand River Territory. She is an Indigenous consultant, researcher, teacher, and owner of Indigenous Learn: Two Row Education Services.
In this episode we talk about the struggles Indigenous and Non-Indigenous people have with accepting the realities of the Residential School System, the intergenerational trauma caused by residential schools, and how Kelly strives to turn anger into compassion as part of the ongoing pursuit of reconciliation.
In Part 1, we learned a bit about Davis' life story and her journey to becoming an Indigenous educator. We also talk about the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, the Haldimand Tract, and the continuing effect of colonial policies.
- Learn more about Davis' teaching services at https://indigenouslearn.com/
- Find more content from Davis, including "Rights of Passage: A Reconciliation Podcast" at: https://indigenouslearn.com/publications%2Fevents
- Davis recommends you watch Indian Horse available on Netflix
Thanks to John Green, who reached out all the way from London, England, to volunteer to edit Series 2 of Deep Conversations with Strangers. John is a Freelance Audio Engineer and if you'd like to reach out to him to do some work for you, you can reach him at: john@odysseyaud.io
S2:E2 K. Fran Davis Part 1
This is part one of a two-part deep conversation with K. Fran Davis, who's Haudenosaunee from the Grand River Territory. She is an Indigenous consultant, researcher, teacher, and owner of Indigenous Learn: Two Row Education Services.
In this episode, we learn a bit about Davis' life story and her journey to becoming an Indigenous educator. We also talk about the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, the Haldimand Tract, and the continuing effect of colonial policies.
- Learn more about Davis' teaching services at https://indigenouslearn.com/
- Find more content from Davis, including "Rights of Passage: A Reconciliation Podcast" at: https://indigenouslearn.com/publications%2Fevents
- Davis recommends you watch Indian Horse available on Netflix
In part two, we're going to talk about the struggles Indigenous and Non-Indigenous people have with accepting the realities of the Residential School System, the intergenerational trauma caused by residential schools, and how Kelly strives to turn anger into compassion as part of the ongoing pursuit of reconciliation.
Thanks to John Green, who reached out all the way from London, England, to volunteer to edit Series 2 of Deep Conversations with Strangers. John is a Freelance Audio Engineer and if you'd like to reach out to him to do some work for you, you can reach him at: john@odysseyaud.io
A big idea for Indigenous education
What if there was a simple solution to one of Australia’s toughest problems - getting Indigenous kids to stay in school and go to uni?
This episode of The Front is presented and produced by Kristen Amiet, in collaboration with Claire Harvey. It’s edited by Tiffany Dimmack. Our multimedia editor is Lia Tsamoglou, and original music composed by Jasper Leak.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
A big idea for Indigenous education
What if there was a simple solution to one of Australia’s toughest problems - getting Indigenous kids to stay in school and go to uni?
This episode of The Front is presented and produced by Kristen Amiet, in collaboration with Claire Harvey. It’s edited by Tiffany Dimmack. Our multimedia editor is Lia Tsamoglou, and original music composed by Jasper Leak.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Auntie E.F. "Betts" Doxtater (Kanyen'kehà:ka) Artist/Educator/Author
Season Five - Episode Ten - Elaine Sutherland
Educating people of all ages and cultures is what drives Elaine Sutherland.
For nearly 25 years, she taught in schools, mostly as a kindergarten teacher, and helped her peers incorporate Indigenous history and teachings education into their classrooms. Today, you can find Elaine at the Office of the Treaty Commissioner where she is the Director of Treaty Education.
The history of the Office of the Treaty Commissioner is interesting.
It was created in 1989 by the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations and the Government of Canada to guide both parties through their differing views on Treaties. For those unfamiliar with Treaties, in Saskatchewan they are the formal agreements between the Crown and First Nations with their expectations and obligations.
11 numbered treaties were negotiated after confederation and between 1871 and 1921. They cover the territories from present day Ontario to Alberta as well as parts of British Columbia and the Northwest Territories. In Saskatchewan, there are six treaties: Treaty 2, treaty 4, treaty 6, treaty 8 and treaty 10. Saskatoon is in treaty 6 territory.
The Office of the Treaty Commissioner’s vision in our province is to promote respect and understanding of Treaties, and to support Treaty parties in maintaining and enhancing the Treaty relationship through dialogue, neutral support, assistance with resolving disputes, and commitment to the Treaty principles.
I would strongly recommend spending some time on the OTC’s website as there some great online resources available and it’s just interesting learning about this organization.
Learning is a theme in this episode as it’s something Elaine Sutherland firmly believes we should all be doing no matter where we are in our lives.
For the past two years, she has been teaching the importance of treaties to people in our city, our province and across Canada. She left a highly respected teaching career to take on this role and it has not always been easy.
However, you will hear why this work…why sharing the stories of treaties with businesses, organizations and especially teachers, as well as strategies to help on their learning journey, is so meaningful to Elaine.
You will also hear in this episode how Elaine’s new two day education session called the Treaty Learning Journey is connecting with participants here in Saskatoon and throughout Saskatchewan.
Thank you so much to Elaine for sharing her story on the podcast and to the Office of the Treaty Commissioner for its cooperation and support.
You can listen to YXE Underground wherever you find your favourite podcasts including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Goodpods or the the YXE Underground website.
Follow YXE Underground on social media! Simply search 'YXE Underground' on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter. Don't forget to leave a 5-star review if you like what you hear.
This is the Season 5 finale of YXE Underground and I can’t thank all of you enough for supporting my podcast. Whether you’re listening to or sharing the podcast, or maybe you’re telling a friend to check it out, or you’re buying podcast swag that support local organizations…thank you so very much!
I had no idea this podcast would go on for five years and it really is a privilege sharing these stories with you. Thank you for the opportunity to do so. I can’t wait for Season 6 to launch in September and you might hear a summer bonus episode or two between now and the fall.
If you have any recommendations when it comes to people or organizations that should be featured on the podcast, I would love to hear them. Feel free to send an email to ericandersonyxe@gmail.com or fill out a nomination form on the website. You can also drop me a line on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. I know there are so many people in Saskatoon making a difference in our community who are flying under the radar so let’s get them on the podcast and share their stories.
I hope you have a safe and wonderful summer and be on the lookout for a few bonus episodes in July and August before Season 6 begins in September.
Cheers...Eric
- Host, Producer, Editor: Eric Anderson
- Theme Music: Andrew Dickson
- Website: https://www.yxeunderground.com
Native American Series 4 | Making Friends with Native Americans
Episode Resources:
Utah Department of Culture and Community Engagement
Native American Teaching Artist Roster: Utah Division of Arts and Museums
List of Utah Title VI Coordinators
Native American Curriculum Initiative Website
www.advancingartsleadership.com/naci
Native American Lesson Plans
www.education.byu.edu/arts/lessons
About the BYU ARTS Partnership
https://advancingartsleadership.com/node/66
Episode Notes:
Cally Flox: Welcome to the Artful Teaching podcast. I'm here with co-host Heather Francis. We have two guests with us this morning, Emily Soderborg, project manager of the Native American Curriculum Initiative, and Brenda Beyal, project coordinator of the Native American Curriculum Initiative. Brenda, we've been answering questions from our teachers, and we have a list of questions here that we've been trying to get to. Let’s jump right in. Our listeners want to know: “How do I meet, connect with, and make friends with Native Americans in my community?”
You May Already Have Native American Friends
Brenda Beyal: You have already met Native American people. You probably have friends that are Native American. The assumption that there are different communities that we have to walk into, to meet people and make friends, is probably something that we need to do away with. There are Native Americans all over the United States—we're still here. We are contributing members of the community.
If you want to make friends or get to know a little bit more about culture, there are many opportunities that you can look for. One is to see if there are any community outreach programs, like in our community, there is the Utah Department of Culture and Community Engagement. Go to their website and you will find a lot of information on different events that may be happening. There are always series or lectures going on; there are museums that you can visit that are maybe hosting an art show done by Native Americans; and, you can also reach out to the Title VI program in your school community. I know that in our community, right now, it's winter. There are storytelling events that are going on up and down the Wasatch Front that you can find out about. It is quite easy to find events that you can go to. But I want to ask Emily, as a non-Native, how would you approach going into an event or, you know, just becoming a part of maybe a celebration?
Building Confidence to Participate in Native Events
Emily Soderborg: I think the biggest thing is just observing first, having a really open mind. I will just go and take my family places; oftentimes, I don't know anyone, but I'll just sit and observe and watch and see how other people are interacting. Be open to try new things. People that I follow on social media, I get information. This helps me to know a little bit about what's going on—just a little bit— which helps me to have conversations that feel more comfortable. Oftentimes, if you have absolutely no idea, no background, then you don't know how to start a conversation with someone. Having just a little bit of information, understanding that there are no wrong questions, believing that we can honestly, openly, and sincerely ask questions, then the people that we're interacting with, whatever differences they may have, whatever culture they may be from, they will recognize that and they will respond.
I know I've asked questions in the wrong way in the past, and I've learned from that. The people that I was talking to said, “Oh, that's probably not the best way to ask that question. Here's a different way to ask it.” For example, asking the question, “Where do you come from?” isn't the best question. Instead, more appropriate questions are,
- “Can you tell me about your background?”
- “Can you tell me where your accent comes from?”
- “Can you tell me where your language is from?”
I've learned from asking questions because I really want to know, and from just doing a little bit of research, so I know what types of questions are appropriate or what things I should ask. Finding the students in your classroom that are Native and connect with their parents. Asking parents questions has been really helpful for me too.
Asking Questions Appropriately Helps Build Community
Cally Flox: Emily, talking about the students in schools—during Arts Express 2022, we had many Native American artists who were there presenting, and each of them shared their stories as they presented. I was struck by how many of them grew up with their friends and their teachers thinking they were Hispanic rather than Native American. Because of that misunderstanding, they never even had a chance to share what their heritage is, and where their relatives came from, or what they connect with, or associate with. To hear that over and over again: “They thought I was Hispanic.” “They didn't understand what my braids meant.”
How simple it is to ask questions! You offered great ideas, Emily, teaching us how to ask authentic and genuine questions and then how to listen. We want to get to know every student in our class. So, we should be asking these questions of everybody:
- “What do you relate to?”
- “How do your grandparents feel about this?”
- “Where does your language come from?”
I love how you ask those questions. When I went to a couple of different powwows, the Native people there are in full regalia and are with their people, and that culture is different—I was the outsider. That was a different way of getting to know them. It's one thing when we're in the majority, but then there's another thing when we're in the minority.
Emily Soderborg: I've had that opportunity often to be in the minority. You recognize how uncomfortable you might feel, and how, since Native Americans are in the minority most of the time, how they have to approach things differently. Being in the minority helps you recognize how they feel most of the time, and helps you know how you would want to be reached out to how you would want to be responded to. Having those experiences helps you be more able to be the one open and welcoming when you are in the majority.
Finding Commonality Within Our Native and Non-Native Communities
Brenda Beyal: As an indigenous person, if I see someone at an event, or if I invite someone to participate, I welcome questions. I always hope that they do not come into an environment thinking us and them, but rather us as humans that are having shared experiences, and that we have more commonalities than differences. Going into a situation and looking for commonalities helps in any situation, whether it's talking with somebody that is from a different race, or who comes from a different life experience, or comes from maybe a different point of view, religion, that we look for the commonalities
Cally Flox: When we find those commonalities, we see that we are more alike than we are different, that we can learn from one another, and see that together, we make a community. I think that that puts everyone at ease. Brenda, typically when we start a podcast, you start by introducing yourself in your native tongue, right? Because we've jumped right over that today, could we stop and acknowledge one of the beautiful ways we're different is your ownership of your culture through your language.
Brenda Beyal: Yá’át’ééh Shí éí Brenda Beyal yinishyé, 'Áshįįhi nishłį́, Kinyaa'áanii bashishchiin, Tó'áhani dashicheii, Tó'aheedlíinii dashinalí, Ákót’éego asdzáán nishłį́. I just shared with you that my name is Brenda Beyal. I am born into the Salt Clan. I'm born for the Towering House people. I shared my maternal and paternal clans. At the very end, I said, “This is the kind of woman I am.” That's how I ended it.
Cally Flox: Beautiful. Thank you so much. Each time I hear you introduce yourself I reflect:
- What is my maternal lineage?
- What is my paternal lineage?
- What kind of woman do I want to be?
I learned so much in these reflections. We find our common ground as I let you express your individual voice. Remember the day you taught me how to make frybread out in the in the driveway, getting ready for one of our gatherings? I realize we are both cooks for a family. We have both done family reunions and large gatherings before for our different clans. And we did that together that day based on your recipes and your heritage, but it's aligned perfectly with the times that I spent learning cinnamon rolls from one of my great mentors and cooking with my grandmother. Those things perfectly aligned!
Observing Family Relationships at a Native Powwow
One of my most powerful memories when I was at the powwow here at BYU: I was brought to tears watching three different fathers. I sat quietly and just observed, because I love the dancing and the regalia and the interactions of the families. I love watching the families work. I watched three fathers standing in different places, helping their sons don their regalia for their dance: one was a toddler, one was maybe five or six, and one was eight or ten. I watched the caring of these fathers as they went through the ritual of putting on the regalia, getting ready to dance, and then watching these little boys follow their fathers out into the hallway and go down and line up to get ready to enter for their dance. I went, “Oh, my goodness, families are universal. Families are the same.” They had their rituals; my relatives have our rituals of baseball games or river rafting. But the emotional connection was just the same. I just saw the power of parenting in the time these fathers were spending with their children.
Brenda Beyal: Cally, that just warms my heart because it brings me back to the commonalities: seeing how we're alike rather than looking for differences. I'm not saying that we don't acknowledge the vibrant diversity of people in general, but underneath that all we all have love for family, love for ancestors, and love for one another.
Heather Francis: This topic made me think about recent Native American friends that I've made. I've been working with a woman in my neighborhood on a couple community projects. I knew that she traveled back to Arizona and that she had Native American heritage. But when I bring it up—and I'm trying to ask more questions to understand her background—it's not really what she wants to talk about. Asking her to tell me about her Native heritage feels almost “othering” rather than creating understanding on the ideas that are present and shared between both of us. So I focus on our relationship, our shared goals, and everyday ordinary experiences. I honor her Native American heritage by also acknowledging the many contemporary labels that she brings to the table everyday such as employee, mother, volunteer, community activist, etc.
Brenda Beyal: I love that. I want to go back to where you have already met Native Americans, because we are a very vibrant part of the community already. I love that friendship trumps any kind of need to separate or even, you know, “Because you're Native, let me talk to you about Native things.” Instead, it's the friendship of people and human beings. Obviously, for all of us sitting here, we don't talk native 24/7 just because Brenda Beyal is in the room. We talk about all kinds of things.
Heather Francis: Could it be said that making friends with Native American people is like making friends with anybody?
Brenda Beyal: Exactly.
Cally Flox: Along that same line, it's important that we become aware of others’ sensitivities when it comes to anyone we’re making friends with. Because I'm going to make friends more quickly with a Native American person when I do ask the right questions like—I can't think of it right now, Brenda, but you've said don't ask, “What tribe are you from?” What is the important wording?
Brenda Beyal: Sometimes people will say, “Oh, so are you Indian?” That's probably not the best way to begin a conversation. If you have introduced yourself and said hello, and you find this person intriguing and you think, “Hey, we might be friends.” Then, maybe another question down the line would be, “What tribal nation are you from?” Or, “What tribal nation do you hail from?” That kind of wording shows that you are being more specific rather than generalizing Native American people.
Cally Flox: What’s the question Native people ask each other so they don’t date in the same clan?
Brenda Beyal: Oh, that's for differing tribes, for the Native people. For Navajo people, you want to make sure that you’re not dating someone that is born into the same clan you are, because clans are actually a form of building relationships and showing that we are all related. My parents would always encourage us to find out what clan the person that we were dating came from, because they never wanted us to date someone who was a member of our clan. So we would say, “What's your clan?”
Emily Soderborg: I want to state that oftentimes, I ask permission: “Would you be willing to share what your heritage is? What are your affiliations with tribal nations?” Because they might not want to talk about it.
Heather Francis: I think that in some ways we broker friendships with schools and teachers and native communities. So if you are interested, we can help you connect with your Title VI coordinator or connect you with the Native Artist Teaching Roster. Bringing a Native artist to your classroom is a great way to make a new friend.
Cally Flox: Some of the children in your classroom who are Native have never had the courage to speak up and say they’re Native. The day that Native artist shows up might be the day that they have the courage to really talk about their heritage.
Brenda Beyal: I do have to say that there are many parents who would happily come into your classroom and teach about their culture and their heritage.
Follow Us:
- Native American Curriculum Initiative Mailing List
- BYU ARTS Partnership Newsletter
- AdvancingArtsLeadership.com
- Subscribe on Apple Podcasts
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- Subscribe on Amazon Music
Don’t forget to peruse the bank of lesson plans produced by the BYU ARTS Partnership in dance, drama, music, visual arts, media arts, and more. Search by grade level, art form or subject area at www.education.byu.edu/arts/lessons.
Noel Pearson on transforming education: Dot West on media portrayal of First Nation's youth
In his fourth Boyer Lecture lecture, Noel Pearson addresses the educational barriers facing young Indigenous people, and from the 1993 ABC Boyer Lectures, Dot West considers the negative media portrayal of First Nations people.
Native American Series 4 | Fourth-Grade "Utah Indians" Song
41. Native American Series 4 | Utah 4th-Grade Song “Utah Indians”
Episode Keywords:
NACI, Native American Curriculum Initiative, teachers asking appropriate questions about Native content, cultural appropriation, addressing Native stereotypes, indigenous pedagogy, Native American lesson plans, authentic voice, Artful Teaching podcast, Native American, classroom, indigenous pedagogy in the classroom, lesson plans, Native American, tribe, NACI authentic experience, teachers, culture keepers, share, curriculum, lessons, indigenous education, culture, Native American cultural arts, sovereign nation, song, Native American song, Northwestern Band of the Shoshone Nation, Shoshone Fish Song, choosing appropriate books, Native American children’s books, decision-based model for Native content, tipi, eight sovereign nations, Utah Educational Network
Episode Resources:
Decision-Based Model for Selecting Appropriate Native American Content for the Classroom
Blog Post: Answering Teachers’ Questions about the “Utah Indians” Song
How to Choose Native American Children’s Books for the Classroom
Utah Educational Network Resource: Five Tribal Groups, Eight Sovereign Nations
I Love the Mountains–Damen Doiya lesson plan
Northwestern Shoshone Fish Song lesson plan
Shi Naasha lesson plan: Coming soon!
Native American Curriculum Initiative Website
www.advancingartsleadership.com/naci
Native American Lesson Plans
www.education.byu.edu/arts/lessons
About the BYU ARTS Partnership
https://advancingartsleadership.com/node/66
Episode Notes:
Why “Utah Indians” from Utah’s Popular Fourth-Grade Program is a Song to Set Aside
Cally Flox: Welcome to the Artful Teaching podcast. Today we address the next question teachers have asked our Native American Curriculum Initiative experts, Brenda Beyal and Emily Soderborg. In our state, we have a wonderful program that was created in the 1990’s called “This is the Place.” It was written and based on people's understanding and the cultural zeitgeist of the day. Over the years, a sense of awareness emerged that one of the songs on that program, called “Utah Indians” is not ideally suited for representing Native American culture or Native American people. Over and over and over again, we get questions from teachers about this song: “Wow, is this song okay?” “Can I sing this?” Teachers now know to ask the questions, and they are asking intelligent questions, noticing:
- “This song supports stereotypes.”
- “This song is saying things that aren't really true.”
- “This song has that stereotypical beat.”
Teachers are learning to ask the right questions. They’re asking, “Can I use this song?” “What do I do?” Brenda Beyal is the Program Coordinator for Native American Curriculum Initiative (NACI), and Emily Soderborg is the NACI Project Manager. They're here to help us answer that question today.
Brenda Beyal: Thank you, Cally. We have had this question over and over again. When this song was first created, it was acceptable to people in general. Now, in 2023, we have viewpoints and perspectives that have changed. At this point, this song is probably verging on creating a narrative that is inaccurate for children. We want to do what's best for children. We want them to view their fellow friends and fellow community members in a way that is authentic and accurate. I don't know if this song does that.
Cally Flox: This is a song, based on our criteria, that we recommend be set aside.
Brenda Beyal: Yes.
Cally Flox: Too many inaccuracies exist in the song for a simple explanation for children in the classroom. For example, if we're choosing a children’s book, and there are one or two inaccuracies, we can show those to the children and still use the book with modifications. This song is one that needs too many modifications. It's time to set it aside.
“Utah Indians” Song Perpetuates Stereotypes of Native Americans
Brenda Beyal: Right. Perhaps you're a teacher that is on a team that possibly uses the song, or you need to talk to an administrator about the song. Here’s how you can explain why the song “Utah Indians” marginalizes communities. There are a couple of things that we find in the song that are uncomfortable. For example, the very first words of the song—which is supposed to be about Native people—are actually sharing the original perspective that the song comes from.
Cally Flox: Will you tell us what it says in the beginning of the song?
Brenda Beyal: It's, “When white man came…” This song actually tells you what perspective the song is coming from.
Cally Flox: That's an honest point of view. This is a song written from white man's point of view about when white man came to the land.
Brenda Beyal: Yes.
Cally Flox: We want to move forward to restoring some of those cultural bonds and the sharing of the land and a more respectful point of view. At least the song was honest about the perspective they were sharing.
Brenda Beyal: Yes, yes. And that perspective was definitely skewed.
Emily Soderborg: Another thing to consider is that the song never brings Native Americans into the present. The song completely categorizes Native Americans as a historical people. Our discussions with Native families and Native educators show that the song has made many Native children feel uncomfortable and unseen, as to who they are today. So if they're being asked to sing this song, these Native children are not able to represent who they are today. The message of this song is not helping them connect to who they are right now.
Cally Flox: A great example of that was Brenda's nephew. His teacher told students, “Draw a Native American house,” and he drew a teepee. And Brenda said, “Do you live in a teepee? And he said, “Well, no, but that's what the teacher wanted me to do.” If a Native child can't find themselves in a song about Native Americans, that's interesting.
Teaching Children About Eight Sovereign Nations in Utah Instead of Five Tribal Groups
Emily Soderborg: This song teaches the five tribal groups; it goes through each of their names. In our work with the eight sovereign nations, we know these groups want to be known as the eight sovereign nations. We are hoping to help perpetuate their identity as eight sovereign nations rather than just the five tribal groups within Utah. Teachers can help with this concept by using the great “Five Tribal Groups, Eight Sovereign Nations” resource that Brenda and Cally have created with UEN as a performance resource instead of this song. I think a lot of times, the reason why teachers want to continue using the “Utah Indians” song is because it's part of a performance. Teachers want something that they can have students do for parents. But if you want songs to sing, we have also been given permission to sing several Native American songs from the specific tribal nations.
Brenda Beyal: I want to talk about how a teacher can approach a team or an administrator who is encouraging them to continue to sing the song. The song “Utah Indians” not only maintains the stereotype of relegating Native Americans to the past, but also the perpetuates Native American stereotypes through the very beat of the song. It has a strong–weak–weak–weak pattern that is often labeled as the “Hollywood beat.” It's the beat that many movies use to depict Native Americans. It’s definitely not a Native American beat. That sometimes feels jarring when you're a Native American and you hear that beat.
Emily Soderborg: That beat is used to create stereotypical Native American music written by people that are not Native American. With a vocalization, it might sound like, HI–yah–yah–yah, HI–yah–yah–yah, HI–yah–yah–yah. This is not anything you're going to find in any Native American music. And I grew up with music like that, and I know now that it is stereotypical. When we know better, we do better—we change.
Knowing Better, Doing Better: Listening to Marginalized Voices
Cally Flox: I think that's a really important point. Brenda generously said at the very beginning of the episode that people thought this song was okay, in the 90’s when this was written, this was how the culture saw things. But I do want to acknowledge that there were people who knew it wasn't okay. There were people who felt marginalized every time the song was sung. So what I'm really grateful for is that as a culture, we've come to a place to start listening to those marginalized voices and saying, “Oh, this makes you uncomfortable. Teach me why.” Now, we can know better and do better. We're not faulting anybody who wrote this beautiful program that's been used in schools for 30 years, one that many children have embraced and loved and grown up doing. We want to acknowledge how important this “This is the Place” program has been in the development of many children learning the history of our state. We're trying to say, “Yeah, this is a great program. Now, how can we make it better based on some of the understandings that we have right now? How can we be sensitive to this particular marginalized group, bring them into the present, and strengthen our communities today?”
Indigenous Experience is an Essential Part of Utah History
Brenda Beyal: I love that this teacher is asking this question because they want to be inclusive. Someone may say, “Well, let's just not do anything with Native Americans.” It’s impossible to talk about the history of Utah without talking about indigenous people within the state. If you're nervous, and you just say, “Well, let's just not do anything,” then you're creating a greater void in all children's narrative of how Utah became a state. Another point that one could bring up in seeing the need for the song to be replaced is that some of the lyrics use the terms “Great Spirit” and some lyrics say that Native Americans worshiped wind, fire, and water and different entities. As a Native American, I've never worshipped those elements. I may have a strong relationship or see reciprocity with those elements, but I've never worshiped them. Those lyrics can be confusing to not only Native children, but also to all children alike. Using the idea of a “Great Spirit,” we have in my Navajo culture, we have the Holy Ones. So, that can also be a sticking point.
Heather Francis: It's not just stereotypical, but it's homogenizing. These are not Navajo-specific lyrics, not specific to the Paiute tribe. Since it's not tribe-specific, it's homogenizing, or saying all Native Americans worship this way.
Emily Soderborg: I like to think about the way we use the term Native American: I like to connect it with the term European. Think about Europe, and all the different languages, all the different cultures that are found in Europe. So if you say, “Oh, someone is European,” you know that a French person is not the same as a German person, that they are going to have different backgrounds, different cultures, ways of living. So when we say Native American, that is very similar to saying, European. In the United States, there are 574 federally-recognized tribes with different languages, different cultures, different ways of doing things. So if we homogenize them all into one group saying, “Oh, they all do things the exact same way,” it's like saying, “People in Europe are all exactly the same, their languages are all the same, the way they do things are all the same.” Because Native Americans span more than just one continent—there are indigenous people all over—looking at it that way helps us understand the harm that can be caused by homogenizing.
Brenda Beyal: Although there are 574 federally-recognized sovereign nations, many more sovereign nations exist that only carry state recognition and not federal recognition. Additionally, there are many who aren't recognized at all, who continue to hold on to their culture and their tribal ways. 574 is just the starting point. There are so many more nations out there.
Rewriting the “Utah Indians” Song
Cally Flox: Teachers, we are so grateful for these questions and your desire to improve the accuracy and authenticity of the work that you do in your classrooms. When we contacted the publisher of the “This is the Place” music and program, that publisher said, “You know, I don't have the resources right now to rewrite that song, but I'm certainly happy if somebody else wants to rewrite it.” He certainly acknowledged that he, too, wants to be supportive. We have had conversations with the Utah Division of Arts and Museums, as well as with the Utah State Board of Education and discussed who would be willing to rewrite this song. I can't wait to see which artist, or maybe a team of Native American artists, will step forward to write a new song for this wonderful program that people like to use.
Lesson Plans with Authentic, Tribe-Approved Songs for the Classroom
Cally Flox: Teachers, we have some additional song suggestions to offer you.
Emily Soderborg: The Northwestern Band of the Shoshone Nation has given permission for students in Utah to sing two of their songs. (As we are gifted opportunities to sing these songs, we also are given responsibility to sing the songs with the necessary knowledge and respect.)
Neither song should be sung without creating context for the listener. As you're doing performances, it's important to provide context. In the two different lesson plans, we have included a paragraph that provides this context for your students. I'm going to read it for you:
There are many native tribes in the United States with distinct languages and cultures. Within Utah, there are five tribal groups, but more importantly, there are eight federally-recognized sovereign nations. These eight sovereign nations are the Northwestern Band of the Shoshone Nation, the Skull Valley Band of Goshute, the Confederated Tribes of the Goshute Reservation, the Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah Ouray reservation, the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, the Paiute Indian tribe of Utah, the San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe, and the Navajo Nation. The song we are sharing today is specifically from the Northwestern Band of the Shoshone nation and does not represent other Native American groups. We hope Native tribes will respect the Northwestern Band of the Shoshone Nation's choice to share this song from their culture. Not all Northwestern Shoshone songs are appropriate for elementary students to sing. Many of the songs are ceremonial or sung for specific reasons or at specific times. However, Patty Timbimboo Madsen, the Cultural and Natural Resource Manager for the Northwestern Band of the Shoshone Nation, has given permission for students to sing this song. She believes that singing this song will help students to better understand how Northwestern Shoshone people see their surrounding environment. This song is traditionally sung while passing time, perhaps when a Shoshone is outside and sees something that brings the song to mind, like the clouds floating or being near the mountains or streams. We express our gratitude that the Northwestern Shoshone have graciously shared this part of their culture with us, and we will do our best to respectfully sing it.
I think as we're singing the songs, it’s important to acknowledge which tribal nation it comes from, that the tribal nation has offered permission for it to be sung—because not all songs should or could be sung by non-Native children, and that we express appreciation for the opportunity to be able to sing it.
- Pengwi bai Anoga, (Northwestern Shoshone Fish Song)
- Damen Doiya.
Cally Flox: Now before you give us the third one, is there any chance you would sing for us the first line of each of those?
Emily Soderborg: Yes. Even though I've been given permission to sing it, we do have recordings of Native speakers singing these songs (that you should definitely have students listen to.)
Recording of Helen Timbimboo singing “Damen Doiya”
Recording of Paula Watkins singing "Pengwi Bai Anoga"
Pengwi bai anoga, pengwi bai anoga, penwi bai anoga eh-na
Pengwi = fish
Bai = upon or above
Anoga (said with two different syllabic emphases because it is sung two different ways in the song) = waves
Buhip = green or grass
Eh-na = song word
That's one of the songs, Pengwi Bai Anoga.
And then we have Damen Doiya.
Damen doiya bai bagina havegin
damme/damen = our
toiya/doiya = mountain
bai = above
bagina = fog/clouds
havegin = lying while moving
na = song word
haiyawainde = the end of the song/the rat's tail broke off
We also have a Navajo song that we have been given permission to sing, which is Shí Naashá.
Shí naashá, shí nashaá, shí naashá biké hózhǫ́ lá, hey ya hey ney ya
Shí = I
naashá = walk
biké = path I follow
hózhǫ́ = beauty way
lá = (emphasizing what was said before)
hey ya hey ney ya = vocables showing the end of the section
Here are links to these lesson plans:
- I Love the Mountains/Damen Doiya
- Northwestern Shoshone Fish Song
- Shí Naashá (coming soon)
Emily Soderborg: Pronunciation takes practice, but these are all songs that students can sing. The lyrics are repetitive. Every time I've taught them to students, they love them. Students feel drawn to them, and they want to sing them.
Cally Flox: These would have been songs the people sang when the pioneers came, so they are authentic Utah history songs.
Brenda Beyal: Absolutely. They definitely tap into Native people.
Heather Francis: Yes. We have lesson plans that help you create context for students, that give you instructional resources to learn the songs, and the lesson plans include other standards. The content is more than just letting students learn the song. What are some of the other things students learn as they're learning these songs?
Emily Soderborg: The lesson plan is called the Northwestern Shoshone Fish Song, because if we titled it Pengwi bai Anoga people would not understand [what type of song] they're looking through in the lesson plan. [We wanted it to be immediately recognizable that this was a Northwestern Band of the Shoshone Nation lesson plan.] The Northwestern Shoshone Fish Song lesson plan uses lots of language arts standards: students are writing stories and connecting to a different culture. The lesson plan has social studies standards as well. The I Love the Mountains–Damen Doiya lesson plan includes a compare and contrast exercise, comparing “Damen Doiya” with an English folk song. Students are learning the geography of Utah with the landforms, studying different parts of the Great Basin, Rocky Mountains, and the Colorado Plateau. The Shi Naasha lesson plan includes the historical aspect and also ties in health standards, examining how students are responding to their own ability to deal with stress and different things in their lives. In all of these lesson plans, students are writing, reading, and creating lots of connections within themselves and across other content areas.
Cally Flox: You guys have done such a great job on these lesson plans. They are just loaded with many, many layers.
Brenda Beyal: I do have to say that these lessons are tribe approved: they have been shared and planned or collaborated on with each of the tribal nations.
Heather Francis: Watch this UEN video for a hand mnemonic device that helps students remember the five tribal groups, but more importantly, the eight sovereign nations. We have a blog post with information about this fourth grade song specifically, so we'll link that blog post as well. Teacher, this blog post shares important talking points for when you talk to your team or administrator who maybe resistant to changing this song in the program.
You can find all the show notes for this episode and more resources at advancingartsleadership.com.
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Don’t forget to peruse the bank of lesson plans produced by the BYU ARTS Partnership in dance, drama, music, visual arts, media arts, and more. Search by grade level, art form or subject area at www.education.byu.edu/arts/lessons
Nikaronhya'a Dawn Martin (Kanyen'kehà:ka) Miss Six Nations, Teacher, Two-Spirit Advocate, Farmer
Katygene Jackson and Kayla Jackson - Diné
Conversations Aboout Decolonization: Episode 4 / Residential Schools
The story of Indian Residential Schools is one of the darkest chapters in Canadian History. Join us as we talk through the reality of Residential School: it's impacts on the children, parents, survivors and communities. This will give the background for what trauma experts are realizing is a pervasive influence on the health of the Indigenous people today.
Important Links:
Indian Residential School Survivors Society
413 W Esplanade
North Vancouver, BC V7M 1A6
Main: 604-985-4464
Fax: 604-985-0023
Toll-Free: 1-800-721-0066
Email: reception@irsss.ca
First Nations Health Authority
National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation
Truth and Reconciliation calls to Action - PDF
First Nations Child & Family Caring Society
Touchstones of Hope, Our Dreams Matter Too, Have a Heart
Project of Heart
Book:
What Happened to You? Conversations on Trauma, Resilience and Healing
by Dr. Bruce Perry and Oprah Winfrey. Excellent book to give more detail about how childhood, adulthood and intergenerational trauma works.
Find the Indigenous Canada Course:
Indigenous Canada via Coursera.org
Indigenous Canada via the University of Alberta
Discover Small Conversations on Social Media
Instagram
Facebook
Twitter
Find Susannah Steers at www.movingspirit.ca and on social media @themovingspirit.
Find Gillian McCormick at https://physiogillian.com/ and on social media @physiogillian.
Integrating Indigenous Education
The York School’s Indigenous Education Committee is a response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action # 62 through 65 that have to do with Education for Reconciliation. In this special Bonus episode, host Natasha Estey speaks with Indigenous Education Comittee leaders, Sean Rand and Sara Akbari, about what they are doing to advance Race, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion work at The York School and to integrate indigenous education.
Follow the hashtag #Yorklearns on Twitter to see this work in action. You can find Sara Akbari on Instagram @mssara.416.
You can find the book Seven Fallen Feathers at your local independent bookstore. Learn more about the work of Indigenous Education Consultant, Pamela Rose Toulouse. The York School has partnered with Equity Connections for its DEI work. Look at The York School's Interim Strategic Plan.
Written and Produced by Natasha Estey
Audio Editing by Andrew Scott
Ep. 15: Indigenizing K–12 science education – Jane Cooper
Many Indigenous students in Canada experience science lessons as counterintuitive, if not outright alienating. It’s high time we incorporated First Nation, Inuit, and Métis perspectives on the natural world into mainstream K–12 science. Researcher Jane Cooper explains the educational landscape, current initiatives, the role of Elders and Knowledge Keepers, and what it will take to make it happen.
The full story: Curriculum and Reconciliation: Introducing Indigenous Perspectives into K–12 Science (impact paper, out September 2020).
Discover more Indigenous and Northern studies projects and access all our research at conferenceboard.ca.
Indigenous Youth Wellbeing
New research suggests that to meet the needs of Indigenous youth, Australia’s health and education systems must adopt practices that provide cultural safety and positive meanings about Aboriginality.
In this episode, David is joined by Professor Rhonda Oliver, Head of Curtin’s School of Education, and Dr Michael Wright, a mental health researcher and Yuat Nyungar man, to discuss what needs to be done to ensure the wellbeing of Australia’s young Indigenous people is improving.
- How the NAPLAN (National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy) is disadvantaging Australia’s Indigenous youth (02:02)
- What needs to be done to ensure mental health services for Indigenous youth become more effective (08:37)
- Defining why translanguaging is important to Indigenous communities (10:59)
- How cultural safety of Indigenous people is being affected by Western worldviews (15:47)
- Why Australia’s Indigenous youth experience more unfair treatment in education settings than elsewhere (22:42).
Links
- Curtin University: New mental health research draws wisdom from Aboriginal Elders
- National Indigenous Australians Agency: Education
- NAPLAN
Got any questions, or suggestions for future topics?
Email thefutureof@curtin.edu.au.
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