native american research project middle school

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Beginning Research Projects: Native Americans Poster Project

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Let’s talk about research projects for younger students. Guiding students through the research process can be stressful, but with lots of guidance, practice, and some gumption, it can be a fun learning experience that builds a life-long skill! So, today, I’m sharing a great beginning research project that can be done with students in 2nd and 3rd grade. This research project focuses on gaining a better understanding of Native American tribes while building those ever-important research skills! I love doing this research project in the month of November to celebrate Native American Heritage Month, but it really can work at any time.

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Start with a Native American Book

For me, any great lesson starts with a book! A research project can start that same way, too! A book helps to fuel interest, or build background information.

Here are a few books that you could use to start a discussion on Native Americans. The suggestions here are a mix of fiction and nonfictional books. Just remember that the book serves as a way to begin the thought process and should be used as an introduction. Click the links below to check them out!

One of my favorite indigenous authors is Joseph Bruchac . He’s a Native American author who works to share his people’s stories, ideas, and legends with us! Honestly, you can’t go wrong with pulling one of his books as a place to start the discussion.

Introducing Native American Tribe Research Project

After sharing a book with your class, discuss Native Americans with your students. Ask them what they already know about Native Americans. Then, work to discuss the fact that Native Americans are not just one group of people, but are actually many different groups of people who lived in groups called tribes. Each tribe had its own culture, beliefs, and way of life, based on the resources available to them.

Discuss how some tribes are still around today, like the Navajo Nation, but others are significantly smaller or no longer with us due to changes brought on by European settlers. Then, show students a map with some of the Native American tribes located throughout the United States.

I like using this map (You can grab it here !)

Use the map/assignment sheet as a launching point for the Native American research project. Explain to students that you will choose a tribe, and then do some research to learn how that tribe used natural resources to live. Then, they’ll get to share their research with their classmates by displaying what they’ve learned on the poster.

From there, have students choose a tribe they would like to study. It can be one from the map or one from another resource (like the books suggested above).

Teacher Tip- Make a note of the tribes students choose to research. I also suggest allowing 2-4 students to research a tribe. Limiting the available spots allows for more exposure to different tribes, but also keeps the focus on learning more about the First Americans and less on what their friends are doing.

Research Note Taking for Beginners

One of the trickiest parts of conducting research in a younger classroom is the ability for students to zero in on important information. I love using a scaffolded research sheet to help guide younger researchers in finding the facts that need to be included in a project.

To keep the project younger student-friendly, this research project includes a scaffolded note-taking sheet that guides students through the different information they are looking for about their tribe.

This one is part of this unit here on TpT.

Before allowing students to use the internet, I review internet safety rules. We also talk about “valid sites.” This one is tricky for younger students to grasp, but I always like to review how we know if a website is good or not. I also provide a list of approved websites to use to find information.

Teacher Tip- Use Kiddle.com as your search engine! It’s a kid-friendly search engine powered by Google!

Native American Tribe Research Poster

Once students have gathered information on their tribe, it’s time to start working on displaying that information. Make sure you have a sample made (or borrow one). It’s much easier for students to complete a task when they know what it should look like at the end.

Before students begin creating their posters, pass out the rubric. Read the different poster requirements, and discuss how that might look on their posters. This rubric is the exact one used to grade the assignment, so you can use it as a guide when creating the poster.

Discuss how the information should be presented neatly so that everyone can read and learn more about the tribe. I also suggest students add illustrations to their posters to add visual interest.

Research Poster Presentation

At the end of the week, have individual or groups of students present their posters to the class. Have students share the important details they learned about their tribe. At the end of the presentation, allow classmates to ask questions about the tribe. Any unknown answers can always be researched later!

Implementing the Native American Tribe Research Poster Project

Want to easily implement this project in your 2nd or 3rd-grade classroom? Be sure to check out this research project in my TpT store. It includes everything you need to complete this project with your students, including information cards on 12 different Native American tribes; three from each US region.

More Resources and Ideas

Need more ideas? Check out these related posts and resources.

• African American Inventors Research Project for 2nd Grade
• African American Inventors and Graphs, Oh My!
• 5 November Activities that are Perfect for 2nd Grade
• Popplet in the Classroom
• Arctic Thematic Unit: Part Two

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• Categories: 2nd Grade , 3rd Grade , reading

Hi, I'm Leigh.

The Applicious Teacher is all about creating hands-on and engaging lessons that align with the standards while still having time for your life. This is your place for ideas, tips, and resources for the REAL teacher!

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Lesson Plan

Aug. 29, 2021, 2:43 p.m.

Lesson plan: Native American boarding schools and human rights

Students will examine primary source photos before and after learning about Native American boarding schools in the U.S. and the long-term effects of such policies. Students will then examine the United Nations'

Convention on the Rights of the Child

and the “Definition of Genocide” and “Elements of the Crime” from

The United Nations Office on Genocide Prevention and the Responsibility to Protect

Students will use these resources to determine if the ways in which the United States government treated Indigenous peoples in the creation and implementation of Native American boarding schools upheld or violated children’s rights and if this treatment fits the definition of genocide.

Note for instructors: This is a difficult and painful topic. Please carefully review all the material ahead of time to assess whether or not it is appropriate for your classroom.

• Use historical context to help make sense of primary source photos
• Understand the rights of children
• Understand what constitutes genocide
• Use evidence to support their conclusions about Native American boarding schools
• Understand the effects that Native American boarding schools had on Indigenous peoples
• Learn about the Carlisle School and the impact it had on Indigenous peoples of the past and today (extension)

Grade Levels

Supplemental links.

• GOOGLE DOC VERSION

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.11-12.1: Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources, connecting insights gained from specific details to an understanding of the text as a whole. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.11-12.2: Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary that makes clear the relationships among the key details and ideas. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.11-12.7: Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats and media (e.g., visually, quantitatively, as well as in words) in order to address a question or solve a problem. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.11-12.9: Integrate information from diverse sources, both primary and secondary, into a coherent understanding of an idea or event, noting discrepancies among sources.

Note for students, before starting this lesson: This is a difficult and painful topic. We will be examining materials that may be triggering or upsetting. If you would like to opt-out of this lesson, at any time, please feel free to.

For a Google doc version of this lesson, click here (you will be prompted to make a copy).

Main activities

Introduce students to the topic: Native American boarding schools .

• Examine (10 min) primary source photos:

Source: Library of Congress

Ask students:

• What do you see in these photos?
• What do you think is happening?
• What questions do you have?

All students should record their responses to each of the questions. Students who wish to can share their responses aloud to the class.

• Provide (5 min) brief historical context. Let students know that this is a difficult and upsetting subject to examine.

For more than 150 years, Indigenous children in the United States were taken from their families and forced into far away boarding schools. From the 1870s to as late as the 1960s, nearly 300 boarding schools, many government-run, operated around the country. Native languages, religion and customs were forbidden. The goal, to separate Indian children from their homes and strip away their indigenous cultures (PBS NewsHour).

• Watch this PBS NewsHour segment (10 mins) :

• Reexamine (10 min) primary photos, and ask the same three questions:
• Distribute United Nations' Convention on the Rights of the Child and the United Nations definition of genocide . (15 min)

Students read the “Preamble” + “Article 29” of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and the “Definition of Genocide” and “Elements of the Crime” from The United Nations Office on Genocide Prevention and the Responsibility to Protect . Have students highlight and annotate segments that relate to the Native American boarding schools.

• Ask students to respond in writing to the questions (20 min):
• How were Indigenous people affected by how the United States government treated them in Native American boarding schools?
• How do the ways in which the United States government treated Indigenous peoples in the creation and implementation of Native American boarding schools uphold or violate children’s rights? Which rights were upheld? Which rights were violated?
• Do the ways in which these boarding schools functioned fit any of the components in the definition of genocide? Which one(s)?

Students who wish to can share their responses aloud to the class.

Extension activities

• Research & writing activity : Take a deeper dive into The Carlisle Indian School and its founder Captain Richard Henry Pratt's speech in which he used the now well-known phrase to describe his philosophy of assimilation: "Kill the Indian in him, and save the man." The following links may be helpful:

The Carlisle Indian School Project

Dickinson College biography of Henry Pratt

Full text of Pratt's speech from Dickinson College

United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child

United Nations definition of genocide

Write an essay that addresses:

• What the Carlisle Indian School was, its purpose, and how it operated
• The philosophy behind its creation
• The impact on Indigenous peoples then and now
• The rights of children
• Dive into the Library of Congress with this primary source research challenge.
• Find 2 primary sources from the time period during which Native American boarding schools existed (1870–1960) that justifies or condemns behaviors that would be considered genocide according to the U.N.’s definition.
• Write an essay that first identifies and describes your 2 primary sources. Then expand your thinking by writing about how these sources directly relate to the U.S. government’s behaviors towards indigenous people.
• 3. PBS NewsHour Weekend aired a series of short stories from the Indigenous community in Yellowknife, Canada exploring alcohol use, addiction, resilience and healing. Many of these issues stem in part from the trauma caused by the residential schools that Canada also had in place for decades.

The “Turning Points” project, from the Global Reporting Center, is a series produced, directed and written by Indigenous people who wanted to share their stories. Be sure to check out EXTRA's lesson plans on the series: One elder’s survival story at Indigenous residential boarding school and One Indigenous man’s journey in fatherhood, addiction and healing .

About the lesson author

Dina Weinberg has worked with children and teens in public and private schools for the past 25 years. She taught middle school English, worked as a teaching artist on large scale collaborative mural projects, created and led a Seed to Table Garden program and taught fine art to children for the last 20 years. Her approach to teaching and learning stems from her belief that every person has the right to grow in a fulfilling, enjoyable, and safe way. Dina currently works one-on-one with students on expository, personal, and historical writing skills; math and science, and building organizational skills.  She is the mother of two grown daughters and lives in Bronx, New York, with her husband.

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Native American Art Traditions in the Middle School Arts Curriculum

Introduction.

Students have forever been concerned with the issue of relevance of schoolwork in their everyday lives. I, too, grapple with this increasingly difficult task of successfully engaging students in the classroom. My students are confronted by a changing world, which demands from them the ability to rapidly process and evaluate increasing amounts of information. As our world grows and changes, students too must grow and broaden their cultural perspectives. One approach in dealing with these issues is to present students with a multicultural curriculum that generates positive change towards cultural awareness. This curriculum unit addresses the issue of cultural sensitivity. By exposing students to the rich Pueblo and Navajo folk art traditions, I hope to increase student awareness and appreciation of the artwork from these two very unique cultures. The students will be given a view of very old customs and traditions. Additionally, they will get a look at what is taking place with modern work created by native artists. Pueblo pottery and Navajo weaving will be the primary focus of the study unit. Art forms such as basket making and sand painting will also be included. The unit will be designed to align with the New Mexico Content Standards and Benchmarks of Visual Arts 5-8.

As a middle school teacher in Santa Fe, New Mexico, I am constantly addressing the issue of cultural awareness in curriculum for my 7th and 8th grade classes. My school population consists of 82% Hispanic, 13% Anglo, 2%African American, 1% Native American. About 90%" of our students qualify for the free and reduced lunch program; many live in impoverished situations. In the past, I have successfully developed and implemented guest artisan visits to present Spanish folk arts, both traditional colonial and modern. I did this to show students the relevance of schoolwork to their everyday lives. It was not uncommon to find that students themselves had already participated in making folk crafts at home. Many times they would relate to me that they were familiar with folk artisans. These people were often family members, parents, grandparents, uncles, and aunts. This kind of curriculum promotes a greater sense of consciousness towards one's own culture and hopefully for other cultures. Designing a folk arts course that includes these ideas can be of great value in today's classroom.

Before I go on much further, I need to discuss briefly the concept of folk art and folk traditions. One can certainly discuss the difference between folk crafts and fine art at great length. Some consider certain fine art to belong to a class of art that is some how separate or elite. Fine art is often thought of as being taught in formal institutions, passed on in the network of "high culture." It is practiced by professionals in the field. Elite, or fine, art is often considered to be fixed in form, concerned with individual authorship or creativity. If this is the definition of fine art, then universities and academies have carried on the tradition of fine art instruction for centuries. Some might go so far as to place a greater value upon the merits and monetary value of fine art than folk art.

In contrast to fine art, we might then talk about what some people think about folk arts and crafts. I think generally that folk traditions are thought of as having a distinctly local character through the influences of history, geography, and the talents of individuals from a much narrower group of people. The folk group or culture is unique to a specific geographic area. The art found in these regions has often changed very little over time, or at best very slowly. The art forms tend to represent or satisfy broad portions of the population's aesthetic needs and often portrays daily life (Nunsz,1994). The people who create these works are not necessarily concerned with trends in popular or fine arts. Often the subject matter deals with the mundane, and is usually informal in its representation. Folk art is not confined to rural areas. It can be found in urban settings, and it can be carried out with the use of modern materials. It can even take on a modern look. When we think of folk art we often tend to think of the craft or art as having been passed down through time, from one generation to another. It is thought of as knowledge or skill that is passed within one's own familial or tribal group.

Each year in August, at the peak of the tourist season, an amazing two-day crafts festival takes place in the old downtown plaza in Santa Fe. Early on a Saturday morning, just before dawn, hundreds of native artisans begin to fill up hundreds of covered vendors stalls. In the cool morning air they begin to put on display a variety of arts and crafts they hope to sell, and often sell out by noon the first morning. Seemingly endless variations of traditional hand-coiled pots appear, painted with traditional plant-based paints. Silver jewelry appears, turquoise abounds. Cottonwood drums covered in rawhide, blankets with a dazzling array of patterns and design work are hung up and shown off in the morning sun. Flutes made of cedar wood, gourd rattles, kachina figures with intricate human features and fancy feathers, baskets of all sizes appear. As one continues into the heart of the market place you begin to see other works: huge sculptures carved out of stone, wonderful figures seem to spring forth from great pieces of marble and granite.

Over six hundred native artisans begin to fill the plaza as the darkness recedes. With the coming of the morning sun a steady stream of tourists, curiosity seekers, buyers, and collectors flow through a sea of white topped stalls. The annual Indian Market has begun, just as it has for over eighty years.

Folk art or fine art? How do we classify the work on display in the market? It actually seems to be a lot more difficult to tell the difference anymore. The lines have become extremely blurred, although various shades of gray exist. Many of the pieces shown can trace their style and design elements back over two thousand years. The Indian Market gives us a very good representation of the evolution of several ancient craft traditions. Many of the works purchased at the Indian Market have ended up in museums across the nation and around the world. Many pieces sell for thousands of dollars, and indeed thousands of dollars will be exchanged before the weekend is over. Santa Fe, a city of about seventy thousand people, will increase in size by an estimated one hundred thousand people. Over sixty thousand dollars of prize money is given out to artisans in selected "best of show" categories. Many of the artists in the show have been educated at universities and art institutes around the country. Many have studied overseas and are very well traveled. Others have not traveled so broadly, but have a rich cultural heritage that has been passed down through the generations. They have learned their craft from parents and grandparents. What they have in common is the fact that they are carrying on traditions that have their roots in an ancient culture that some call Anasazi. The term Anasazi is a term that comes from the Navajo language. It translates roughly into "enemy ancestors." Some people prefer to call it Ancient Pueblo Culture. We will revisit the question about fine art or folk art as we begin to clarify and refine our study of Pueblo and Navajo crafts.

During the first four weeks of this unit it will be important to give the middle school students a general overview of the ancient Pueblo and Navajo culture. We will take a look at the origins of the modern tribes throughout the southwest. This can be done in a couple of ways. We will look at the past through the scientific process as well as a less traditional view, through the oral tradition. Storytelling can be a useful tool to use while explaining the past. Students are very familiar with the art of telling stories. Much of their social interaction with others involves the telling of stories. Emphasis will be placed on the fact that both Navajo and Pueblo cultures use storytelling extensively to explain the past and the present world in which we live. What kind of stories does each of us have within our own families? How did they start? Do the stories change over time? Are they true?

So who are these native peoples, the Navajo and the Pueblo? Where did they come from? Where do they live today? These are important questions to answer as we begin to study the crafts created by these folks.

Historical Background

Ancient ancestors of the Pueblo people roamed around Chaco Canyon about ten thousand years ago. These people are known as the Paleo-Indians. They were hunters of big game, stalkers of bison, mammoth, antelope, and elk. People trying to live in those days must have had an incredibly difficult time. When there was nothing left to eat in camp they would have to look for food on the hoof. If a herd of mammoths was spotted, Paleo-Indians would have to gather a small group of able-bodied people together. It is generally assumed that they typically lived in small groups or bands of less than seventy or eighty people. Finding a herd was difficult enough, but then they had to figure out a plan of attack. The animals they killed were brought down using spears tipped with stone points made of chert or obsidian. When obsidian is broken or cracked, the resulting fragments are sharp as razor blades. These stone points were roughed out by holding a core stone in the palm of the hand, using another stone as a hammer to break off smaller pieces. A piece of hide would protect the palm of the hand during the shaping process. Once a piece was roughly the size needed, an antler tip would have been used to apply pressure to the edges of stone shape. Little flakes of stone could be carefully broken off the main stone until the final sharp notched shape was achieved (Cheek, 1994). These points were anywhere from a half-inch in length to several inches, depending upon their intended use. Spear points could be six inches, sometimes longer. They made excellent knives, scrapers, arrowheads, and spear points using this chipping method. The tips were bound tightly to their wooden handles with animal sinew. Held in the hands of an experienced hunter, they made excellent killing tools.

Armed with these stone tipped spears the hunters would track their game and wait for the most opportune moment to move in for the kill. Picture yourself for a moment, if you will, standing in elephant's pen at the zoo. You are holding a long wooden pole not much longer than the custodian's mop handle. You are not alone; two of your clan members are with you. Elephants probably run about as fast as a wooly mammoth. What's going to happen when you run up to the elephant and stick it in the side? It's quite possible that it is going to become more than a little incensed. It might even decide to chase you around a little bit. Hopefully your hunting pals don't chicken out and run away when the action starts. The hunting done in ancient times probably was not done for sport. Chances for injury to the hunting party were great. Paleo-Indians tried at every turn to find ways to kill prey without injury to the hunters. Why not run the animal into a muddy bog or creek, slow it down a bit? Perhaps a herd could be run over a cliff. These alternatives were often sought. Archeological evidence shows us that this is exactly what happened. At some sites there have been multiple stone points found, meaning that a number of animals were killed in the same place, probably by a number of people. One has to wonder if this was good for the hunters in the long run. Did they help bring an end to good hunting in an area? Killing a lot of animals at one time means that the herd will not produce more of its kind any more. Eventually, large mammoth herds became extinct, possibly hunted to extinction. As big game hunting activities decreased, there would naturally have been a very real need to find other food sources. There are some who believe that perhaps this need for alternative food was the reason agricultural methods were developed, perhaps there was no other choice. Gradually foods that formed the basis of the native diet were corn, beans, and squash.

Before we look at reasons for the beginnings of farming in the southwest it might be good to review what we know about archeology. So, what is archeology? Simply put, archeology is the study of past human cultures. It involves the study of material evidence, artifacts and sites. Artifacts would be any objects made or used by people. An archeological site is a place where humans lived and where there are material remains left. The archeologists are the people who study human cultures by analyzing or studying material evidence. But wait, now we need to have a good definition for what culture is. How about this one? The way individuals in a group of people live, what they think, what they believe, the way they do things in their day-to-day lives. Now we need to consider this: why is it necessary to study the past?

This isn't always easy to answer. People have different reasons to study the past. Sometimes we study the past so that we can remember who we are, who our family members were and what they did. Many of us want to know about our grandparents. Some of us want to know about our great grandparents. Often by taking a look towards the past we can begin to get a better picture of where it is we are going. We can also begin to see why things are done the way are, and why some things don't change very quickly.

Many of us visit special places over and over again. Maybe we have a special park we like to go to, certain places we go to have fun, ride our bikes, hang out. We develop a casual familiarity with places we like to go back to again and again. Other times we visit certain places repeatedly for different reasons, reasons that are often somewhat private. These could be important reasons to ourselves and to our families. Churches are like this for many people. They are important for deep-rooted, spiritual reasons. By placing importance on physical places we begin to realize that it is often necessary to preserve these places. Many of us would be quite angry, and insulted if a large company came into Santa Fe to tear down the cathedral, replacing it with a large hotel. The cathedral stands for something very important to a lot of people, not just the people who worship there on Sundays. It means a great deal to anyone who cares about preserving the past.

The two native cultures we are studying place a great deal of importance in preserving the past. They are cultures that use storytelling as a way of keeping in touch with their ancestors. Keeping traditions alive is of primary concern to a large number of Native Americans today. By studying their culture we too will become more aware of what places are important to them and why those places are worth saving. Even the camps of the nomadic hunter-gatherers are of historic value. Many of these are destroyed or at least overlooked by modern day people.

The ancient Pueblo native hunters were also gathering plants and seeds as they wandered from camp to camp. Once the larger game animals died, though, these people began to settle down. As they eventually settled into areas along the Rio Grande, they were able sustain themselves with planted crops. Squash, beans, and corn became the main food sources for these people. Once agricultural methods were developed into farming, people had a need to store the foods they grew. Baskets began to appear about eighteen hundred years ago. Yucca-fiber baskets have been found that were tightly woven and could hold water (Cheek1994:94). Having established maize agriculture, people could stay in one place for several generations. Establishing a steadier food source meant that it was not necessary to move as often.

The woven basket would have been a great step towards grain and food storage. An even greater advance would have been the discovery of pottery. It makes sense that a clay pot would be much better to cook food in than a basket. Prior to pot making the only way to heat water would have been to add hot rocks to the filled basket. The question of how pottery was discovered is an interesting one. There is evidence that early people lined baskets with clay. Once the baskets were placed in the fire the woven material would eventually burn away. The result would have been fire-hardened clay in the shape of the basket. It is also possible that people may have discovered that clay can be fire hardened in fire accidentally. It is possible then that pottery was not necessarily discovered after basketry. In any case, the discovery of clay as a vessel making material was an important one.

The early pots were very utilitarian, not at all fancy. It wasn't until about thirteen hundred years ago that we begin to see the use of simple designs used as decoration on the outside of pots. Somewhere around eight hundred years ago the pots that were being designed had very intricate, with a variety of styles. All the work was hand built, the coil method. The inside and outside of the pots were scraped smooth using gourd pieces or an old pot sherd. On some cooking pots you might find corrugations, little indentations. These pots have a very textured look to them. Looking at ancient designs today you can see all types of patterns, geometric shapes, checkerboards, zigzags, symmetrical patterns, organic shapes, and dots. These techniques and styles have been modified over the years, but the basic concepts are used even today in traditionally built pottery.

As ancient people developed their farming lifestyle and the making of pottery, and woven goods, both crafts reached a very advanced state. Clay color varied from area to area, as did color of the fired product. The ceramic process involved the use of clay as a paint or slip to decorate, and the dried pots were fired under organic material found locally. Some say that perhaps the intricate color use and patterning on the pottery, which now had taken on numerous shapes, was of great importance, the symbols having lots of meanings that may be lost to the modern viewer. The woven goods became quite varied and of a fine quality. In addition to baskets, bags, sandals and pieces of clothing were created. A variety of fibers, including cotton, dog hair, human hair, and plant fibers such as the yucca, were utilized. Rabbit fur and feathers were also woven into textiles. At this point in time large numbers of people were living in the Rio Grande pueblos, from Isleta in the south to Taos in the north. Out west the Zuni and the Hopi were trading now with people hundreds of miles to the south, east, and west. All in all, life in the upper Rio Grande valley in 1492 was relatively uneventful and satisfying, with rich trade and beautiful and complex ceremonials to break up the drudgery of the agricultural round (Riley,1994:119). In less than fifty years life would be changed radically for all the natives of the continents, for in 1540 the Spanish expeditionary force reached the area around what is now called Albuquerque. With the Spanish came disease, war, and ultimately slavery for many of the natives. Over the next hundred years the native inhabitants found them selves in the midst of all out war, their traditions and beliefs were attacked, their homes destroyed. The population dropped dramatically. The fabric of their culture was unraveling.

Eventually the Pueblo Revolt took place in 1680. In this native uprising, the Pueblo peoples drove the Spanish out, first from Santa Fe, and soon from the entire region. A large number of Spanish priests were killed at their mission churches, the missions themselves having been built primarily with the use of Indian slaves. Freedom from the Spanish was not long lasting. In 1692 a Spanish force marched into New Mexico again. Diego de Vargas and his small sued for peace, establishing a peace that has lasted into present day. Natives continued to be subjugated, but the strangle hold eased up somewhat. Little importance was placed on the continuance of native crafts at this time. With such a dramatic upheaval in the lives of the people many of the local methods and techniques were lost. In some areas, many native crafts simply disappeared. It has taken many generations to revive lost crafts traditions. Relocation, death by disease and warfare all contributed to the change in crafts production.

It is interesting to note that the Spanish entrada, the peaceful reentry into Santa Fe, is celebrated even today. Each fall, after the school year starts, the Fiestas de Santa Fe take place. Preparations go on all year, but the culminating event takes place in a week of visits by "Don Diego de Vargas and his royal court" to every school in the district. The court consists of Don Diego, half a dozen princesas, and a whole host of lesser noblemen, soldiers, and even the clergy. Mariachi bands play, parties abound, hotels fill to capacity. Music, and "viva la fiesta" rings through the streets of the down town area. State workers are given flex time to attend fiesta functions, schools adjust schedules to receive the court. Amongst the princesas one can see a young Native American woman in native costume. The fact that Spanish culture has stamped its mark on the culture locally is undeniable. There is also a continual controversy of the ethics of such pageantry in the public schools themselves. Native participation in the fiesta seems to be minimal. The party, no doubt, will go on.

Eventually the native people were left somewhat to their own devices. Populations in the Pueblos areas and in the Navajo country stabilized slightly. The two hundred years after the Pueblo revolt brought a steady pressure on the native religions to except the trappings of Catholicism, and to some extent we see this even today. There are presently mission churches on almost all of the modern day Pueblos. Then, in 1848, after two years of war, Mexico ceded a vast portion of its territory to the United States. The Dineh, the name the Navajo tribe calls itself, later saw a huge change in its structure as large numbers of its people were relocated by the post-Civil War United States Army. The effect of moving a fairly nomadic tribe onto reservations with few resources was dramatic. It was during this time that silver jewelry work was taken up by Navajo craftsmen. After further relocation the tribal tradition of weaving finely crafted rugs became established. Eventually the tribe would become well known for grazing large herds of sheep.

An interesting thing happened in the late 1800's. The southwest was growing steadily, more and more European settlers, trappers, soldiers, and missionaries were streaming into the area. The two really big changes that would affect Indian culture was the establishment of the Santa Fe trail and the arrival of the railroad. Now the dominant Spanish colonial society was itself being changed into more of a melting pot as settlers from the east, and ultimately the west came pouring into the southwest. As settlements along the growing railroad system grew so did tourism. The effect of the tourist trade on the revival of native arts and crafts is very significant. As the country literally rolled into the twentieth century, so did the tourists. Destinations like the Grand Canyon, Navajo country, Hopi and Sky City, Taos Pueblo, all had great appeal for a growing nation of people with more leisure time and some money to spend. With the advent of the automobile expeditions into Indian land went further afield. Indian country tours were advertised widely. The southwest's uniqueness begins to be translated into economic terms. Tourism brings income, money. The local tribes are not the only people who benefit from this industry. Many areas of the southwest depend upon the annual visitation of people from around the world.

Early in the railroad days of the southwest travelers on the trains could find a variety of goods for sale by native vendors, pots, kachina figurines, baskets. The items were brought to the railroad stations and depots by the crafts people. As transportation and roads improved, visitors traveled to the source. A variety of items could be found at the home. Crafts people could be seen as they created the items for sale. This is a phenomenon, or tradition that carries on today, the artisan working in the home studio. A network of trading posts was also well established by the end of the twentieth century, and to a lesser extent is still in existence. Trading fairs and annual Indian markets, like the one mentioned earlier, have increased the marketability of the crafts and all things native. Under the portal at the Palace of the Governors on can find an orderly row of native vendors selling their wares. Working with city officials the vendors have organized an official body that represents its people. Vendors must go through the proper channels to obtain permission to set up each morning. A range of talent and quality exists under the portal, but one thing remains constant, an adherence to traditional art forms and styles. Through an incredible journey of hardship, decimation by disease, droughts, famine, economic depression, family dislocation, and all the other social ills common to life in America today, we still find native people creating art work that has its roots firmly grounded in the past.

Can a traditional art form change? If a style of art such as we find in the pottery and weaving of the southwest begins to be influenced by the people who buy the art, is it still traditional? If a tourist asks an artisan to use a very modern or recognizable logo (such as a Nike swoosh) to traditional a pot or blanket, and if the artisan complies and makes the piece, is it still traditional art? Modern day artisans do indeed have these questions asked of them. They are asked to do commissioned work, they are asked to create a piece of work in a specific form, color, or design. Over the last one hundred years collectors, museum curators, tourists, gallery and store owners have been interested in obtaining native crafts. Some have requested specific items.

Who are the modern day native people? The Pueblo people of today are divided into nineteen separate tribes. They are known today by their traditional names and the names given to them by the Spanish after the 1500's. There has recently been a shift to more traditional names. They are commonly known as the Hopi, Zuni, Acoma, Cochiti, Laguna, San Felipe, Santo Domingo, Zia, Taos, Picuris, Sandia, Isleta, San Juan, Santa Ana, Santa Clara, Nambe, San Ildefonso, Pojoaque, Tesuque, and Jemez. Many of today's native people live on tribal lands. They have found work in the modern world outside the Pueblos in a multitude of jobs. Their tribal governments strive to improve life in and around the traditional Pueblo, a variety of agencies provide services on the reservations. The reservations themselves vary greatly in size and population. Some allow visitation by outsiders, charging for entry onto the property. Some are very strict about access to the Pueblo and only allow visitors on feast days and dances. Others limit out side access during special religious observances and dances. People planning to visit the tribal functions call ahead these days and talk to the tribal governor's office, or they contact the tribal visitor center as many of these exist today.

The Navajo Nation has the largest tribal reservation in the country. Many on the reservation adhere to their culture, often living at a subsistence level of existence. Some have moved off the reservation and have blended into the greater population of the United States. They too have made an effort to maintain tribal traditions. They have a well established governing body, a school system, and tribal police force.

Ultimately this curriculum unit hopes to help broaden student cultural perspectives about Native American folk traditions. Through the study of several folk crafts, students will be able to recognize and appreciate a variety of craft traditions that are being carried on in the Native American community. They will become familiar with Pueblo pottery styles and characteristics as well as Navajo weaving techniques. Knowledge of the traditional value placed on archeological sites and artifacts will be gained while participating in this unit. Additionally in the course of their studies students will be able to complete the following crafts projects:

Prehistoric Native cordage making. Create a length of cordage using techniques used by

prehistoric peoples of the southwest.

Pueblo style pottery. Shape a ceramic pot using the coil and scrape method. Decorate using traditional techniques. Experience techniques used by the Pueblo people for generations.

Mini blanket weaving. Weave a small blanket during the study of Navajo weaving, using traditional Navajo weaving as inspiration.

Journal writing. Produce writings based on Native folk tales presented during guided imagery sessions. Understand the value of the oral tradition in Native cultures.

Sand symbols. Create personal symbolism in the form of sand pictures during the study of Navajo sandpainting. Evaluate the importance of sandpainting in Navajo culture.

Rock art symbols. Use materials to create personal symbolism to be placed on individual and group displays. Understand the concept and importance of preservation from multiple perspectives, archeological and Native American.

As the students listen to the story of Spider Woman's gift of weaving or the Hopi emergence tale there will be many opportunities to introduce guided imagery. As students actively listen to the story they can begin to form their own images of what takes place in the story. Students can learn to use their own perspective while interpreting the story. A drawing or painting can be made once the image has been formed in the mind. During a recent visit to Santa Fe's Museum of Indian Arts and Culture it was interesting to note that the curator of a new exhibit featuring Spider Woman did not include a picture of the featured character. Not many are available. While telling Spider Woman's story is important to many Navajo, the specific imagery seems to be left to the imagination of the individuals hearing the tale.

The weaving will be completed back at the school setting over the course of the next few days Looking at artifacts will also be important to the presentation of the past. Students will be introduced to the variety of ancient pottery and textiles throughout the southwestern region. With the aid of numerous editions on Pueblo pottery and Navajo weaving, along with a Power Point presentation, it will be possible to show the students numerous pieces from the past. A visit to the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture will take place in the first half of the program. MIAC is located next door to the Laboratory of Anthropology. Both facilities will be visited during a day of field study.

The discussion and interpretation of rock art will also be an important part of the unit of study. There are numerous exercises that will engage students in a dialogue about symbolism in their own lives and those of the ancient people throughout the region. Creating individual symbols as well a group mural will be part of the discussion. Learning about petroglyphs and pictographs will also begin a conversation on preservation of ancient artifacts and sites. The ancient sites are important to both native cultures and the scientific community. The perspectives of each group may be different but both must continue to work together to find ways to help stop the vandalism of sites and the disappearance of artifacts. It is important to show the growing number of incidents throughout the southwest that endanger or completely destroy sites. Illegal pot hunting and road construction threaten sites continually. Raising student awareness is a start towards curtailing these disastrous events.

A visit to the Laboratory of Anthropology will give the students a valuable hands-on experience in the basement of the state-run facility. It is here that they will begin to appreciate the abundance of styles and imagery found on both pot sherds and remnants of textiles. Tools, clothing, cooking utensils, bones, will all serve to get their imaginations going. Who used these items? How did they make them? Did they trade them for other items? How did they make their glazes? What materials did they use to make their textiles?

It is at this point that students will be introduced to the Library of the Laboratory of Anthropology. Here they will find a variety of books from the library's vast collection that relate directly to pottery, weaving, rock art, and native culture. A pre-selected group of books will be made available for students to use as they begin to pay particular attention to the designs found in older native work. They will be making comparisons to modern works when they visit the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture. They can also begin to formulate ideas for their own imagery that will be used as they create their individual textile piece and ceramic bowl. These works will be continued into the second four-week session of the study unit.

As the visit to the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture begins, students will be taken on a docent-led tour of the museum's permanent collection. Here they will view entire bowls, not just fragmented pieces. The exhibit represents a variety of regional ware, ancient to present day. Also on display will be work of many modern day artisans. One of the focal points of the tour will deal specifically with Spider Woman and how she gave the Dineh the gift of weaving. Dozens of rugs from the Navajo tribal region will be on display. Students will listen to one of the museum's native speakers tell Spider Woman's story. Upon completion of the tour, classes will be taken to an area where they can begin working on a small weaving. This weaving will be taken back to the classroom and completed over the course of the next two days.

In addition to weaving, students will be shown the techniques involved with the creation of Pueblo style pottery. This in-class workshop will begin with a demonstration by a local potter from one of the Rio Grande pueblos. With her guidance, students will hand build a pot which will eventually be slipped and painted in a traditional manner. Creating designs for the decoration of the pot will be left up to the individual. No predetermined outcome is expected. Technique will be stressed, not the importance of making imitation Indian pottery. During this workshop students will be asked to consider the viewpoint of the visiting artisan. How do artisans view their art? Who is it made for? Does the artist take into consideration the tourist when making pottery? Are there certain images that she can or cannot use?

The culminating event in this eight-week program will be a visit to Bandelier National Monument. Prior to visiting the ancient site students will be visited in class by a National Park educator. Students will be asked once again to consider what this monument means to others. Is the site merely a recreational spot, a place to see where real Indians live? Is it an archaeological site, a ruin where scientists can gather data? How should it be treated? Should it be given the kind of reverence one might expect when visiting the Sistine Chapel or perhaps one's own church?

It is all about establishing in the minds of the students the fact that various different perspectives exist. This program hopes to foster the student's own informed perspective and appreciation of native cultures. Helping students to understand their own traditions ultimately leads them to understanding the wide variety of cultures that surround them. It is possible to help students realize the importance of the archeological sites around the state. They need to understand the problems entailed with the preservation of these culturally significant areas. The fact that they are disappearing rapidly makes the issue much more pressing. Once destroyed, these places cannot be replaced. Vandalism is a constant threat to sites all over the country. Wholesale theft of petroglyphs takes place much too often. Power tools are employed to remove slabs of stone from cliff faces at sites that are so remote that it often takes some time before the theft is noticed or reported. Ancient symbols have been used for target practice. How many times have we seen modern names scratched or painted onto very old surfaces? How do ancient markings differ from today's graffiti? Is there a difference? Are there places that we would hate to see painted over, destroyed? How do we come up with ways to protect these places? There are numerous governmental agencies whose job it is to protect the areas in danger. The United States Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Tribal Police, National Park Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, and Bureau of Indian Affairs are some of the groups of people involved with preservation. The problem is that all of these agencies deal with a shortage of personnel. There are virtually thousands of archeological and historically important sites around the southwest that are extremely isolated. They are spread out over hundreds of square miles. There are simply not enough people to adequately protect all of them. Some sites are so remote that they are only sporadically visited. Other sites, like many of the places around Santa Fe, are constantly visited by hundreds of people. As students living in an area within a short walking distance of ancient dwellings, students should become keenly aware of these issues. Educating the public about the importance of these places and raising everyone's awareness is the greatest tool that any of the agencies can utilize. Getting the public concerned about threats to cultural heritage is very important, and students can become a part of the campaign that promotes preservation. Creating a PowerPoint presentation aimed at stopping vandalism and promoting preservation is a wonderful way for students to become involved. In addition to classroom presentations, students can work on bulletin boards and display case presentations.

All these difficult questions and problems should be addressed in a study of cultural heritage. Educating students to their role in preservation techniques and practices is very important. Most of the students in my classes come into contact with artifacts and ancient sites. They need to understand that it is important to everyone that they help preserve our pictures to the past for this generation and generations to come.

Classroom activities

I.prehistoric native cordage making..

Students will learn how to use prehistoric technology. They will create a length of cordage (string) with plant fiber and use the piece to create a necklace or bracelet. The act of creating the hand-made piece will help students to experience the kinds of methods ancient people developed to survive in the southwest. Fibers from local plants were used to create cordage for everyday usage. Bundles could be tied with cordage, objects and food could be hung up, looms could be constructed. Cordage could also be used for bows, baskets and sandals. There have been rabbit nets made out of human hair. One was over one hundred feet long and two feet tall. Rabbits were driven into the nets and captured by the hunters. The rabbits were used for their meat, hides and bones for clothing and tools. What other things might early people use cordage for? Agave, yucca, milkweed, cedar bark, human hair, rabbit fur, cotton, and sagebrush were all used to create cordage.

Objectives:

Students will learn about a prehistoric craft technique, use different materials to create crafts, and recognize the techniques used in archeology to recreate ancient craft forms. Students will be able to draw parallels between prehistoric cultures and the technology of today.

If local plants or fibers cannot be identified and used, local crafts stores usually carry fibers of various types. Raffia works well for this kind of cordage. Give each student about 18 inches of raffia fiber. Longer pieces can be given if more length is desired for the end product. Thickness will vary; starting with thinner strands is best. Touch the two ends together, thus folding the fiber in half. Tie an overhand knot on the end with the fold, making a loop about 1 inch long.. Hold the knotted fiber in front of you with the thumb and forefinger of the left hand, pinching the knot. Holding the strands out horizontally, form a "v" shape that opens to the right. Working closely to the knot, take the top strand between the thumb and forefinger of the right hand. Apply steady, firm pressure as you twist the fiber, the thumb slides up, the forefinger down. Now carefully pull the twisted fiber tightly over the lower strand, towards yourself in an over and under motion. The tricky part is capturing the twist you just made with your left thumb and forefingers. Now the new top strand is twisted in the same direction with the right fingers. Twist and bring the top strand down over the bottom strand, over and under, keeping the twisting going in the same direction. The tighter the twists, the finer the cordage. Beads or trinkets can be made or purchased to hang on the cordage. Allow 45 minutes for the activity.

Pictures of prehistoric woven fabric and sandals found on websites and in resource books

Beads or medallions, made in class or purchased

New Mexico Educational Standards:

Visual Arts Standard 6: Show increased awareness of diverse peoples and cultures through visual and performing arts. Grade 5-8 students will:

A. Compare and describe artwork of various eras and cultures; and

• Compare and contrast artworks and artifacts from two dissimilar world cultures. Students can look at the culture of Pueblo people in the area, making comparisons with their own lives, contrasting the art of Anglo and Hispanic artists with that of Native peoples

B. Recognize historical and cultural themes, trends, and styles in various works of art.

• Sort and classify a variety of art objects within an identified historical and cultural context.
• Create art that reflects a particular period within a specific culture. Pueblo pottery and weaving span many years and many generations. Students can look at the changes that have taken place over time. Attention can be given to the types of imagery used in various locations at various times.

Visual Arts Standard 7: Demonstrate knowledge about how technology and invention have historically influenced artists and offered new possibilities for expression.

Grade 5-8 students will:

A. Use, review, and evaluate computers and other electronic media as tools for design and communication of ideas.

• Identify the appropriate type of technology use to achieve a desired outcome. Demonstrate how all student participation can be enhanced through technology.
• Incorporate the use of at least one means of technology in creating an original work of art.

Computers can be used in a variety of ways to meet these standards. Power Point presentations can be made by students and presented to the class. Internet sites can be accessed, research carried out, and reports made with the use of computers. Design projects can be carried out in various programs while studying Navajo and Pueblo art. Digital imagery can be used widely: still shots can be used for displays, film can be used for a number of craft demonstrations. Creating a short film on the need for preservation would meet the requirements of this standard.

II. Pueblo Style Pottery

Students will create a ceramic pot in the style of Pueblo potters, what some call America's first art form. Natural clay resources vary greatly and some sites have been used by generations of potters. Some older potters have been known to give up making pottery once the traditional source was used up. The clay gathering process takes a long time. Natural clays have to be gathered, cleaned, dried, ground, re-hydrated, and wedged before they are ready to be used in the creation of a piece.

Students will identify and use the techniques of Pueblo potters and create ceramic pieces of their own. Students will also be able to recognize Pueblo designs in ceramic ware, and understand the value in preserving ancient pottery sherds.

Prior to working with clay, students will work in sketchbooks. They will begin to search for symbolism that pertains to their own sense of place. What do images in Pueblo culture stand for? Are there images in the culture of the student that have the same kind of importance? Once the image has been found and drawn out the clay work can begin. Students will work with two different clay bodies, one white, another terra cotta. Students will be introduced to the coil and scrape pot-building technique. Using this technique, students will start with a lump of clay just a little bigger than their fist. The moist clay is carefully rolled between both hands and slowly coiled in a circular fashion. The coiling starts in the center of what will eventually become the bottom of the bowl. Coiling continues to spiral upward, forming the curved walls of the bowl. Once the coiling process has been completed, the lines between the coils are gently blended over on one another. Using their hands and fingers dipped in water, the students shape the vessel into its final shape. Care has to be taken at this point to only use enough water to smooth over the pressed coils. Too much water tends to make the clay sticky, and ultimately weaker. If this happens, the work can be suspended and allowed to dry out for a period of time before continuing. If the rough form of the desired shape has been achieved, the young potter can take a scraper and begin to refine the smoothing process. Scrapers can be purchased or made from a recycled plastic container, by cutting a piece in the shape of an oval or a kidney bean. Traditionally, dried gourd pieces were used.

After pieces have dried, fine sandpaper can be used to complete the smoothing process. Slip can be made from terra cotta red clay and used as "paint" for final decoration. Some experimentation with other glazes can take place, but commercial glazes can also work well for more predictable results. Black, red, ocher, and browns will best represent the traditional pallet. A glossier finish can be obtained by burnishing with a highly polished stone. This is the traditional technique; however, it does require a good deal of patience and a fair amount of work to achieve the desired sheen. A more traditional technical may be attempted with chewed and trimmed yucca fronds. Fine commercial brushes can also employed for this task. Design inspiration can be drawn from the numerous pictures viewed during the course of study. Traditionally, the pieces are pit fired using dried dung or wood to about 650 to 950 degrees C. An electric kiln will probably achieve a similar low fire effect. A little experimentation with test pieces might be the best approach when dealing with a variety of clays and glazing techniques.

Pictures of Pueblo pottery on websites and in resource books

Sketchbooks

Red clay slip

Visual Arts Standard 1: Learn and develop the essential skills and technical demands unique to dance, music, theatre/drama, and visual arts. Grade 5-8 students will:

A. Explore art materials, techniques, qualities, characteristics, and processes; understand what makes them effective in solving specific art problems and how they are used to enhance life experiences and ideas.

1. Engage in problem-solving activities that apply the principles of art to the elements of art.

Creating projects in a variety of craft styles suggested in this curriculum will engage students in problem solving. They will use a variety of techniques as they explore the materials use to carry out the projects.

B. Explore and understand the use of art materials and techniques by culturally diverse artists locally and globally.

1. Research and discuss the relationship between art and artifact and their historical, geographical, cultural and political contexts.

The discussion of artifacts in the preservation of Navajo and Pueblo cultures will lead students into a discussion of art within the culture. What qualifies as art? Is utilitarian craft work art? A whole host of questions will be presented as students become engaged in the activities presented in this unit.

III. Sand symbols

Students will gain some inspiration for their own sand pictures by studying Navajo sandpainting. Sandpainting is traditionally done in a sacred way, usually in the hogan, a traditional Navajo home. The ceremony involved with the sandpainting is performed to cure people who are sick. Elders are present, as well as a medicine man. This is the person who would carry out the sandpainting on the floor of the hogan. The whole process can take days. Red, black, white, blue, and yellow all have particular symbolism in the traditional use of sandpaintings.

Students will identify and use traditional Navajo techniques to create sand pictures. Students will also become familiar with symbols used in Navajo sandpainting. They will learn to appreciate the role of the sandpainting in Navajo culture.

These student sand pictures will be carried out on foam core board that is 5"x 8." Traditionally the paintings are done on the ground, but we are not trying to replicate the actual form; we are merely gaining inspiration for a project using colored sands. The first step is to work on imagery with the students. One approach is to have them select one of the many animals associated with Navajo country, such as coyote, frog, bear, and snake. There are also many monsters that will have appeal for some students. These might include Dune Monster, Monster Slayer, and Water Monster. Folktales will be a good source for imagery. Having students work with colored pencils to create the image in another medium will give them a good starting point for the final project. Once a design has been decided on, it should be drawn in pencil onto the board. Start by painting a thin solution of watered down white glue over the surface of the board. Allow the board to dry. Colored sand can be purchased at a crafts store and is probably the easiest way to go. Traditional colors can be used, but any colors will do. Individual sections should now be carefully painted onto the board's design. Sand is now poured carefully from a small paper cup, making sure that the entire area receives some sand. Excess sand is tapped onto a piece of 8"x11". This excess can be poured back into the cup for use in other areas. The trick is to avoid mixing colors in the individual cups as this will lead to a dull effect when the painting is completed. Glue each area and apply sand. Finished products can be coated with a spray fixative. Stress the importance of creating a picture with high contrast.

Foam core poster boards 5"x8"

Colored sand, various colors

Colored pencils

Small paintbrushes

Spray fixative

Visual Arts Standard 4: Demonstrate an understanding of the dynamics of the creative process. Grade 5-8 students will:

A. Explore the influence of personal experiences, imagination and the dynamics of culture to works of art.

1. Create art in which design elements and principles in conjunction with subject, themes and content are based on personal experiences to create meanings.

B. Understand how the qualities and characteristics of various art, media, techniques, and processes influence the creative process to communicate experiences and ideas.

• Discuss specific instances in which culture influences art.
• Identify and describe the emotional connotations of the use and placement of design principles and elements in a particular piece of art.
• Describe orally or in written form a personal reaction to at least three pieces of art in different media.
• Demonstrate how the use of traditional and different media can convey meanings, (softness of pastels and watercolors, texture of collage, sparseness of wire, etc).

Sandpainting lends itself beautifully to the presentation of personal experiences and the use of design elements created by the student. In this project they will be asked to use their own imagery to create a piece that uses material which is specific to the Navajo culture, material from the earth itself: sand. Traditional imagery can be studied, students learn about the significance each figure plays in the greater image of a sandpainting. Short written critiques can be done in class to demonstrate personal reactions to the works created in class.

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5 Native American STEM Activities to Engage Your Students

There’s a lot of conversation in STEM surrounding the gender and racial gaps, but these discussions usually center on women, Black, or Latino groups. The focus is far less often on Native American students, even though  more than half  of this population doesn’t have access to the full range of math and science courses in school.

How can we increase the number of Native American students excelling in STEM fields?

One important way is to get these students started on STEM pathways early; for example, with products or activities designed for them at various ages throughout their education.

Studies show that when young children enter school, they already have an understanding of the natural world and are curious to learn , regardless of race or background. Just like closing the gender gap, the key is making sure Native American students are included and encouraged to pursue  STEM subjects and projects  when they’re very young.

Related post:  Introducing STEM Homeschool Curriculum

Projects Designed with Native American Students in Mind

The internet has a range of Native American-themed projects at affordable price points, so whether you’re a teacher or a parent, you can  incorporate STEM projects into your curriculum  or home routine.

1. Iroquois Wampum Coding

You can  teach coding  with an ancient Native American twist. In groups, students use beads to represent letters of the alphabet . They construct a code with these beads, and then swap their designs and see if they can decode each other’s messages.

Learning the principles of coding early is an excellent way to introduce students to STEM subjects. Careers like software engineers or mobile app developers not only require detailed knowledge of how to code, but the need for these types of jobs is projected to grow exponentially .

2. Dream Catcher Design

Dream catchers have long been a meaningful part of Native American culture, so having children  design their own  is a fun way to explore this practice. Adding the challenge that it has to be constructed to catch three dreams written on folded sheets of paper brings engineering concepts into the lesson.

Native Americans are underrepresented in engineering fields, just like the other STEM careers. Introducing this foundational, technical way of thinking early lays the groundwork for Native American students to pursue problem-solving careers in engineering.

3. Canoe Building

Older children can take on the challenge of  building a functional canoe . Students must construct a canoe out of everyday materials, and it must be able to float for three minutes while bearing a load of some kind.

Canoes were the main way Native American tribes traversed rivers, so this project is another way to put together engineering, design, and problem-solving concepts with Native American culture. If you’re using this activity in a classroom or with multiple siblings at home, it also teaches teamwork.

4. Footprint Tracking

To get your students or children outside, try adding a nature study in the form of footprint tracking. You can either purchase various animal footprint molds and place the prints yourself, or trust a nearby park or forest’s wildlife. Give the children pictures of the footprints and try to have them match the print to the animal that made it.

Connect this activity to the various reasons why Native American tribes would need to track animals. Have them brainstorm the uses for each animal, and how the Native Americans would engage with nature scientifically to track and study the critters.

5. Online Options

For more self-guided learning, you can find videos, projects, and curriculums online. For example, younger students can learn about the  four seasons  and how they change in a cyclical pattern each year. This knowledge is essential for Native tribes, as their daily lives can change drastically based on what season it is.

There are plenty of  online videos , whether you want to teach your children about weather patterns, fossils, or natural resources, all topics that can be easily connected to Native American culture.

You can also complete research-based projects for your students. For example, assign groups of students to various indigenous tribes and task them with finding out what calendar the tribes followed or how they explained the presence and workings of the sun.

Digging into historical Native science practices can help Native American students realize that their ancestors have always been scientists, engineers, and mathematicians . This is an especially useful tactic, as there are so few modern-day STEM role models for Native American students to look up to.

Other Resources for Native American STEM Activities: Groups & Curriculums

The  American Indian Science and Engineering Society  (AISES) is an organization founded to increase the numbers of the indigenous peoples of North America in the STEM fields. They provide resources, scholarships,  science fairs , and more. They also encourage networking opportunities so students can have a support system in place, with peers to encourage their STEM goals.

“By trying to develop and provide culturally relevant STEM programming,” says  Kathy DeerInWater of AISES , “AISES is attempting to… empower Native people to reclaim [the] knowledge and understanding of their ancestors, relatives, and themselves as scientists and engineers .”

Because community and culture are so integral to Native American society, AISES also attempts to bring a community-building element to their projects, so students meet in-person and collaborate.

There’s also the  Native American Science Curriculum , a program developed by a group of doctors to help bring new people and perspectives into environmental science and resource management, two topics that are important in Native societies. The program provides lessons on environmental justice, indigenous research methods, and more.

How Can You Support Native American Students in STEM?

The activities above are an excellent starting point. But be sure to reinforce the concepts with an environment that fosters inclusivity, curiosity, and positive reinforcement.

If Native American students feel excluded from STEM subjects or see non-Native students being given science-based toys when they aren’t, it sends a clear message that these subjects are not for them. Once that message takes hold, it can be difficult to shake.

So be sure you’re including your Native American children and students in the STEM discussions, and engage in scientific activities with them early!

Mark is the driving force behind STEM Geek. With 20 years of experience in chemistry education and research, and 3 willing children as guinea pigs, Mark has a passion for inspiring kids and adults to combine fun and learning with STEM Toys!

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Native American Projects

Native American Projects  are always an activity my students enjoy! Check out these social studies activities for kids to make learning fun and exciting. For kids, Native Americans can be an exciting topic! Native Americans are very interesting people with very unique cultures. My sweet students recently completed our Native Americans for Kids unit.  Students learned concepts including Native American history and Native American culture. My students found many Native Americans facts engaging and they were excited to learn more each day!

So, whether you are looking for ideas for Native American Craft Preschool  or Native American for 5th Grade projects, you are in the right place!

Native Americans Art Project Ideas

Native Americans of the Great Plains are resourceful people. These tribes found a use for every part of the buffalo. Native Americans would use buffalo to create tools, shelter, clothing, food, and much more. Honestly, I was so impressed with the many ways in which buffalo was used.

Native American School Projects

Native American School Projects will be so much fun for students! Trust me, they will make great memories while learning interesting facts while participating in Native American School Projects.  Students enjoyed working with different Native Americans tribes for their Native American projects.  The Native American tribes my students worked with are the ones outlined in the Georgia Social Studies Standards. These tribes were Inuit Native Americans, Kwakiutl Native Americans, Pawnee Native Americans, Seminole Native Americans, Hopi Native Americans, and Nez Perce Native Americans. Each tribe gave my students the opportunity to learn interesting facts and new stories my. I really enjoy teaching this social studies unit.

Native American Craft Supplies

When planning for Native American School Project, first decide what tribe the project will represent.  Then, do research on that specific tribe.  After, look around the house for items you can use and make a list of what native american craft supplies that need to be purchased.  Check out Amazon.com and Hobby Lobby.  Hobby Lobby has a excellent selection of sheet of sod for grass, Native American figures, buffalo figures, and many other options.  I wanted to share a few native american craft supplies that I found.  

This assignment of Native American projects excited my students.  Native American project letters and the project rubric were sent home and students were given 2 weeks to complete the assignment. At school I went into great detail with my students about the rubric so they would know what to expect. I was blown away with the amount of Native Americans facts and the many details students included in this social studies projects.

Native American Project Rubric

Here are several photos of Native American projects. Way to go everyone! If you have assigned a similar project for your students, please share. Native Americans projects are fun, and my students really enjoyed this social studies project. Does assigning Native Americans Projects to make you nervous? Don't be nervous! Write down a list of what you want to accomplish overall for the project. Whatever you choose, write it down and start creating your rubric. Then, talk to your students about the Native American project and your expectations. Be clear of your expectations give examples of what to do and not to do. It is very important students have a clear understanding of your expectations so they can meet those expectations.

Looking for Native American activities ?  Check out these engaging, standards-aligned flipbooks. My students love working with flip books and always find them useful when preparing for an assessment.  The following tribes are included in this Native American Activities Flip book BUNDLE...

Click below to learn more!

Teaching and learning about the lives of Native Americans is always fun and interesting!  I hope you enjoy these activities and get excited about Native American Projects as I do!  Good luck!  If you have any questions or need help, please email me at [email protected]

Share with us! If you have great pictures of cool, creative Native American projects, please snap a picture and email them to [email protected]. I would love to include them on this blog post and help others out. Thanks for sharing!

Social Studies 5: Native American Tribes (Fink): Intro

• SIFT Method

Native American Tribes

Photo taken by Mike Morris

Used under a Creative Commons License

This guide will help you with your research on Native American tribes. If you need more help, please email Ms. Pritchard ( [email protected] ).

Websites with images.

Creative Commons Image Search  allows you to search several image repositories (including Flickr and Google Images) and limit your search to only those images which are licensed for others to reuse them.

Sora has at least one e-book for each tribe on your list, as well as books about the native peoples of different regions. Ask Ms. Pritchard if you need help with Sora.

• Books in Sora on Native American Tribes
• Many tribes have their own official websites. Try searching for your specific tribe or region.
• Look at the back of your books to see which websites the authors recommend.
• Or check out the websites below:
• CommonLit: Native American History and Authors Articles & texts by and about Native Americans.
• National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) The NMAI is one of the Smithsonian museums, part of the largest museum complex in the world. This is a good place to look for information about particular Native tribes, including photographs of artifacts like clothing and housing.
• Native American Facts for Kids An extensive website with information on a large number of tribes. It is run by a small nonprofit organization called Native Languages of the Americas.
• Native American Indian Resources: Pre-Contact Housing This website gives examples of the shelters used by several different tribes, plus a map indicating which types of housing were used in different regions.
• Native Tech A good collection of information on how Native Americans (focusing on Eastern Woodland tribes) used various materials to create clothing, tools, homes, and more.
• ReadWorks: Native Americans Articles & texts on Native Americans.

Quick Links

Citation Worksheets

• 5th Grade Citation Worksheet: Book Make a copy of this Google Doc and fill one out for each book you use for the project.
• 5th Grade Citation Worksheet: Encyclopedia Database Make a copy of this Google Doc and fill one out for each article you use from an encyclopedia database (Britannica or World Book).
• 5th Grade Citation Worksheet: Webpage Make a copy of this Google Doc and fill one out for each webpage you use for this project.

Library Databases

Tips for Searching the Databases

• Smart Search Tips for Databases - MS (video) This screencast, geared for MS students, shares tips about how to search databases effectively (using Research in Context) and also discusses the difference between databases and websites. (6 minutes)
• Next: SIFT Method >>
• Last Updated: Oct 6, 2022 10:18 AM
• URL: https://usn.libguides.com/nativetribes

An official website of the United States government

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Secure .gov websites use HTTPS. A lock ( Lock Locked padlock ) or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

• Supporting Tribal Nations in STEM
• Career Opportunities
• Contracting With NSF
• Partnering With NSF
• Diversity Policy
• NSF History
• Budget, Performance and Financial Reporting
• Our Directorates and Offices
• Staff Directory
• Advisory Committees
• Congressional Portal

As NSF carries out its mission of funding basic research and education in all fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics, we must also work to strengthen our nation-to-nation relationship with Tribal Nations.

On this page

Funding for tribal nations.

For over 50 years, NSF has proudly supported the growth of STEM research and education at tribal colleges and universities.

Explore programs that are especially suitable for proposals led by federally recognized American Indian and Alaska Native tribes (Tribal Nations) below.

This 20-minute video showcases research being conducted by students and faculty at tribal colleges and universities and provides insights into the students’ academic success and aspirations and what STEM research means to them.

Tribal Colleges and Universities Program

NSF's  Tribal Colleges and Universities Program (TCUP)  provides awards to federally recognized tribal colleges and universities and eligible Alaska Native- and Native Hawaiian-serving institutions.

The program aims to increase Native individuals' participation in STEM careers by expanding the breadth and depth of STEM programs at eligible institutions and facilitating the development of a strong STEM enterprise in these institutions' service areas.

The program supports transformative capacity-building or community engagement projects through several strands:

Explore the program strands

Instructional Capacity Excellence in TCUP Institutions:  Supports designing and implementing comprehensive institutional advances in STEM education and research capacity at eligible institutions.

Targeted STEM Infusion Projects:  Supports the attainment of a short-term, well-defined goal to improve the quality of STEM education.

Small Grants for Research:  Supports research studies that further the scholarly activity of individual faculty members.

TCUP Partnerships:  Supports collaborations led by tribal colleges and universities that involve non-tribal institutions of higher education. With these projects, other NSF programs support the work of the non-tribal collaborating institutions.

Tribal Enterprise Advancement Centers:  Builds upon the STEM capacity of tribal colleges and universities by positioning their faculty and students as intellectual partners to address STEM needs or aspirations of the community they serve.

TCUP Secondary and Elementary Teachers of STEM:  Supports K-12 STEM teachers in tribal colleges and universities' communities to increase their content knowledge of STEM disciplines and enhance their expertise in sharing that knowledge with students, colleagues and community members.

Cyberinfrastructure Health, Assistance, and Improvements:  Supports projects at eligible institutions to upgrade the cyberinfrastructure necessary to conduct, expand, manage and administer STEM research and education programs.

Preparing for TCUP Implementation:  Supports activities that prepare an institution for implementation-level projects. Examples of supported activities include completing an assessment of an institution's current STEM instructional capacity or engaging in conversations necessary to formulate a shared vision of what that capacity should be and how to achieve it.

Credit: Bob Hallinen / ADN

Arctic community engagement

Given the expert knowledge held by Indigenous and local communities in the Arctic, NSF recognizes the importance of engagement with Arctic residents and leadership and encourages collaborations that improve NSF-funded research.

NSF encourages the following types of collaborations:

• Research at sites near local and Indigenous communities.
• Community engagement and outreach.
• Developing the next generation of researchers and Indigenous scholars.
• Co-producing knowledge to address shared research questions, pursue shared methodologies, and agree upon appropriate outreach and data sharing activities.

Learn more on NSF's  Arctic Community Engagemen t page.

Additional funding opportunities  to support the co-production of knowledge and include Indigenous people and organizations in Arctic research can be found on NSF's Office of Polar Programs page.

Credit: Rob Margetta / National Science Foundation

Other NSF programs that support Tribal Nations

The following programs focus on equity in leadership, development and impact and support many tribal-led awards or are especially suitable for tribal-led proposals:

• Advancing Informal STEM Learning (AISL)
• NSF Eddie Bernice Johnson Inclusion across the Nation of Communities of Learners of Underrepresented Discoverers in Engineering and Science Initiative (INCLUDES)
• Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST)
• Racial Equity in STEM Education (EHR Racial Equity)

Additional programs that encourage submissions from tribes include:

• Advanced Technological Education (ATE)  
• CyberCorps Scholarship for Service (SFS)
• Computer Science for All (CSforAll)
• Discovery Research PreK-12 (DRK-12)
• Dynamic Language Infrastructure - Documenting Endangered Languages
• Estab­lished Program to Stim­u­late Com­pet­i­tive Research (EPSCoR)
• Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER)

Research highlights

Explore some of the ways that NSF work intersects with tribal interests.

Center for Braiding Indigenous Knowledges and Science

This NSF-supported center investigates environmental change and its effects on food and cultural systems by combining Indigenous knowledge with Western science in new, effective and ethical ways.

New grants and fellowships announced to document endangered languages

Among this round of awards is a fellowship to support work on an online dictionary and grammar for the Muskogee language of eastern Oklahoma.

NSF funds new projects to study local and global impacts of a rapidly changing Arctic

Each project focuses on one or more of the following topics: Arctic residents, data and observation, education, forecasting, global impacts and resilient infrastructure. 

Cultivating Indigenous research communities for leadership in education and STEM

The new INCLUDES Alliance spans six states: Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming.

Improving preparedness and resilience to post-wildfire flooding in Native American communities

This project, funded by NSF's  Civic Innovation Challenge , supports Native American Pueblo communities in designing and building wireless sensors to assist in wildfire management and provide early warning when fires and floods occur.

Equipping underserved communities with ocean intelligence platforms

This project empowers Indigenous and other coastal communities to collect and use ocean data to support their blue economy: maritime activities, food security and coastal hazard protection.

Explore more research highlights

Promoting stem fields and workforce opportunities within coast salish communities  .

This project develops educational materials and programming that will promote STEM knowledge and skills in Coast Salish communities and raise awareness around issues of environmental sustainability in the Pacific Northwest.

TCUP: A STEM workforce for the future

Watch a 12-minute video highlighting workforce development and entrepreneurship training for students at America's tribal colleges, as well as the related economic development implications for the tribes.

Building communities of research at tribal colleges

Two NSF-supported research programs share experiences from fieldwork researching huckleberries and studying streams.

Co-creating socio-ecological knowledge of Indigenous resource management

This project focuses on developing the understanding needed to restore culturally and economically important ecosystems while incorporating native voices in ecosystem management. 

Documenting intergenerational conversations in Southwestern Ojibwe  

This project studies the linguistic patterns and learning processes through conversations between fluent elders and children learners.

Partnering with teachers and tribes to integrate Indigenous STEM knowledge  

This project connects interdisciplinary researchers and experts from four tribal nation partners to develop and implement an in-service teacher professional certificate program that integrates Indigenous knowledge into STEM teaching. 

Applying Navajo traditions and understanding to STEM research and education

This project builds robust pathways for Native American students in STEM careers and will integrate Native American perspectives and methods of inquiry into materials science research.

An Indigenous data governance approach for ethical research

This project creates resources for developing informed policies that support ethical and responsible research and data practices that are responsive to the ethical concerns and priorities of Indigenous peoples. 

Information for PIs working with Tribal Nations

Principal investigators seeking to conduct research involving Tribal Nation resources and interests may explore the resources below, which provide information on how to identify Tribal Nation contacts.

U.S. Department of Interior Tribal Leaders Directory

DOI’s directory provides contact information for each federally recognized Tribal Nation.

Additional resources

• U.S. Department of Interior Tribal Liaison Officers and Points of Contact : DOI’s tribal liaison officers may be consulted as appropriate.
• Tribal Climate Resilience Liaison Network : This nationwide network of tribal liaisons is part of a collaboration between USGS, The Bureau of Indian Affairs and Tribal Nations and organizations.
• Tribal Historic Preservation Officer Directory : This directory may be consulted by PIs seeking to conduct research that may affect cultural resources of relevance to Tribal Nations.
• EPA’s Toxics Release Inventory Program Tribal Contacts : A directory of officials who receive reporting forms from Toxics Release Inventory facilities located on the lands of federally recognized tribes.

NSF tribal engagement and consultation

NSF respects the sovereignty and self-governance of American Indian and Alaska Native Tribal Nations and is dedicated to fostering sustained and meaningful relationships as it carries out its mission.

NSF engages with tribes whenever tribal interests or resources are potentially impacted as a result of proposed NSF funding; this activity is part of NSF's responsibilities under Section 106 of the "National Historic Preservation Act." 

In 2021, NSF developed and began implementing the  Action Plan of the National Science Foundation to Enhance Tribal Consultation ,  which reflected verbal and written comments from Tribal Nations and members of tribes.

For general questions about NSF, including funding, contact  [email protected] . 

For government-to-government consultation, please contact:

Caroline Blanco  Phone:  (703) 292-4592. Email:   [email protected] .

NSF resources

• NSF Tribal Engagement Action Plan
• NSF Response to the Presidential Memorandum on Tribal Consultation and Strengthening Nation-to-Nation Relationships
• Handout: Supporting Tribal Nations in STEM
• Postcard: Supporting Tribal Nations in STEM

Federal resources

• Guidance for Federal Departments and Agencies on Indigenous Knowledge
• Memorandum on Uniform Standards for Tribal Consultation
• White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs
• White House Council on Native American Affairs

Native communities turn to charter schools to reclaim education

This article was produced by The Hechinger Report in partnership with ICT.

Neal Morton

The Hechinger Report

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — As their teacher pounded his drums, belting the lyrics to the Native folk rock song “NDN Kars,” middle schoolers Eli, Izzy and Manin rehearsed new guitar chords for an upcoming performance.

“I got a sticker that says ‘Indian Power,’” teacher Luke Cordova sang. “I stuck it on my bumper. That’s what holds my car together.”

Inside a neighboring greenhouse, a group of school staff and volunteers prepared to harvest herbs and vegetables for students to use in medicinal teas and recipes during science lessons on local ecology. Meanwhile, in a 19th century schoolhouse next door, eighth graders in a Native literature class debated the consequences of racism on college campuses.

“Remember,” teacher Morgan Barraza, who is Akimel O’odham, Kawaika, Apache and Thai, told them, “power is not all with the decision-makers. You as a community have power, too.”

Once the site of an Indian boarding school, where the federal government attempted to strip children of their tribal identity, the Native American Community Academy now offers the opposite: a public education designed to affirm and draw from each student’s traditional culture and language.

The charter school, NACA, opened its doors in 2006. Today, it enrolls roughly 500 students from 60 different tribes in grades K-12, bolstering their Indigenous heritage with land-based lessons and language courses built into a college preparatory model. High schoolers at NACA graduate at much higher rates and tend to outperform their peers in Albuquerque Public Schools — which authorizes the charter — and throughout New Mexico. Over the past decade, NACA’s academic track record and reputation with families and tribal leaders has spurred the creation of a network of schools designed to overhaul education for Native students across the American West.

At 13 campuses in five states, the NACA Inspired Schools Network supports tribal communities that have found little support in traditional K-12 systems and want academic alternatives that reflect their hopes and expectations for the next generation. Each school approaches that mission very differently, and with varying results. Some have struggled to keep their doors open, testing the Albuquerque-based network’s ability to sustain its success beyond the flagship school. Still, network leaders plan to continue expanding and hope to present the NACA model as a way to grant Indigenous families the self-determination and sovereignty that has been denied to them for generations.

“In 150 years, we moved from a foreign, abusive, violent structure to now, where maybe our communities have something to say about where education is going,” said Anpao Duta Flying Earth, the network’s executive director who is Lakota, Dakota, Ojibwe and Akimel O’odham.

“We’re leading these schools. We’re in the classrooms. It’s not just maintaining status quo. It’s how we’re pushing the edge of what’s possible.”

'Nothing like this'

NACA was born out of an urgent need to reimagine education for Indigenous youth.

In 2005, three quarters of Native American students graduated on time in the Albuquerque school district, compared to 87 percent of all students, according to state data. Only about 1 in 4 students identifying as American Indian tested proficient in math, while proficiency rates in reading and science hovered closer to 40 percent. A string of suicides in the city’s Native communities, especially among youth, shocked educators.

In response, Native administrators within the district started meeting with families, college graduates and tribal leaders to discuss what a better education for Native students might look like. More than 200 people weighed in, often sharing their poor experiences in traditional schools, such as pervasively low expectations and a lack of cultural awareness among teachers. Community members prioritized three things in their dream school for Native youth: secure cultural identities, college preparation and holistic wellness.

Those conversations prompted Albuquerque Public Schools to authorize NACA as its first charter. Today, courses at all grade levels include Indigenous history, numeracy, land-based science and language classes in Keres, Lakota, Navajo, Tiwa, Spanish and Zuni. About two-thirds of the school’s teachers are Native American, with many alumni now leading classrooms.

NACA requires students to take at least two college-level courses and earn internship credit. Last year, nearly 80 percent of graduates enrolled in college, up from 65 percent for the class of 2022. The school also tracks college completion rates, with 59 percent of the class of 2012 finishing within six years. Since then, the numbers have slipped to the single digits, with just 5 percent of the class of 2016 finishing within six years, according to a data analysis from the charter school network. (School officials said the decline is due to incomplete data.)

Younger students attend the K-8 campus on the former boarding school site, while the high school is located in a gleaming new tower nearby at the Central New Mexico College.

During a lunch break, 11th graders Joshua, Diné, and Tyshawn, from the Laguna Pueblo, volleyed a badminton birdie under the tower’s shadow. Both are recent transfers to NACA — Tyshawn from a private Catholic school and Joshua from a traditional public high school.

“There was nothing like this. No language class, nothing,” Joshua said of his previous school.

Discussions of tribal culture were limited to a few isolated craft projects during a history unit and inaccurate portrayals of Indians at the “First Thanksgiving,” he recalled.

“Yeah, not at my school,” Tyshawn agreed, chuckling. “You had to learn that experience yourself.”

“I was the ‘only’ a lot,” added Joshua, referring to his Native identity. “We fill an entire school here.”

Getting the word out

It’s only recently that the U.S. has acknowledged its long history of using education as a weapon against tribes. An investigative report released by the U.S. Department of the Interior in May 2022 identified more than 400 Indian boarding schools, across dozens of states and former territories, as part of a system that directly targeted children “in the pursuit of a policy of cultural assimilation.”

The investigation found evidence of at least 53 burial sites for children. Schools renamed students with English names, cut their hair and punished them — through solitary confinement, flogging and withholding food — for speaking Native languages or practicing their traditional religions. Manual labor was a predominant part of school curricula, but often left graduates with few employable skills.

“We continue to see the evidence of this attempt to forcibly assimilate Indigenous people in the disparities that communities face,” Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, Laguna Pueblo, said at the time of the report’s release.

According to a 2019 national survey , close to half of American Indian and Alaska Native students reported knowing “nothing” or only “a little” about their cultural heritage. A majority — between 83 percent and 91 percent — of fourth and eighth graders in the survey said they could not speak or read in their heritage language, or reported knowing a few words or phrases at most. Other studies have found significantly higher child poverty rates, lower graduation rates and lower performance on standardized exams for Native students.

As the state of education for these children continued to languish, the U.S. Department of Education in 2018 pushed for the expansion of high-quality charter schools meant to serve Native communities, among other groups it deemed educationally disadvantaged and underserved by the existing charter sector. It later published, in partnership with the National Indian Education Association, a guide to help founders and supporters of new Native charter schools.

“The word just hasn’t gotten out about the ability to do this,” said Todd Ziebarth, a senior vice president of state advocacy and support at the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools.

In its tally of about 4,300 charter schools with at least one Native American student, the Alliance counts at least 16 schools specifically dedicated to Native American cultural affirmation. Only a handful offer classes taught in an Indigenous language.\

'Starting from scratch'

In one of those schools, about 90 miles northeast of Albuquerque, a dozen students walked into the front office of Kha’p’o Community School with stacks of books teetering in their hands.

They’d just cleaned the shelves at the Santa Clara Pueblo library, grabbing their favorite titles in the Tewa language. The third graders juggled the books as they traversed a courtyard ringed by adobe houses-turned-classrooms, with teacher Paul Chavarria trailing them.

Back in their classroom, Chavarria, a first-year Tewa language teacher at Kha’p’o, commenced a lesson on the language. It’s a traditionally oral language, and speakers frown on any written form. Chavarria, though, scribbled a rough translation for “stone,” “trees” and “plants” on a whiteboard to help the students learn.

For decades, the school (then known as Santa Clara Day School) was run by the U.S. Bureau of Indian Education, or BIE, which today operates 183 schools on 64 reservations. But in 2014, after the government-appointed principal barred a Tewa teacher from campus, tribal leaders took control of the school from the federal government, said Porter Swentzell, the school’s executive director and an enrolled member of the Pueblo. That same year, the school officially joined the NACA-inspired network as a K-6 charter school with a dual language immersion model. Today, it enrolls about 90 students.

“In our hands, language is a sacred obligation. Our job is bigger than math or ELA,” Swentzell said. “Our story doesn’t begin with us, and it certainly won’t end with us.”

Swentzell, who served on the school board when it shifted to tribal control, recalled a rocky start for Kha’p’o. The BIE withdrew the bulk of its support, he said. Teachers and staff had to reapply for their jobs, which no longer offered salaries at the federal level. In terms of school policies, technology systems, contracts and more, “we were starting from scratch,” Swentzell said.

Then, during the pandemic, Kha’p’o’s principal left, and enrollment plummeted from 120 students to 73, as multigenerational households kept their children at home. Half of the school’s teaching positions were unfilled, largely because of its remote location and lower salaries, according to Swentzell, who took over as head of school in 2022.

Kha’p’o wasn’t the only school in the network to lose its leader during the pandemic. And each has since struggled to get academics and operations back on track, said Flying Earth, head of the charter network. The network has tried to help: In 2022, it created a fellowship program to nurture new leaders like Swentzell, a former professor at the Institute for American Indian Arts in Santa Fe. The fellows meet regularly on Zoom and gather in person once a year, along with a lead teacher or executive team member who could potentially become principal one day.

Looking ahead

Indeed, as the network has grown, it has confronted the difficulty of recreating the “NACA sauce” — as the flagship’s principal called it — in each new tribal community.

Six Directions Indigenous School opened the same year as Kha’p’o, in the western region of the state near the Navajo Nation and Zuni Reservation. Data from the New Mexico Public Education Department shows that 1 in 5 students at the charter school tested proficient in science. About 1 in 10 students perform on grade level in math, with a slightly better rate in reading, at 14 percent.

Aside from academic problems, students at Six Directions have protested what they view as the school's failure to fulfill its charter of serving Native youth.

“It’s right there on all the signs: ‘This is an Indigenous school,’” said Caleb, a 14-year-old Hopi freshman. “This is supposed to be an opportunity for us to know our culture. These teachers weren’t doing that.”

At the start of the school year in August, Caleb and other high schoolers at the K-12 campus staged an impromptu walkout to protest what they described as a revolving door of teachers hired from overseas and ongoing vacancies for language and culture classes. As of late fall, the entire school had just one core teacher, in science.

The walkout happened during Rebecca Niiha’s first week on the job as new head administrator of Six Directions. A former teacher who has worked on the Zuni and Navajo reservations, Niiha, who is Hopi, had admired Six Directions from afar. But she described finding its academic achievement and school climate as “degenerative” on day one.

After the walkout, two more teachers quit. Then the school’s current landlord announced it planned to sell the property, leaving Niiha unsure if she’d have to find a new location. In January, Six Directions received a warning from the state about its poor performance.

The network’s support of struggling schools, like Six Directions, can only go so far. It does not directly authorize any charter and has limited ability to hold the schools accountable.

Still, the network dispatches experts on finance, community engagement, student experience, curriculum and professional development. On a weekday last year, a team from the network met with Niiha to discuss options for the school’s location, training for teachers and an upcoming charter reauthorization. The network also recently partnered with AmeriCorps to place Indigenous educators in schools to offer classroom support, tutoring and mentoring, and has worked with individual tribes to certify teachers in traditional languages.

“Once a school’s created, we’re in it for the long haul together,” said Ben Calabaza, Santa Domingo Pueblo and a spokesperson for the charter network.

Ultimately, the network wants to avoid being forced to close another of its member schools, as happened last year when Denver Public Schools shuttered the American Indian Academy. That school opened in fall 2020, at the height of the pandemic, and suffered from low enrollment and poor finances, according to the charter’s board of directors .

Flying Earth acknowledged the challenges of running a charter network that spans schools in several states. He said the charter model isn’t, on its own, a solution for poor educational outcomes for Native students. But he added that the NACA-inspired network has done what it promised: offered tribal communities a chance to have agency in building a dream school for their Native youth.

“How do we use the structures of education today, including charter schools, to lift up the genius that’s always been there, since time immemorial?” Flying Earth said, referring to the “genius” of traditional ways of knowing in Native communities. “The namesake school of NACA serves as an example of how one community did it.”

Many students, long after graduation, continue to contribute to that community. Some have returned as teachers and school staff. Emmet Yepa Jr., Jemez Pueblo, commuted two hours each way to attend NACA in downtown Albuquerque when he was in high school. Now, at 30, he sings every year at the school’s annual feast day — a traditional celebration among New Mexico pueblos.

“What attracted me to NACA was just the community,” he said. “They really emphasize your culture and holistic wellbeing.”

Yepa earned a Grammy Award as a child and later graduated from NACA as part of its inaugural class in 2012. From there, he went on to the University of New Mexico and now works for an Albuquerque nonprofit that includes land-based and outdoor education in civic leadership programs for young people.

Based on his positive experience, his siblings enrolled at NACA. His younger sister graduated last year and now attends UNM, while his younger brother is a sixth grader.

“It’s hard to get into NACA now because there’s a waiting list,” Yepa said. “Thankfully he got a spot.”

Neal Morton covers K-12 schools for The Hechinger Report in Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. He most recently worked with the Education Lab team at The Seattle Times , and previously covered education for The Las Vegas Review-Journal and The (McAllen) Monitor in Texas.

SFSD, National Park Service partner to build Native American outdoor education space

A new partnership between the Sioux Falls School District and National Park Service will soon result in a new Native American Heritage Outdoor Education Space at Renberg Elementary School north of Sioux Falls.

The space will take over the large grass field on the north side of the school by the playground and feature an outdoor learning classroom, focused on Native American and South Dakota heritage with space for traveling exhibits, Native plants and grasses, and “farm-to-table components,” Superintendent Jane Stavem said.

“Envision a bus pulling up, with students coming off the bus and walking through, experiencing different things as they go from one place to another, pointing out different things that teach both heritage as well as our Oceti Sakowin standards,” Stavem said. 

More: Survey says nearly two-thirds of South Dakota educators use Indigenous standards

Once completed, the new space could be a great, easy kind of field trip for any groups from other Sioux Falls School District schools to take to the outdoor learning space, Stavem said. She noted the space may resemble what people see at different state parks or other locations in South Dakota, but will be primarily used for instruction since it’s on school grounds. She said it could also be used for community forums or district events.

Stavem said the district and park service have been in talks since the end of last summer, when staff from the Office of Indian Education met with Christopher Whirlwind Soldier, a member of the Crow Creek Sioux Tribe and a fellow with NPS’ Ancestral Lands Conservation Group, in a different meeting and pitched him this idea.

Anna Brokenleg, instructional coach and teacher on special assignment for the Office of Indian Education at the district, said she has talked for a long time about the need for students in an urban setting to have hands-on experiences with traditional medicine and plants, which have been an integral part of Oceti Sakowin history and culture for a long time.

Brokenleg said she would like to see an outdoor classroom space, places where Native students can harvest traditional medicine throughout the year and learn about traditional food and medicinal plants, and a Three Sisters garden, which consists of corn, beans and squash, a traditional symbiotic planting structure.

I want “kids to be able to learn hands-on about that, and then learn about how food is medicine (and) being able to make those connections in a real, tangible way,” Brokenleg said.

She’d also like to see some chokecherry, wild plum and cherry trees planted at the space, and an incorporation of natural features and stones from the area in the outdoor classroom space, for example.

Whirlwind Soldier said this is a community project, so the community will get to decide what goes into it. He said he’d like to see some Native plant species that integrate Nakota, Dakota and Lakota culture and language into education.

David Thomson, Midwest region program manager for park service’s Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance Program (RTCA), said his office is a group of landscape architects and community planners who help articulate and put together the initial vision to give the community an opportunity to provide input on the vision.

The space will be officially named at a later date. Stavem said the park service and district will help fund the project, and that there are some “philanthropic donors” interested in the project, too. She said the district will also apply for grants to fund the project. She hopes "we can start to do some things this fall."

A steering committee will seek input from the public on what they’d like to see at the space. The park service will organize input from partners, including the public, the school itself and the parent teacher association. It will also plan the concept, estimate project costs and “design community engagement strategies,” according to a press release from the district.

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