National Native American Heritage Month
November is National Native American Heritage Month! Declared in 1990 as a federal event, this awareness month is a great reminder to make sure your curriculum includes indigenous history, current events and culture. Here are a few suggestions that we at Kindergarten Kiosk like to use.
Listen to Native American Music
For a social studies lesson that will quickly engage your students, listen to recordings of traditional Native American songs. You can find some great recordings at the Smithsonian website.
After listening to the recordings I like to teach my students a lullaby sang in the Native American Language of the Iroquois called Ho, Ho, Watanay.
Discuss Indigenous Perspectives of Historical and Current Events
This is a great time to learn how Indigenous people view and discuss the Thanksgiving holiday. National Geographic has a great lesson plan for this activity. Another guide can be found at the Smithsonian.
Another great site to get you thinking with cultural sensitivity is the American Indian History and Heritage Resource which offers Indigenous led conversations on both historical events and current issues such as language preservation.
Learn About Native People
Teach your students about notable historical figures and Native Americans today that are making a difference to inspire people in our communities. Invite local families to speak with your students. When I lived near the Sho-Ban Reservation in Idaho, I was lucky to have the model for the Sacagawea Dollar Gold Coin, Randy’L Teton, visit my classroom and talk about her experience and even give each student a dollar with her likeness. We had visits from the Sho-ban Native American Princesses. We also had many opportunities to be entertained by Native American dancers, and even had opportunities to dance with them! Most importantly, we had visits from parents of our Native American students who worked as teachers, nurses, truck drivers, bankers, firemen, etc. This was a wonderful opportunity to learn about families and culture.
Read Books by and About Native American People
Spend some time reading books that share the stories, heritage, and current issues facing Indigenous people. Some great titles are here with affiliate links.
