American Indian Heritage Day Invites Reflection and Celebration

 

September 23, 2020



In 2009, Montana Law designated the last Friday in September of each year as American Indian Heritage Day (MCA 1-1-228) for the state. Given that designation, on September 25, Montanans are encouraged to “reflect on American Indian culture and heritage and to celebrate American Indians and their culture and heritage in lawful ways.”

According to Montana lawmakers, this day of observance serves to commemorate Montana’s American Indians and their heritage and culture, which have contributed and continue to contribute to the state’s history.

To assist teachers as they develop curriculum that recognizes American Indians, the Indian Education for All (IEFA) team at the Office of Public Instruction (OPI) has compiled remote learning resources that can be integrated into an online or hybrid curriculum. These resources assist schools as they seek to honor the law and conduct culturally responsive lessons.

To access these resources, teachers, as well as parents conducting homeschool lessons, should visit the Indian Education Classroom Resources page on the OPI website and select the Featured Curriculum tab to find a variety of high-quality lesson ideas.

Regarding American Indian Heritage Day, Zach Hawkins, the IEFA Unit Director at OPI, shares his thoughts about the twelve tribes that enrich our state: “Activities that celebrate American Indian Heritage Day can create sustained interest in learning about the distinct and unique cultural heritage of American Indians, setting the tone and creating connections for a year of integrating Indian Education for All.”

OPI also invites interested individuals to join a live webinar series, “Unpacking the Essential Understandings Regarding Montana Indians.” This free series of live webinars began on Wednesday, September 9 and will continue on September 23 and 30, October 14 and 28, concluding on November 4. The sessions, which run from 4:00-5:30 p.m., are facilitated by IEFA instructional coaches and will explore the Essential Understandings Regarding Montana Indians. Participants will:

• gain familiarity with each of the Essential Understandings;

• explore practical classroom integration of

IEFA;

• engage in meaningful live discussions;

• build community and share resources; and

• earn renewal units (two per session, or

twelve for all six sessions).

Any registration questions can be directed to Jennifer Stadum, OPI Indian Education for All Specialist. She can be reached by phone: 406-444-0725 or email:

JStadum@mt.gov.

Not only an outlet for IEFA resources, OPI maintains a portal for professional learning occurring across the state. The OPI Learning Opportunities Portal has the ability to customize anyone’s search to find a variety of professional learning available to Montanans.

 
 

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