1. Thank you for joining us today! Tell us about yourself and your involvement with NCSS through the years.
I have just retired from 33 years of teaching social studies at the middle school and high school levels. Currently I am the Executive Director for the Tennessee Council for the Social Studies, but I’ve served two terms as president of the council.

As for NCSS service, I have missed only one national conference since my first one in Nashville in 1993. I served a term on the NCSS board of directors and a term as the chair of the FASSE board.

2. Tell us about the Indigenous Education Community! Are there any requirements to join?
The Indigenous Education Community is a very active group.  We have conducted numerous pre-conference clinics and tours. For example, when then NCSS conference was in Atlanta, we took teachers on a bus tour to New Echota State Park. New Echota was the capital of the Cherokee Nation before the Removal.  The tour of the park included a presentation of traditional Cherokee dances.  That evening we also educated and entertained a large group of teachers with a powwow dance presentation at the host hotel.

When the conference was held in San Francisco, we offered a tour of Alcatraz, which was taken over by a group of Native activists from 1969-1971. One of the activists who was involved in the occupation helped lead the tour and told first-person stories of that important event.

Our community is open to any NCSS member who would like to learn about Indigenous topics or would like resources to help teach Indigenous history and culture.

3. This month is Native American Heritage Month. What should educators be doing this month to highlight the importance of Native American heritage? What about year-round?
November is often thought of as a good time to teach Indigenous topics, but often those lessons dwell on a whitewashed version of Thanksgiving.  During this month, teachers should offer an accurate picture of that event, giving both sides of the story, but of course keeping in mind what is age-level appropriate.

At any time of the year, teachers should contact local tribal representatives for input on the topics in the curriculum.  Not only does this give students a better understanding of the material, but it also helps them understand that Native people are not simply relics of the past.   This point can be reinforced if a member of the tribal nation is invited to speak to the class.
 
4. What resources would you like to highlight for teaching students and educators about native land, native culture, and other native topics?
One of the best resources for materials to use in teaching about American Indians is the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian.  Their Native Knowledge 3600  program has an outstanding lesson on the Removal, along with many other topics.    Check out the material at https://americanindian.si.edu/nk360/.  They also offer teacher institute’s that are in-depth, fun, and very informative.

5. Is your community hosting any upcoming events?
The Indigenous Education Community is planning a webinar to be presented in March. The topic will involve remote learning from an Indigenous site.  Anyone on our email list will be notified of the details as the time nears.
We are also working on creating some other Zoom sessions with Social Studies School Service for the spring.
 

6. Tell us about your community’s #NCSS2020 Virtual Conference plans!
Our community is working now on our presence on the NCSS conference website. We’ll be including a portion of our resources there that teachers can download. We will also be available virtually to answer questions during and after the conference.

Also, we are hosting Rebecca Nagle as she discusses her outstanding podcast, “This Land.”  Rebecca is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation and expertly weaves history into the story of this summer’s major Supreme Court case as the justices grappled with the issue of who can claim Oklahoma.