6/3/2019 U.S.

Schools Are Teaching Our Children That Native Americans Are History - Pacific Standard

HOM OCIAL JUTIC

U.. CHOOL AR TACHING OUR CHILDRN THAT
NATIV AMRICAN AR HITORY
Professor arah hear examined the academic standards for elementar and secondar school
education in all 50 states.

LIA WADE · UPDATD ON JUN 14, 2017

“The were coming to college elieving that all Indian are dead,” aid
aid education profeor arah hear
aid
of her experience in the claroom.

Her tudent’ eeming ignorance to the fact that American Indian are a part of the contemporar
United tate, not jut the hitorical one, led her to take a cloer look at what the were learning. he
examined the academic tandard for elementar and econdar chool education in all 50 tate—thee
are the guideline that educator ue to plan curricula and write textook. The reult are ummarized
at Indian Countr
Indian Countr.
Indian Countr

hear found that the vat majorit of reference to American Indian—87 percent—portraed them a a
population that exited onl prior to 1900. There wa “nothing,” he aid, aout contemporar iue
for American Indian population or the ongoing conflict over land and water right or overeignt. Onl
one tate, New Mexico, even mention the name of a ingle memer of the American Indian Movement.

Meanwhile, the genocidal war againt American Indian i portraed a an inevitale conflict that
colonizer handled reaonal. “All of the tate are teaching that there were civil wa to end
prolem,” he aid, “and that the Indian prolem wa dealt with nicel.” Onl one tate, Wahington,
ue the word genocide. Onl four tate mention Indian oarding chool, intitution that repreent the
removal of children from their familie, and forced re-ocialization into a uro-American wa of life.

The fact that o man people aor the idea that Native American are a thing of the pat
a thing of the pat—and a thing
a thing of the pat
that we don’t have to feel too adl aout—ma help explain wh the feel o comfortale dreing up
like them on Halloween
Halloween, throwing “
Halloween Conquitaro and Navaho
Conquitaro and Navaho” partie, periting in uing 
Conquitaro and Navaho Indian
Indian
Indian
macot
macot, leaving their reervation off of 
macot Google map
Google map, and failing to include them in 
Google map our media
our media. It
our media
might alo explain wh we expect Indian-themed art to alwa feature a pre-modern world
pre-modern world.
pre-modern world

Curricular choice matter. o long a oung people learn to think of Indian no differentl than the do
Viking and Ancient Roman, the will overwhelmingl fail to notice or care aout ongoing
interperonal and intitutional dicrimination againt American Indian who are here now.

Thi pot
pot originall appeared on 
pot ociological Image
ociological Image, a Pacific tandard partner ite, a “U.. chool Teach
ociological Image
Children That Native American Are Hitor.”

https://psmag.com/social-justice/u-s-schools-teaching-children-native-americans-history-95324 1/2
6/3/2019 U.S. Schools Are Teaching Our Children That Native Americans Are History - Pacific Standard

https://psmag.com/social-justice/u-s-schools-teaching-children-native-americans-history-95324 2/2