November is National Native American Heritage Month. This is a great time to observe this month with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities.
I want to teach my kids about Native American culture and heritage. Where do I start?
Families can visit https://native-land.ca/ to help map Indigenous territories, treaties, and languages.
How do I teach young children about Native Americans without the crafts of yesteryear?
Most experts agree that focusing on how Native Americans lived in the past is confusing to young children because they can't distinguish between history and the present. This approach also tends to lump all of the Indigenous Peoples tribes together into a single Native American culture.
Instead, try the following ideas:
- Expose your children to Native American children in stories and videos who are not so different from themselves. Here is a list of 20 children's books about First Nations and American Indians by authors who share that same identity.
- Introduce them to Native American adults who work in your community.
- Seek out art, stories, curriculum, and music that are created by Native Americans. YouTube is an amazing resource.
- Avoid crafts that incorporate sacred objects such as feathers and peace pipes. Instead, try a free activity book available at https://doe.virginia.gov/instruction/history/virginias-first-people/meet-the-tribes-study-guide.pdf.
- Help your child understand that there are hundreds of Native American nations, each with their own language and cultural traditions. A great resource is the Celebrating Indigenous Languages project, where children can listen to greetings recorded by 50 different indigenous speakers, while looking at a picture of the speaker.
- Check out the Molly of Denali podcasts with your kids. Molly is an Alaska Native girl growing up with her parents, family, and friends.
- Plan a visit to your local Native American museum or landmarks.
- Check the American Indians in Children's Literature website for reviews of recommended (and not recommended) books to read to your kids.
- Most importantly, educate yourself so that you can sprinkle your knowledge about the original inhabitants of the land where you live into conversations with your young children. Virginia Department of Education has a great resource available at https://doe.virginia.gov/instruction/history/virginias-first-people/index.shtml.
