Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community announces two new publications to support teaching of Native American content

New publications to support teaching of Native content

The SMSC commissioned and just released “A Guide to Reliable Native American-Related Teaching Resources,” written by Odia Wood-Krueger, a first-of-its-kind guide that provides educators with a reliable, classified bibliography of 550 recommendable teaching resources aligned with current state English Language Arts academic standards for use by teachers.

In conjunction with Native Governance Center, the tribe also commissioned and co-published the “Minnesota Native American Essential Understandings for Educators” guide, providing teachers, curriculum developers, students, and others with a compilation of the most essential information about Native people and tribal governments in the state.

Both publications stem from recommendations in the tribe’s 2022 “Restoring Our Place” report, which assessed teaching resources on Native American subject matter used in Minnesota classrooms based on a survey of hundreds of Minnesota teachers.

“We hope these two new publications give educators across Minnesota the practical help they told us they need to enhance their teaching of Native American content in our schools,” said SMSC Secretary/Treasurer Rebecca Crooks-Stratton, chair of Understand Native Minnesota. “They took an incredible amount of collaboration to develop and are tools that will help ensure that the students of today know that Native peoples are not relegated to the past, but rather are making important contributions to society.”