- Details
- By Neely Bardwell
A bill introduced in the Michigan Legislature last month aims to encourage the State Board of Education to ensure that accurate history about Indian boarding schools is taught to grades 8th through 12th. Currently, some secondary schools already teach include Indian boarding schools history in their curriculum, but many people believe that there are not enough school districts that do.
The bill, SB876, was introduced by Republican Michigan state Sen. Wayne Schmidt in the Michigan State Senate on Feb. 16, 2022. A co-sponsor of the legislation was Michigan state Sen. Irwin, a Democrat, who is a tribal citizen of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa.
Want more Native News? Get the free daily newsletter today.
“I think it's important that kids learn about history and civics, but it's especially important that they learn about our history here in Michigan. And that necessarily includes the history of the Tribes and the people who lived here long before European settlers got here. And it absolutely must include the history of these Indian boarding schools, which was an incredibly terrible and racist effort that our very government engaged in to try to erase these cultures, or race these languages and eradicate these people,” Irwin said to Native News Online.
Current state education standards for these grades currently contain a portion of Native American history. However, some say this history is inaccurate by omission. Many say that the current standards regarding the teaching of Native American history is not strong enough because it leaves too many things out, specifically the history of Indian boarding schools.
SB876 is a strong step towards making 8th-12th grade history lessons more inclusive of Native American history. Sen. Irwin emphasizes just how important teaching this history is by saying:
Recently, conversations regarding Critical Race Theory have been all over the media. People have been questioning what it means, and if it should even be taught in K-12.
Senator Irwin expressed his concern about whether or not his Republican counterparts will push back on this bill saying:
“I do expect pushback. Because race and racism is such an important part of politics in America today,” Irwin said.
“There are a lot of folks who, lately, have been using the ‘boogeyman’ of Critical Race Theory, pretending that that's taught in our schools and trying to use that to scare people into thinking that schools are some sort of left wing indoctrination center. It's just ridiculous,” Irwin continued. “I expect some of my colleagues will oppose this because they want to play into that message, because that message is advantageous to them. You know, racism is advantageous to some people's politics.”
Tell Us What You Think
More Stories Like This
Native American High School Graduate Sues School District for Forceful Removal of Sacred Eagle Plume at GraduationLittle Priest Tribal College Awarded a National Science Foundation Grant
The San Manuel Band of Mission Indians Donates $2.7 million to Sherman Indian High School for Career Pathways Program
New York Public Schools Banned from Using Native American Mascots
Harvard Kennedy School to Expand Work with Native Nations
Native News is free to read.
We hope you enjoyed the story you've just read. For the past dozen years, we’ve covered the most important news stories that are usually overlooked by other media. From the protests at Standing Rock and the rise of the American Indian Movement (AIM), to the ongoing epidemic of Murdered and Missing Indigenous People (MMIP) and the past-due reckoning related to assimilation, cultural genocide and Indian Boarding Schools.
Our news is free for everyone to read, but it is not free to produce. That’s why we’re asking you to make a donation to help support our efforts. Any contribution — big or small — helps. Most readers donate between $10 and $25 to help us cover the costs of salaries, travel and maintaining our digital platforms. If you’re in a position to do so, we ask you to consider making a recurring donation of $12 per month to join the Founder's Circle. All donations help us remain a force for change in Indian Country and tell the stories that are so often ignored, erased or overlooked.
Donate to Native News Online today and support independent Indigenous journalism. Thank you.
