Education and tribal leaders unveil the Native American Educational Project. They are (left to right) WEAC President Stan Johnson; Jerry Rayala, co-chair of NATOW; Gloria Cobb, deputy director of the Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Council; Wisconsin Indian Education Association President Michelle LaRock, and NEA President Reg Weaver.

By Anne Egan-Waukau

WEAC and NEA leaders have joined forces with Wisconsin’s tribes to promote and fund a program that will help educators across the state teach students about Wisconsin’s rich Native American history.

In fact, The Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Council (GLITC) – which is heading the project – will have an exhibit with information about the Native American Educational Package at the WEAC Convention October 26-27 in Madison.

Although Wisconsin school districts have been required to teach Wisconsin Native American history and culture since Act 31 was approved in 1991, there have been few resources to assist educators.

“We have found that the public is woefully unaware of the strides that have been made and the challenges we face in our Native American communities,” said Gloria Cobb, deputy director for the GLITC. “The Council has come to understand that we must increase awareness of our needs throughout Wisconsin, beginning with schools and helping educators comply with Act 31.”

Thanks to support from WEAC and NEA, the Native American Educational Package will be available in November to educators across the state.

The package includes a collection of video programs and educational materials that highlight Indian heritage and history, interpret tribal traditions and customs, and examine the future of America’s aboriginal people through their respect for land and nature, Cobb said.

The Native Wisconsin Educational Project is written and produced under the supervision and direction of representatives of each of the state’s 11 tribes to ensure its accuracy and adherence to tribal traditions.

The project was developed by the Native American Tourism Organization of Wisconsin (NATOW), an ad hoc committee of GLITC. It began in 1994 with a goal of providing information and education about the history, culture and recreational opportunities of the 11 sovereign nations within Wisconsin’s borders.

For the 2006-07 school year, NATOW will publish a 48-page sixth edition of Native Wisconsin Magazine. The educational package also will include a full-color magazine featuring special segments on each of the 11 tribes, a companion 30-minute video edited especially for students, a DVD tribal guide, a set of 12 posters and a comprehensive teachers’ guide to complement the program.

“The members of NATOW feel there is an urgent need to convince schools to utilize this project that provides information and education about the history and culture of the 11 sovereign nations in Wisconsin,” Cobb said.

“The goal is to show how Native Americans live today; to illustrate how we work to save the Earth with its clean air and water and preservation of forests; and to show how we have positive social and economic impacts on the many communities surrounding our sovereign nations,” she said.

“Through this vehicle, the tribes of Wisconsin have taken a leadership role in promoting our history and culture in the public school system, while attempting to combat prejudice and discrimination.”

The project is being monitored by Native American tribes across the U.S., Cobb said, and NEA state affiliates are inquiring about the project, according to WEAC President Stan Johnson.

Last fall, Johnson asked the GLITC Board how WEAC could work with the tribes to ensure that all children were given the opportunity to learn about Wisconsin’s tribes.

Johnson pledged WEAC’s support for the project, and garnered the support of the NEA, which matched a WEAC grant toward production of the educational package.

“We hope this project will become a model for other states,” Johnson said.

NEA President Reg Weaver said NEA “is proud of WEAC and the Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Council for developing resources for educators that promote the history and culture of Wisconsin’s native peoples and at the same time combat prejudice and discrimination.”

“Where are the curriculums that teach Native American children and all children about this important part of our past and present? A curriculum that engages all students and encourages mutual respect among teachers, students, parents and the community is a critical part of the solution,” he said.

Weaver said that the NEA has forged a working partnership with the National Indian Education Association.

“No one group or organization can do it by itself,” he said. “But together, we can make a difference and accomplish great things.”

For more information about the curriculum or to order materials, go to: www.act31resources.com/videos.

Posted September 28, 2006