North Dakota, Native American Essential Understanding number seven is about native identity. It states: "Individual and communal identity is defined and supported by shared native languages, kinship systems, tiospaye, clan structures, traditional teachings, values, sacred laws and ceremonies. A continuum of tribal identity unique to each individual, ranges from assimilated to traditional lifestyle. There is no generic American Indian."
In this episode of Dakota Datebook, we'll listen to Dusty Olson, enrolled member of the Mandan, Hidatsa, Arikara Nation, talk about essential understandings in our schools.
Dusty Olson:
Right now, we have 80% of Native Americans in the school system. And with that and putting the central learnings in the curriculum, I've been vying for this for a while, since I've seen it down in South Dakota. Of how they're all on it and I want to be a part of it. But it seems like there's an old cliche. Some things never change and partials like that.
They just don't want to change. They want to keep it through how it is. And I think change is good over there because it sets a whole new culture of how we perceive the school. And we're getting a new school now, so I think it'd be time now that they changed their curriculum up and use a little bit of the culture and implement it into our high school. And into curriculum, into the new school. So I've always been trying to battle, I guess, trying to get this into the school and also kind of jealous that they, Newtown has alternative learning school. And right now I'm teeter tottering right now trying to get an alternate school and partial and it's always the money factor in a place right now, because we do have a new school. We're getting new everything, but it's just that we don't have that.
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If you'd like to learn more about the North Dakota Native American essential understandings, and to listen to more Indigenous elder interviews, visit teachingsofourelders.org.
