Five years after the passage of Senate Bill 13 – which mandated teaching Oregon students about Native Americans - new curriculum materials are rolling out.
K-12 educational materials are being developed by the Oregon Department of Education and the state’s nine federally-recognized tribes. The Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians are the latest to roll out their curriculum.
“I know when I went to school, the only Indians we heard about was Sitting Bull,” said Delores Pigsley, the Siletz Tribal Chair. She’s hopeful that by sharing her tribe’s history, culture, and practices, Native youth can feel empowered and visible, while non-Indians can appreciate their Indigenous neighbors more.
“I think it’ll be a challenge to teachers to adopt the curriculum, and to give it their best shot. So it’s gonna be important how it’s taught, and how it’s accepted.”
An ODE official says all nine sovereign tribes of Oregon are in different stages of development with their lesson plans.
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