White Earth conducting historical preservation interviews to inform new K-12 curriculum

NINA MOINI: This is Minnesota Now. I'm Nina Moini for Cathy Wurzer. This weekend, White Earth Nation will be spending eight hours a day recording the stories of their people. The historical preservation interviews is part of a new required academic standard known as Indigenous Education for All. The state is working with all 11 tribal nations to integrate the history of the Anishinaabe and Dakota people into K through 12 curriculum.

Joining me now is Dana Goodwin Williams, the director of the White Earth Education Division. Thank you for being here, Dana.

DANA GOODWIN WILLIAMS: Thank you for having me.

NINA MOINI: Can you start just by explaining how this project fits into these new social studies standards that we mentioned?

DANA GOODWIN WILLIAMS: Sure, I'll do my best. So there is a schedule with the state legislature for the standards to be reviewed every 10 years. And it's a cycle. They come up for review, for revision, improvement, and additions. This work is headed by the Minnesota Department of Education.

The standards are actually what every student is supposed to know when they graduate from high school. So it is prescribed information beginning with kindergarten. And then in a scope and sequence factor, building upon that education so that when they graduate, they are prepared for their lives, their careers, and then to be terrific parts of Minnesota communities in society.

So the standards are very important. And the social studies is one of the standards that recently was reviewed. I was part of that committee for the standards review process. There were a few of us from tribal nations that requested to be and were welcomed to participate in that effort. And in going through the social studies standards, we could see all the places where we were missing in the history.

And social studies is also geography, economics, and citizenship.

NINA MOINI: Absolutely.

DANA GOODWIN WILLIAMS: And we felt that we should be included and taught about for. Since history books have been created for the United States, Indigenous people are usually invisible and most often marginalized. We're treated as if something from the past. You know, we're extinct, we no longer exist. And we wanted to right that wrong basically, so that every student in Minnesota would have that information.

NINA MOINI: Yeah, there's been a lot traditionally that's been missing from K through 12 education when it comes to Indigenous history. I am curious, have you received any pushback when helping create these new social studies standards?

DANA GOODWIN WILLIAMS: Yes, we did, unfortunately. Part of the process, when standards are revised, is to put them out there for public review and comment because it's crucial to have community input. And so it includes teachers, school boards, but particularly parents and guardians and then students themselves.

And so we received a great deal of support for the proposed changes, but there were individuals and organizations out there that would prefer things not be taught from their standpoint, that knowledge would be harmful. So they felt that if their children knew the truth, that they wouldn't feel good about themselves or that they would be addressed as oppressors. And so we worked through that and addressed those questions.

They were worried that some things were being eliminated, and that wasn't the intent. So we clarified that through the process, but it was difficult. Some of us were doxed. There were threats put out there against people and communities were targeted. And so it was a very sad time to think that in this day and age that, well, for lack of a better word, racism exists.

And we know it's true. We just didn't expect to encounter that much of it in an educational setting. We received letters from, like I said, organizations and also even from legislators. And that was disheartening. But again, we kept pushing forward and it took years to go through the process. Normally, it does not take that long.

But we met and then the statement of oh my gosh, necessity and the reasonableness of the work, the sonar. And I know I misquoted actually what the sonar is. It escapes me at the moment, but--

NINA MOINI: That's OK.

DANA GOODWIN WILLIAMS: --that had to make it to the legislature and an administrative law judge had to approve it.

NINA MOINI: Sure.

DANA GOODWIN WILLIAMS: And it finally came through last, was it, January? And so it took years, though. It did.

NINA MOINI: Yeah, a long process.

DANA GOODWIN WILLIAMS: There was a change. It was, and it really was eye opening, but also rewarding because we were able to broaden the education about Holocaust to include Holocaust and genocide of people throughout the world. And then that, of course, includes what happened here for Indigenous people and what actually happened in Minnesota. You know, Bdote and the concentration camp at Fort Snelling.

So the truth was going to be able to be taught.

NINA MOINI: Yeah.

DANA GOODWIN WILLIAMS: And then with ethnic studies-- so the addition of the ethnic studies to social studies, and I'm on that work group as well, and we do have people from the Tribal Nations Education Committee working with the Holocaust and genocide group. But we will try to do our best to ensure that respectfully, but truthful information is taught within our schools.

NINA MOINI: Sure. So obviously a long process and then many difficulties that you experienced. Fast forwarding to you're here now, this weekend. Anyone from White Earth can sit down and be interviewed, and I wonder, what will you be asking them to share?

DANA GOODWIN WILLIAMS: Well, we're honestly keeping it open because we have some suggestions. You know, whether it's growing up and hunting and fishing here and what that means to us, to be here, and to survive off the land. And also, how important it is that we take care of it. So our stewardship. And that's innate within our belief system to do so.

So they can talk to us about ricing or maple sugaring, berry picking. You know, all of those fun things-- the storytelling that goes on, when snow covers the ground. If they want to talk about ceremony or the powwow-- we're hoping to have some dancers come up-- our veterans, you know, how important they've been as part of US history and how important and revered they are, our leadership, our culture, our ways of being, our ways of doing things, language. Just growing up in the community or stories that they learned from their aunties and uncles and grandparents, anything special that they want to talk about, really.

NINA MOINI: Absolutely.

DANA GOODWIN WILLIAMS: They can talk about their experience and education. We know that we've made strides here for our students at White Earth, but we still have work to go. So, yeah, just whatever they want to share. And what they share is going to be protected.

So I don't know if you know anything about that.

NINA MOINI: That's important. That's wonderful. And I think what I liked about what you shared is that it's a range. It's not just trauma and grief, right? It's joy and it's everything that encompasses history and culture.

And before I let you go, I know that you're going to be having a celebratory weekend for White Earth, right? The 156th annual powwow. Can you tell us a little bit about how people can be part of that, what they can expect at those celebrations?

DANA GOODWIN WILLIAMS: Sure. Like you said, it's the 156th, so it's one of the oldest in the United States. And it is our largest powwow here at White Earth. And we're celebrating our Treaty Day, which happens to be June 14.

And so it has to do with the signing of the treaty between the United States and the Mississippi Band of Ojibwe. And for such a long time until 1978, our ways, including ceremony and then these fun events that are-- powwows aren't originally created by Indigenous people, but we've embraced them as a way to be together. So if people come, they can experience visiting and laughter and dancing--

NINA MOINI: Sounds wonderful.

DANA GOODWIN WILLIAMS: --some history. Yeah, and a lot of really good food.

NINA MOINI: OK, well, Dana, I appreciate you coming by and telling us about this. And we'll include some information on our website, mprnews.org. More about the powwow coming up this weekend. Thank you, Dana.

DANA GOODWIN WILLIAMS: That is great. Thank you. Have a great weekend.

NINA MOINI: That's Dana Goodwin Williams, the director of the White Earth Education Division.