K-12

There exists no universally accepted rule for establishing an individual’s identity as Indian. However, as a general rule, an Indian is a person who has some biological Indian ancestry and is recognized as an Indian by a tribe.2.a

For millennia, individual tribal groups successfully educated their children using highly effective indigenous pedagogies that imbued Indian children with all the knowledge and skills they needed to thrive in their world.2.b

Boarding schools and other federal policies of assimilation brought disruptions to the traditional transference of knowledge in tribal communities and have had wide-ranging and lasting impacts on American Indian individuals and communities.2.c

Students who maintain a strong sense of pride in their language and culture tend not to experience school failure.2.d

Ideally, school curricula will offer equal recognition of the contributions students’ home cultures bring to the learning situation and will help all students develop the self-esteem and self-confidence that can enhance their learning.2.e

The term spirituality within a cultural context can be limiting and misconstrued. Spirituality to Indigenous peoples generally refers to one aspect of their worldview in which all things are connected. Spirituality in this context does not necessarily equate to nor denote religion.3.a

A complex history of pre-Columbian tribal migrations and intertribal interactions, European colonization and Christianization efforts, and federal assimilation policies have contributed to the broad range of spiritual beliefs held by American Indians today.3.b

Despite this history, Native people have retained their spiritual beliefs and traditions – tribal languages are still spoken, sacred songs are still sung, and rituals and ceremonies are still performed. 3.c

It is not important for educators to understand all the complexities of modern day American Indian cultures; however, they should be aware of their existence and the fact they can influence much of the thinking and practice of American Indians today.3.d

Humor plays an important role in American Indian cultures, there was no “stoic” Indian.3.e

Tribal oral traditions, ideologies, worldviews, and the principles and values associated with them, are as valid as other such traditions from around the world and should be accorded the same respect and standing.3.f

Educators should be aware that portions of these principles and values are private and are to be used and understood by certain individuals, groups, or the entire tribe. Tribal culture bearers, experts, and others can assist educators in navigating these situations.3.g

Reservations are lands that have been reserved by tribes or for tribes for their exclusive use as permanent homelands.4.a

Some reservations are the remnants of a tribe’s original land base while others were created by Congressional statute or executive order for the resettling of Indian people forcibly relocated from their homelands.4.b

Original Indian title to land was acknowledged by tribes and European nations, as well as the United States. 4.c

Indian tribes fought to protect their lands and resources including actively utilizing American courts and the Indian Claims Commission.4.d

Today, there are 326 reservations in the United States, seven of which are located in Montana.4.e

There are two main treaties that affected Montana tribal lands:4.f

After Congress officially ended treaty-making with tribes in 1871, the federal government used other means to further reduce Indian landholdings on reservations.4.g

The complexity of contemporary American Indian rights and sovereignty can be difficult to decipher; however, this history can be easier to understand when it is divided into major federal policy periods.5.a

Early in American history, Congress exerted extensive power over Indians and since has enacted over four hundred treaties and statutes dealing with Native Americans. Regulations and guidelines implementing these laws are even more numerous, making American Indians the most regulated population in the United States.5.b

Federal Indian policies have fluctuated between respecting tribal sovereignty and terminating tribes’ sovereign status altogether. 5.c

Although the history of federal Indian policy is long and complex, understanding its main legislative pieces and outcomes helps provide context for the contemporary experiences of Indian students and communities. 5.d

History is a story most often related through the subjective experience of the teller.6.a

Much of America’s history has been told from the Euro-American perspective. Only recently have American Indians begun to write about and retell history from an indigenous perspective. 6.b

A huge amount of political capital is involved in the telling of history. 6.c

History is a primary vehicle through which power is distributed and used; thus, the whole notion of political identity and ideology and who the United States is as a nation plays into how the story is told, and who has been privileged to tell the story.6.d

It is critical that history curricula include the stories and experiences of individual men and women of diverse racial, ethnic, and religious groups.  6.e

Providing students with textbooks, primary source documents, and surviving oral traditions allows them to gain a more objective view of history and provides them with a historical context in which to situate and understand the experiences and perspectives of these groups in American society today. 6.f

By giving students the opportunity to view our past through the eyes of many, they can begin to create their own view of our collective history, understand the present, and become better prepared to engage the problems of the future.6.g

Tribal sovereignty stems directly from the fact that tribal nations constitute distinct political communities that have the right to determine their own laws and form of government. 7.a

Tribal self-governing powers predate the existence of the United States and are not delegated powers granted by Congress or any other entity; they are inherent powers of sovereign nations that have never been extinguished. 7.b

Some limitations have been placed on tribal sovereignty throughout the past two centuries by Supreme Court rulings and Congressional statues, which is why tribes are sometimes referred to as “limited” sovereigns today.7.c

In general, tribes are free to exercise any of their sovereign powers unless Congress has specifically limited or modified them in some way. 7.d

The extent and breadth of self-governing powers is not the same for every tribe.7.e

Despite the complex evolution of tribal sovereignty in America, it remains one of the most important attributes of tribal independence. 7.f