Hello Meltingpot Community,
Not too long ago, babygirl said to me, “Mommy, are Native Americans real?” My heart dropped and I immediately thought, “What have I done wrong? How have I failed my child so miserably that she thinks Native Americans are mythical beings?”
I literally spent the next two hours re-explaining American history to my child and drilling her on the details. I wanted to ensure that not only did she know that the Indigenous People whose land we live on are real, but that they are alive and well in the world.
(Ironically, I’m teaching my college students right now about the abysmal lack of media coverage of Native American people and they too admitted that they have very little knowledge of Native American culture or issues because they don’t see their stories in the media they consume. We have so much work to do on that front. But that’s a blog post for a different day.)
Show Don’t Tell
Even though I can tell my daughter the history and stories I think she should know about Indigenous People, I know it’s better to show not tell. So, this weekend I took babygirl to Philadelphia’s Indigenous People’s Resistance Day celebration, where she got to meet Native people, hear their stories, witness their culture and just soak up the spirit of the day. In attendance were Indigenous tribes from both North and South America. The whole entire experience was awesome and I could literally see the wheels spinning in my daughter’s mind as she connected the stories I had told her, with real life. She thoroughly enjoyed herself, as did I.
Many people might think they don’t have a way to immerse or expose their children to other cultures and communities and they are restricted to reading them stories or watching movies on TV. Now, I’m not against either one of those methods, but I also bet that with only a tiny bit of effort you can find places within driving distance of your own home where you can find opportunities to show your children what life is like for other cultures and communities. We talked about this very idea on episode 18 of the MAMP podcast. When it comes to Indigenous People, we need to make extra efforts because their stories are too often hidden from public view, allowing their needs and concerns to continue to go ignored.
Diversity Divas Don’t Always Get it Right
I consider myself a diversity diva and I try to raise my kids to be global citizens, respectful of all people and cultures. But clearly I don’t get it right all the time. Rather than beat myself up about this missing piece of my daughter’s education, I got busy and found a way to course correct where I went wrong.
What are you doing, dear readers, to honor Indigenous People on this day and on days going forward? How will you teach your children about their stories, their cultures and their lives, because we can’t leave it to mainstream media, whitewashed history books and/or well-meaning (but ill-informed) teachers.
You know I’m listening!
Peace!
Comments
2 responses to “How to Teach Your Kids About Indigenous People”
Love this post…and that you are putting the importance of educating our kids about indigenous people and communities out there. I have had the privilege of working with and for tribal communities for the past 25 years (after getting a Masters Degree in American Indian Studies) and I have learned so much about resilience, humility, community, and true priorities from my time in Indian Country.
My son has been in and around tribal communities since he was very young, helping out during events, meeting Elders, etc. In fact he made sure last summer that we attended the annual tribal Canoe Journey hosting that happens here in the Pacific NW, it’s part of what he considers tradition. We aren’t Native, but I have felt welcomed by the communities I have the honor of visiting and providing trainings for (about a life skills curriculum for tribal youth). I wish everyone could have the opportunity to really see what tribal communities are like and to witness the amazing cultural resurgence that many are experiencing.
I’ll listen to your podcast episode, and appreciate you talking about the importance of making an effort to learn more, to show our children (and ourselves) more about the the people who were here first – and who are very much still here and dedicated to helping their people heal and succeed.
Lisette,
First of all, thank you! Second of all, how cool that you have a Masters degree in American Indian Studies and that you’ve worked with Indigenous communities for your whole life. I’d love to hear more about your experiences and learnings! BTW, I think you’ll love my anniversary episode of the podcast. Stay tuned!