Teaching Cultures Other than Your Own

Non-Indigenous educators, or even Indigenous educators with differing cultural experiences, may feel ill-equipped when discussing the customs and experiences of Indigenous peoples at home, in the classroom, or within a museum space. Additionally, educators may feel that it is not their place to speak on the behalf of Indigenous communities; unfortunately, said ambivalence–while well-intended–prevents critical conversations from entering the educational setting. So how do we move past our anxieties and onto reform?

Within their article “Rights of Indigenous Children: Reading Children’s Literature through an Indigenous Knowledges Lens” authors Shelley Stagg Peterson and Red Bear Robinson acknowledge the educators’ internal anxiety when reading Indigenous children’s literature:

[I]indigenous Knowledge Keepers cannot be present every time a non-Indigenous teacher reads an Indigenous picture book with children. [Consequently,] we suggest that teachers create funds of knowledge about Indigenous experiences and perspectives to inform their readings of Indigenous children’s literature. This knowledge can be created through consulting with Indigenous community members; websites created by Indigenous peoples about teachings and personal stories; and literature written, illustrated, and published by Indigenous creative people in their countries. (4)

In teaching Native cultures it’s essential that non-Indigenous educators acknowledge their inability to fully understand the experience of Indigenous peoples. Nevertheless, it is still the responsibility of educators to inform themselves about Indigenous perspectives, with special attention to the traditions and histories of the communities they are highlighting. As Peterson and Robinson suggest, educators should listen to Indigenous voices, whether that be through direct interview or Indigenous writings, and enrich their teachings through the lens of said perspectives.

Educators Lisa Korteweg, Ismel Gonzalez, and Jojo Guillet call this change in perspectives “shape-shifting,” in allusion to the trickster figure coyote’s advantageous shape-shifting ability; “We use this term to refer to environmental educators shifting their understandings towards an Aboriginal epistemology” (332). In an effort to decolonize early learning, we ask that educators “shape-shift” when teaching at home, in the classroom, or in a museum space. 

Teaching at Home

One of the easiest ways to discuss Indigenous food sovereignty with young children is by reading children’s books about traditional food practices and the relationships they foster; but, when looking for books, consider who authored, illistratuted, and published the work.

Especially for children at the early learning stage, picture books foster an immersive experience that is both memorable and meaningful. While illusively simple, picture books are the perfect vessel for introducing both indigenous perspectives and an appreciation for the environment, as they combine lyrical prose and captivating images.

Korteweg, Gonzalez, and Guillet further highlight the potential for environmental appreciation within their article, “The stories are the people and the land: three educators respond to environmental teachings in Indigenous children’s literature.” As adults who have gone through a colonial education system themselves, the authors argue that “[I]ndigenous children’s literature may offer not only polyphonic forms of narrative codes and visual devices, but also through their arts-based representations, push at educators’ conventional understandings of the environment or land” (332). Consequently, reading picture books with young children can be equally informative for the educator, as they are introduced to new understandings of the Indigenous experience. 

When reading these works to children at home, educators can lean into a child’s interest. After reading A Day with Yayah (2017), a child may voice interest in gathering. A parent or guardian may nurture this desire by gathering plants in their own neighborhood. Parents may also look at local programs that teach children how to identify native plants local to their area. [For Bay Area families, we highly recommend the UC Botanical Gardens’ series of Education Programs offered both in the summer and school year]. As a child reads Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story (2019), they may want to cook some! Parents and guardians can reference Indigenous cookbooks for native recipes and discuss the histories of specific foods. In the case of fry bread, an educator may explain how Indigenous peoples created the food on reservations.

Teaching in the Classroom

Classroom educators may also want to use Indigenous children’s literature within the classroom space, whether as part of class “storytime” or for individual students’ practice in reading comprehension. However, classroom educators can additionally bring these narratives to life through crafts, play, and discovery activities. 

In her work Engaging Young Children in Museums, Sharon E. Shaffer explains that:

 [C]hildren are active learners, constantly exploring and engaging with their environment. Techniques that actively engage children, such as touching objects, role playing, puzzles, block building, and sharing ideas, are a reflection of the natural inclination and behaviors of this audience. (48)

Within the classroom setting, teachers may choose to bolster their classroom readings with an engaging activity. Below we have curated a collection of activities that classroom educators are welcome to download. In addition, we recommend that teachers explore local Indigenous websites for more activities and presentations. [For those located in the Bay Area we highly recommend visiting the California Indian Museum & Cultural Center’s website, where teachers can find curriculum suitable for all age groups. One particularly amazing resource is the Native STEM Maker Program, which exhibits how STEM principles integrate themselves in traditional ways of life].

Teaching through Museums

The traditional museum space, in many ways, is entirely antithetical to young children’s active learning strategies. Patrons are asked to silently observe museum objects from a distance, ensuring not to touch anything. So how do we make museums more accessible to younger audiences? Perhaps the most common model is that of an interactive children’s museum that creates play spaces where children can make their own discoveries and develop social skills. Unfortunately, many children’s museums steer away from cultural discussions, as curators, again, feel ill-equipped when conveying minority histories to children. 

Nevertheless, a few children’s institutions have taken on this challenge most commonly through heritage days and performances, but also through physical exhibits. In 2010, the Boston Children’s Museum in Massachusetts began working on Native Voices: New England Tribal Families, which has now been touring around the United States since the summer of 2017. In collaboration with local Boston tribes, museum curators create an immersive museum experience that allows children to learn about local Indigenous groups and their traditions through play and hand-on activities. 

Curators may additionally narrativize museum artifacts as a method of “object-based learning,” where they can challenge younger audiences to consider “the power of objects.” (Shaffer 110). As Shaffer explains:

Most museum educators and interpreters are well aware of the adage every object tells a story, and yet there are many who have not given serious thought to the concept…[through the] in-depth exploration of object, it becomes evident that objects represent more than what is obvious at first glance, but rather are powerful in what is hidden and often revealed by careful exploration. (111)

In turn, museums may provide prompting questions like: “What does the artifact look like?”; “Where do you think the object came from?”; and “Who made the object?” to encourage critical thinking. 

But taking all of these models and methods into consideration, perhaps the most important thing we can do as museum educators is rethink the museum as an institution. In his 2011 catalogue Peter Morin’s Museum: An Installation with Performances, Peter Morin includes a twenty-seven line manifesto that first tells its audience “I invite you to participate in this museum” (18). [We encourage readers to watch the following student-lead interview with Peter Morin from Spring 2021]. Perhaps as institutions we should move towards interactive methods of learning intended for young children and even adults? A model that encourages patrons to touch objects and fill the room with laughter.

Textual Exhibit References Courtesy of the UC Berkeley Library & HA192CU

• Cooper, Nancy. “Considering Our Relatives: INDIGENOUS CHILDREN’S LITERATURE AND ENVIRONMENTALISM.” Canadian Children’s Book News, vol. 44, no. 1, Canadian Children’s Book Centre, 2021, p. 14–.
• Cooper, Nancy. “The Importance of Grandparents in Indigenous Children’s Literature.” Canadian Children’s Book News, vol. 44, no. 2, Canadian Children’s Book Centre, 2021, pp. 18–21.
• Korteweg, Lisa, et al. “The Stories Are the People and the Land: Three Educators Respond to Environmental Teachings in Indigenous Children’s Literature.” Environmental Education Research, vol. 16, no. 3-4, Routledge, 2010, pp. 331–50, https://doi.org/10.1080/13504620903549755.
• Morin, Peter, Duffek, Karen. “Peter Morin’s Museum: An Installation with Performances,” Soft Power. University of British Columbia, Museum of Anthropology, 2011.
• Peterson, Shelley Stagg, and Red Bear Robinson. “Rights of Indigenous Children: Reading Children’s Literature through an Indigenous Knowledges Lens.” Education Sciences, vol. 10, no. 10, MDPI AG, 2020, pp. 1–14, https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci10100281.
• Shaffer, Sharon E. Engaging Young Children in Museums . Left Coast Press, Inc., 2015.
• York, Sherry. Children’s and Young Adult Literature by Native Americans : a Guide for Librarians, Teachers, Parents, and Students . Linworth Pub., 2003.