Indigenous Peoples' Day

October 11, 2021

"If we wonder often, the gift of knowledge will come." – Arapaho

Columbus Day or Indigenous Peoples' Day? This question is not without controversy, but as educators we have the privilege of bringing the debate to students, allowing them to uncover myth from truth, and giving them tools to shape the society they will one day lead. This template offers you history, resources, lessons & activities as you consider how to commemorate October 11 with your class.

Some Background

Why Indigenous Peoples' Day?

Learn all about it here -- this post offers an array of helpful classroom resources and background reading for teachers.

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This path

our people walked

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one hundred

two hundred endless years

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since

the tall grass opened for us

- Heid Erdrich

Resources for Teachers

Learning About Indigenous Peoples with Students

This great blog post has specific, interesting activities to do in the classroom or at home. It's geared towards upper elementary and middle school but is easily adaptable for high school.

Native Knowledge 360° | Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian

Native Knowledge 360° is the National Museum of the American Indian's national initiative to inspire and promote improvement of teaching and learning about American Indians. Discover standards-compliant, interactive teaching resources and lesson plans for all grade levels.

americanindian.si.edu

Land Acknowledgments

The land we stand on

A cool, interactive mapping project where students can explore Indigenous territories, treaties, and languages. Perfect for social studies and geography. The site includes a Teacher's Guide.

If You're Not Indigenous, You Live on Stolen Land

This article is part of In Session: The Teen Vogue Lesson Plan. Find the full lesson plan . By now, many know that the colonization myth we learned in school doesn't tell the whole story of how the Americas were settled.

teenvogue.com