SPOTLIGHT ON DEI
A bi-weekly newsletter around equity in education
From the Desk of Dr. Jennifer Smith
Dear CCUSD Community,
The Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Division is pleased to share our very first issue of the newsletter, "Spotlight On DEI”. In each newsletter, I will share various resources to further your own personal learning and that of your students. I hope through reading, listening, and reflecting, you will cultivate practices centered around equity, justice, and humanity.
Our work will be grounded in the Cultural Proficiency Framework, utilizing an Inside-Out approach to change, and centered around these key questions from the Dilts model regarding identity and beliefs:
Who are we?
Are we who we say we are?
Why do we do what we do?
A Proclamation on Native American Heritage Month, 2023
On October 31, 2023, President Biden signed a proclamation designating November as Native American Heritage Month. In addition, he urged all Americans to celebrate November 24, 2023 as Native American Heritage Day. The beginning of the proclamation reads:
“During National Native American Heritage Month, we recognize the invaluable contributions of Native peoples that have shaped our country and honor the hundreds of Tribal Nations who continue exercising their inherent sovereignty as vital members of the overlapping system of governments in the United States. We also recommit to supporting Tribal sovereignty; upholding the Federal Government’s solemn trust and treaty responsibilities; and working in partnership with Tribal Nations to advance prosperity, dignity, and safety for all Native peoples.”
Read More
How to Decolonize Your Thanksgiving
Let’s Start with Myth-Making
The American holiday of Thanksgiving is a prime example of myth-making—narratives based largely on feel-good lore that is often repeated but at odds with reality and history. Generations have learned in school that the U.S. holiday of Thanksgiving honored a harmonious exchange of food and culture between the pilgrims (colonizers) and Native Americans.
- Read More at YWCA Minneapolis Website
Other Resources:
Myths of the First Thanksgiving
Providing Deeper Context in Lessons on Indigenous People
Lying to Children About the California Missions and the Indians
Thankful Together: Finding Gratitude On The Inclusion Journey
...From an inclusive leadership standpoint, we can be thankful for having more inclusive conversations, witnessing more leadership accountability, and continual progress at large. Yes, there's still much to do, but indeed, we can pause to celebrate how far we've come.
"Gratitude turns what we have into enough and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity...it makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow." —Melody Beattie
Read More from the Forbes, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion submissions Website
Expressing Gratitude for Students
Gratitude is a Native American way of life. Many Indigenous groups share the cultural value of being thankful for the elements the Earth provides as well as the community around them. Teach your students about the power of gratitude. Try this: Five Minute Guided Meditation for Gratitude: designed for kids, but also great for adults!
How to Tackle the Moral Dilemma of a Pre-K Thanksgiving Lesson Plan
With the weighty responsibility of shaping young minds, early childhood education (ECE) professionals are faced with a difficult dilemma. Should they teach the Thanksgiving story as we often hear it, glossing over the difficult details? Or should they share the sad history of the holiday with their young students? How can parents and educators approach the subject both delicately and honestly?
Find out some tips & tricks from Rasmussen University's, Early Childhood Education Blog
Netflix Series "City of Ghosts" - Tovaangar
This Peabody Award-winning series from Elizabeth Ito features the voices and stories of real LA residents, as captured by the interviews of the kid composed, "Ghost Club".
In this episode, "The Ghost Club" goes to the park and meets Jasper, who hears a voice in the trees representing the spirit of the Tongva people — Indigenous people of Los Angeles. Watch this episode to get an understanding of the land of the Tongva, before it became the Los Angeles we know of.
Watch: Young Water Protectors
A read-aloud of eight-year-old Aslan Tudor’s account of the Standing Rock Dakota Access Pipeline Protest. Encourage your students to become climate activists and help protect the La Ballona Wetlands: Friends of Ballona Wetlands
Listen to a Native voice: Lies Your Teacher Taught You: The Truth About Thanksgiving
Lies Your Teacher Taught You: The Truth About Thanksgiving. In “All My Relations,” a Native podcast, Matika sits down with her 13 year-old nephew to debunk the myth of Thanksgiving and show how it stems from a limited perspective of history.
Learn more about the lived experience of Indigenous Peoples
Read a Native Voice: An American Sunrise by Joy Harjo. A collection of powerful poems from the first U.S. Native American Poet Laureate. Visit her website: joyharjo.com
Native Knowledge 360
“Native Knowledge 360 provides educational materials that incorporate Native narratives, more comprehensive histories, and accurate information to enlighten and inform teaching and learning about Native Americans.”
