Saint Martin's University is on the traditional lands of the dxwsqwali? abš (Nisqually Tribe), one of the named tribes of the Medicine Creek Treaty (1854). Other tribes named in the treaty include the Spuyaləpabš (Puyallup), Squaxin Island, the Steilacoom, S’Homamish, Steh-chass, T’Peeksin, Squi-aitl, and Sa-heh-wamish tribes. Initial contact between the Medicine Creek Treaty tribes and the English and then Americans in the region was rooted in respectful interaction and commerce; even as more and more American settlers “came to the area, the tribes continued to provide foods and oils, thereby becoming essential to the initial success of the white settlers,” according to Vine Deloria Jr. (Standing Rock Sioux), one of the most significant Native thinkers of the Twentieth Century.1 However, land and resource hunger and a developing disdain for the tribes led to the treaty’s disastrous terms and fallout. The Nisqually, Puyallup, and Squaxin Island tribes have successfully struggled to maintain their sense identity and culture; the other, smaller tribes continue to struggle for recognition.
This guide has been created to help education students and the Saint Martin’s University community more generally learn about the original stewards of these lands. May this learning lead us to reflect on their stories and find ways to support their treaty rights and sovereignty.
1 Vine Deloria Jr., Indians of the Pacific Northwest: From the Coming of the White Man to the Present Day (Golden, CO: Fulcrum, 2012), 41.
TRIBAL CANOE JOURNEYS 2014 QATUWAS FESTIVAL 2014 - Bella Bella, British Columbia, Canada by Kris Krug is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
The Since Time Immemorial curriculum (STI) has been created to address the State of Washington’s education mandate in Article IX of its constitution: "It is the paramount duty of the state to make ample provision for the education of all children residing within its borders, without distinction or preference on account of race, color, caste, or sex." (1) Traditionally, though, American education in general has explicitly harmed Native students (American Indian, Native Alaskan, and Native Hawaiian) and, to a much lesser degree, implicitly harmed non-Native students through giving outright false and inaccurate factual and cultural information from a solidly non-Native perspective.
Traditional education has reflected a phrase spoken by Capt. Richard H. Pratt in 1892: "Kill the Indian in him, and save the man." (2) Education along these lines sought to exterminate Native languages and cultures and force assimilation on Indigenous students. This orientation was also taken to excuse forced removal of Native students from their homes and communities, as well as massive physical and emotional abuse against them--even to the point of murder and sexual abuse. (3) The climate generally instilled in Native students a sense of shame and invisibility. While efforts have been made to address these issues, Native students still suffer psychological and social damage in schools. (4)
These same approaches to education harmed non-Native students by almost totally erasing Indigenous peoples and/or instilling in students an unrealistic sense of superiority to and a generalized fear of them. Erasure, perceived superiority, and fear have effectively driven centuries of violence and alienation against Native communities and persons. Additionally, psychological and sociological studies have shown that such climates also negatively affect members of dominant groups. (5)
STI was created to address the needs of both sets of students, to help Native students see themselves as important actors in society and to help non-Native students to begin seeing Indigenous peoples and communities and act more respectfully towards them. More specifically, the law behind the curriculum requires that all Washington students be taught about “tribal history, culture, treaty rights, contemporary tribal and state government institutions and relations and the contribution of Indian nations” to the state. (6) In addition to correcting false and destructive narratives about Native students, STI is centered in collaborations between tribes and educators to underscore the need for tribal sovereignty [7] and to give students opportunities to "[learn] with native peoples rather than about them." [8] This kind of collaboration should help both Native and non-Native students develop a greater sense of how Indigenous groups continue to shape and contribute to our communities and develop a richer appreciation for their traditions and homelands.
Tribes of Washington State by Abrahamic Faiths, licensed under CC BY
The Washington office of Superintendent of Public Instruction has posted curriculum requirements for each level of public education, with the caveat that using curricula developed with local tribes is highly encouraged. Below are links to the different curriculum levels:
A map of Washington tribes can be downloaded at https://www.washingtontribes.org/resources/
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