Indigenous Curriculum Newsletter: Communicating Native American History and Contemporary Presence to School Families

Indigenous peoples are the most misrepresented group in American school curriculum. They are most often taught as historical figures who inhabited a past that ended before the present, rather than as members of 574 federally recognized sovereign nations who continue to exist, govern, and maintain cultural practices today. A school newsletter that communicates about Indigenous curriculum accurately, consistently, and with specificity corrects one of the most persistent inaccuracies in American education.

This guide covers what to include in an Indigenous curriculum newsletter, how to communicate about tribal nations specifically, how to address common historical inaccuracies, and how to connect Indigenous curriculum to contemporary Native American life.

Naming specific nations and their specific histories

The most important communication principle for Indigenous curriculum newsletters is specificity. The Haudenosaunee Confederacy and the Lakota Nation have distinct histories. The Cherokee removal and the forced boarding school era affect different communities in different ways. A newsletter that names specific nations when discussing specific histories communicates that the curriculum is engaging with actual communities rather than treating Indigenous peoples as an undifferentiated category.

Acknowledging the tribal nations on whose land your school stands

A land acknowledgment in your newsletter, naming the specific tribal nations whose territory includes the land your school occupies, is both accurate and meaningful. "Our school is located on the traditional land of the [name of nation or nations]. We honor their ongoing presence as the original stewards of this land and acknowledge that this land was never ceded." Pair the acknowledgment with a description of what your curriculum does to honor Indigenous history and contemporary presence.

Connecting Indigenous history to contemporary Native American life

One of the most important corrections an Indigenous curriculum newsletter can make is to the assumption that Native American history ended at some point in the past. Contemporary Native American communities are exercising tribal sovereignty, maintaining language revitalization programs, fighting for treaty rights, and managing tribal governments. A newsletter that includes information about contemporary tribal life, alongside historical curriculum content, communicates that Indigenous peoples are present-tense, not historical.

Addressing the Thanksgiving narrative

The traditional school Thanksgiving narrative is one of the most historically inaccurate repeated stories in American education. A newsletter that communicates how your school is addressing this, specifically by including the Wampanoag perspective and the historical context that follows 1621, signals that the school is committed to historical accuracy even when it requires revising comfortable narratives.

Literature and primary source recommendations

A single recommended resource per newsletter builds Indigenous curriculum literacy in families over time. For elementary families: Fry Bread by Kevin Noble Maillard is a picture book by a Pulitzer-winning Native author. For middle school: Custer Died for Your Sins by Vine Deloria Jr. is accessible and important. For high school: There There by Tommy Orange is contemporary literature by a Native American author. Primary sources from specific nations, available through tribal cultural organizations, are also valuable recommendations.

Using Daystage for year-round Indigenous curriculum communication

Daystage monthly newsletters support consistent, year-round Indigenous curriculum communication. Build Indigenous history content into your curriculum spotlight section throughout the year, with specific references in November alongside Thanksgiving curriculum, in the spring when treaty history is often covered in social studies, and whenever Indigenous-authored literature appears in your reading curriculum. Consistent presence across the year communicates that this content is integrated, not seasonal.