OPI IEFA Update March 2023

Need Professional Development Units?  

The Montana Office of Public Instruction Indian Education for All Unit has some great virtual options for you! Each webinar/workshop is a 90-minute recording you can watch when it suits you and your schedule. To earn professional development units, you will need to complete a short survey after watching each recorded episode.

Be sure to check out our most recent presentations which all feature American Indian speakers.  Some of the presenters include Julie Cajune, Keving Kicking Woman, Rosalyn LaPier, Rose Bear Don’t Walk, Lea Whitford, and Senator Shane Morigeau,

INDIAN EDUCATION FOR ALL BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE BUILDING WEBINAR SERIES

Tribal Sovereignty

Indian Boarding Schools: From History to Healing

Ethnobotany

Buffalo Nations: History and Revitalization of the American Bison

Yellowstone National Park Workshop, North Yellowstone Lodge

Workshop Dates:     August 2-8, 2023     August 9-15, 2023

The new Buffalo Nations Landmarks program will prepare two groups of K-12 educators from across the U.S. to implement a curriculum focusing on the history and revitalization of the buffalo as situated within the histories, geographies, and contemporary knowledge of Indigenous Nations. K-12 teachers and other educators are eligible to apply.  Attendees will receive a $1300 stipend.  The program is relevant to teachers across all grade levels and subject areas, though K-8 teachers, science teachers, and social studies teachers may benefit most.

For workshop information and application forms visit the Buffalo Nations Landmarks website

Best Practices In IEFA

Looking for ways to improve your IEFA implementation?  Here are some tips and ideas:

• Review the OPI IEFA Framework. This document lays out the critical supports and domains of IEFA specific to your school.  It also has tons of tips, ideas, and suggested resources.
• Be sure you know the Essential Understandings in detail. Knowing the EUs and looking for correlation in your planned curriculum is the key to seamless IEFA integration. 
• Indigenize your school and classroom. Providing students visual reminders about who Montana Indians were and are today ensures that students are regularly exposed to some of the EUs.  Great examples are hanging tribal flags around your school, utilizing OPI resources such as the Making MT Proud poster series, and having photos of historical and contemporary American Indians in classrooms or common areas. 
• Utilize the resources available. The OPI IEFA website has lessons for all grade levels and subject areas.  Two other great websites are the Montana Historical Society’s IEFA webpage and the Smithsonian Museum of the American Indian’s Native Knowledge 360. Lessons can either be used as is or modified to better fit the teacher’s instructional goals. 
• Have IEFA related events and initiatives. Events such as American Indian Heritage Day, Thanksgiving, Veterans Day, and others are great times to acknowledge the contributions of American Indians to our state and nation’s past, past, present, and future.  Take advantage and provide opportunities for your students to learn more about our Indigenous friends and neighbors.