American Indian Studies Resources
Check out these resources and materials for teaching and learning around First Nations Studies.
DPI American Indian Studies Program
The first resource is the hyperlink to the DPI American Indian Studies Program website, which has the following information available:
Additionally, other resources shared and/or referenced is available on the Lesson Planning Resources | Maps | and Teaching and Learning subsection on the DPI American Indian Studies Program website. These materials and resources have been selected to illustrate ways in which teachers and others can include, integrate, and/or infuse American Indian Studies content into your instruction and practice. The information from each of these resources can be woven into a school or district’s curriculum through a balanced, comprehensive and aligned framework adaptable to local circumstances. Here is a list of some of the resources and materials shared and referenced:
Wisconsin First Nations Education
The Wisconsin First Nations Education website is meant to support administrators, teachers, librarians, and many others in exploring a rich collection of educational videos, professional development resources and materials, lesson plan for all grades, and learning tools for your classroom and libraries, specifically reference the Resources section on the website. This website is to help school districts or libraries integrate information on Wisconsin’s American Indian nations and tribal communities into their curriculum.
Furthermore, teacher professional learning resources are also provided, including a Frequently Asked Questions section for answering hard-to-ask questions you may have when teaching about Native cultures, and exemplar videos featuring Wisconsin teachers modeling how to incorporate American Indian Studies into students’ everyday learning.
Wisconsin First Nations Exemplar Profile: David O'Connor | PBS Wisconsin Education
PBS Wisconsin Education released a new Wisconsin First Nations focused digital video exemplar titled, Wisconsin First Nations Exemplar Profile: David O’Connor this past February 2020. “The video is part of PBS Wisconsin, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Education, and Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction’s Wisconsin First Nations collection of authentic and accurate Pre K-12 educational and educator-focused professional development resources. The digital exemplar series features stories from Wisconsin educators who excel at teaching American Indian Studies and want to help other educators do the same.” [PBS Wisconsin]
This exemplar profile and other resources are available at WisconsinFirstNations.org. To read the DPI-ConnectEd story (PBS Wisconsin Publishes Video on DPI American Indian Studies Consultant) with more information, visit here.
To watch the video, please click visit the following links:
Wisconsin Historical Society (WHS)
The information from each of these resources can be woven into a classroom, school and/or district’s curriculum through a balanced, comprehensive, and aligned framework adaptable to local circumstances.
Here is a list of other resources and materials available from the WHS Press:
The University of Wisconsin Press additionally has resources and materials for American Indian Studies. The following books are available from the UW Press:
Like WHS Press, the Minnesota Historical Society (MNHS) Press offers numerous resources and materials to support Native American Studies. The following information from each of the resources and materials listed below can be woven into a classroom, school and/or district’s curriculum through a balanced, comprehensive, and aligned framework adaptable to local circumstances.
In addition, here are some other resources:
The online resources that were shared and/or referenced during our time together include the following information and hyperlinks:
PBS Wisconsin Education The Ways:
PBS Wisconsin Education Wisconsin Biographies:
PBS Wisconsin Tribal Histories documentaries, which currently includes the following videos:
News and Media Sources
The following links are to media resources, television, and radio that covers news and entertainment for and about American Indian nations and tribal communities across Wisconsin, the United States, and Canada.
Podcasts
Links to Other Instructional or Related Resources
An important consideration when looking for good literature and written resources is to determine the historical and cultural accuracy of the materials and resources. The following links are to online guidance documents on how to determine the accuracy of books and other resources as well as to lists of vetted materials regarding American Indian Studies content.
Native Knowledge 360°
Native Knowledge 360° (NK360°) from the National Museum of American Indian (NMAI) provides educators and students with new perspectives on Native American history and cultures. NK360° provides educational materials and teacher training that incorporate Native narratives, more comprehensive histories, and accurate information to enlighten and inform teaching and learning about Native America. Furthermore, NK360° challenges common assumptions about Native peoples—their cultures, their roles in United States and world history, and their contributions to the arts, sciences, and literature. NK360° also offers a view that includes not only the past but also the richness and vibrancy of Native peoples and cultures today. The following information in available on the website:
Lessons of Our Land
Lessons of Our Land teaches the Native American story of this land from historical to modern times. The developed the curriculum provides students with broader insight and understanding of land, cultures, inherent rights and tribal sovereignty. The larger goal of the initiative is to have people identify with the land they live on and be better prepared to solve the difficult issues that impact communities on or near reservations today. Although Lessons of Our Land positions Native American tribal issues and values at the forefront, the curriculum emphasizes the fundamental relationship between land and people in general, not just Native Americans. The following information in available on the website:
Furthermore, each of these suggested resources listed above are intended for individuals of all ages and in all communities to make the connection between the knowledge, skills, and ways of learning about each of the American Indian nations, tribal communities, and people in Wisconsin and United States. In addition, here is a hyperlink to a document titled A Tiered Purchasing Plan for Supporting Wisconsin Act 31 in your Classroom or Library.
Please let me know if you need anything further on my end (as indicated earlier additional resources and materials are listed on the DPI American Indian Studies Program and Wisconsin First Nation Education websites). Take care and miigwech (Ojibwe meaning thank you) for all you do!
Regards,
_________________________________________________
David J. O'Connor, M.S.
Education Consultant, American Indian Studies Program
Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction
125 South Webster Street | P.O. Box 7841
Madison, WI 53703-7841
Telephone: (608) 267-2283 or (800) 441-4563 | Fax: (608) 266-1965
Email: david.oconnor@dpi.wi.gov | Web Page: dpi.wi.gov/amind
DPI American Indian Studies Program
The first resource is the hyperlink to the DPI American Indian Studies Program website, which has the following information available:
- Fact Sheet
- Tribal Nations of Wisconsin
- Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)
- Language and Culture Education Licenses (subsections: Languages in Wisconsin)
- State Statutes
- Annual Summer Institute
- Resources (subsections: Articles, Journals, Reports, and Research; Bibliography Series; Lesson Planning Resources; Maps; Publications; and Teaching and Learning)
- Calendar of Events
- Listserv
Additionally, other resources shared and/or referenced is available on the Lesson Planning Resources | Maps | and Teaching and Learning subsection on the DPI American Indian Studies Program website. These materials and resources have been selected to illustrate ways in which teachers and others can include, integrate, and/or infuse American Indian Studies content into your instruction and practice. The information from each of these resources can be woven into a school or district’s curriculum through a balanced, comprehensive and aligned framework adaptable to local circumstances. Here is a list of some of the resources and materials shared and referenced:
Wisconsin First Nations Education
The Wisconsin First Nations Education website is meant to support administrators, teachers, librarians, and many others in exploring a rich collection of educational videos, professional development resources and materials, lesson plan for all grades, and learning tools for your classroom and libraries, specifically reference the Resources section on the website. This website is to help school districts or libraries integrate information on Wisconsin’s American Indian nations and tribal communities into their curriculum.
Furthermore, teacher professional learning resources are also provided, including a Frequently Asked Questions section for answering hard-to-ask questions you may have when teaching about Native cultures, and exemplar videos featuring Wisconsin teachers modeling how to incorporate American Indian Studies into students’ everyday learning.
Wisconsin First Nations Exemplar Profile: David O'Connor | PBS Wisconsin Education
PBS Wisconsin Education released a new Wisconsin First Nations focused digital video exemplar titled, Wisconsin First Nations Exemplar Profile: David O’Connor this past February 2020. “The video is part of PBS Wisconsin, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Education, and Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction’s Wisconsin First Nations collection of authentic and accurate Pre K-12 educational and educator-focused professional development resources. The digital exemplar series features stories from Wisconsin educators who excel at teaching American Indian Studies and want to help other educators do the same.” [PBS Wisconsin]
This exemplar profile and other resources are available at WisconsinFirstNations.org. To read the DPI-ConnectEd story (PBS Wisconsin Publishes Video on DPI American Indian Studies Consultant) with more information, visit here.
To watch the video, please click visit the following links:
- Wisconsin First Nations Education website (includes essay): https://wisconsinfirstnations.org/david-oconnor-finds-personal-reflection-and-storytelling-essential-to-learning-about-wisconsins-first-nations/
- YouTube: https://youtu.be/aCF-pfV5i0g
Wisconsin Historical Society (WHS)
The information from each of these resources can be woven into a classroom, school and/or district’s curriculum through a balanced, comprehensive, and aligned framework adaptable to local circumstances.
- Indian Nations of Wisconsin: Histories of Endurance and Renewal (Revised 2nd Edition) with a “Understand By Design” Lesson Plan Framework Teaching Guide Materials
- Native People of Wisconsin: Revised and Expanded Edition with a Teacher’s Guide and Student Materials
Here is a list of other resources and materials available from the WHS Press:
- Aztalan: Mysteries of an Ancient Indian Town
- Electa Quinney: Stockbridge Teacher
- Good Seeds: A Menominee Indian Food Memoir
- Hidden Thunder: Rock Art of the Upper Midwest
- How to Be an Indian in the 21st Century with Poetry Lesson Plan
- Little Hawk and the Lone Wolf: A Memoir
- Mountain Wolf Woman: A Ho-Chunk Girlhood
- Ojibwe Traditions Coloring and Activity Book Series
- Rebel Poet: More Stories from a 21st Century Indian
- Seventh Generation Earth Ethics
- Skunk Hill: A Native Ceremonial Community in Wisconsin
- People of the Big Voice: Photographs of Ho-Chunk Families
- People of the Sturgeon: Wisconsin’s Love Affair with an Ancient Fish
- The Bingo Queens of Oneida: How Two Moms Started Tribal Gaming in Wisconsin
- The Story of Act 31: How Native History Came to Wisconsin Classrooms
- Wisconsin Indians: Revised and Expanded Edition
The University of Wisconsin Press additionally has resources and materials for American Indian Studies. The following books are available from the UW Press:
- American Indian Art
- Memories of Lac du Flambeau Elders
- Place Names of Wisconsin
- Spirits of Earth The Effigy Mound Landscape of Madison and the Four Lakes
- Wisconsin Indian Literature: Anthology of Native Voices
- Wisconsin Talk
Like WHS Press, the Minnesota Historical Society (MNHS) Press offers numerous resources and materials to support Native American Studies. The following information from each of the resources and materials listed below can be woven into a classroom, school and/or district’s curriculum through a balanced, comprehensive, and aligned framework adaptable to local circumstances.
- Bowwow Powwow
- Caring for American Indian Objects
- Everything You Wanted to Know About Indians But Were Afraid to Ask
- Hungry Johnny
- The Language Warrior’s Manifesto How to Keep Our Languages Alive No Matter the Odds
- Living Our Language Ojibwe Tales and Oral Histories
- My Mother Is Now Earth
- Ojibwe Waasa Inaabidaa We Look in All Directions
- Original Local Indigenous Foods, Stories, and Recipes from the Upper Midwest
- The Creator's Game A Story of Baaga’adowe/Lacrosse
- The Forever Sky
- The Four Hills of Life Ojibwe Wisdom
- The Good Path Ojibwe Learning and Activity Book for Kids
- The Ojibwa Dance Drum Its History and Construction
- The Relentless Business of Treaties How Indigenous Land Became US Property
- We Are Still Here A Photographic History of the American Indian Movement
In addition, here are some other resources:
- Native American Tourism of Wisconsin: Official Guide of Native American Communities of Wisconsin
- Explore Native Wisconsin
- Wisconsin Indian Literature: Anthology of Native Voices
The online resources that were shared and/or referenced during our time together include the following information and hyperlinks:
PBS Wisconsin Education The Ways:
- Waadookodaading: Ojibwe Language Immersion School
- Manoomin: Food That Grows On Water
- Warriors Boxing: Fighting for Our People
- Speafishing: A Living History
- Lady Thunderhawks: Leading The Way
- Clan Mother: Healing the Community
- Hunting Deer: Sharing The Harvest
- Language Apprentice: Bringing Back The Ho-Chunk Language
- Pow Wow Trail: Keeping The Beat
- Lake Superior Whitefish: Carrying On a Family Tradition
- Prayers In A Song: Learning Language Through Hip Hop
- Living Language: Menominee Language Revitalization
PBS Wisconsin Education Wisconsin Biographies:
PBS Wisconsin Tribal Histories documentaries, which currently includes the following videos:
- Bad River Ojibwe History
- Brothertown History
- Ho-Chunk Nation History
- Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe History
- Lac du Flambeau Ojibwe History
- Menominee History
- Mole Lake Ojibwe History
- Oneida History
- Potawatomi History
- Red Cliff Ojibwe History
- St. Croix Ojibwe History
- Stockbridge-Munsee Mohican History
News and Media Sources
The following links are to media resources, television, and radio that covers news and entertainment for and about American Indian nations and tribal communities across Wisconsin, the United States, and Canada.
- Indianz.com
- Indian Country Today
- News from Indian Country
- Native News Online
- Native Report
- Travel Wisconsin (Native Culture)
- Vision Maker Media: Native Stories for Public Broadcasting
- WOJB Radio
Podcasts
- All My Relations
- Media Indigena
- Native America Calling
- This Land
- Toasted Sister: Radio about Native American Food
Links to Other Instructional or Related Resources
An important consideration when looking for good literature and written resources is to determine the historical and cultural accuracy of the materials and resources. The following links are to online guidance documents on how to determine the accuracy of books and other resources as well as to lists of vetted materials regarding American Indian Studies content.
- American Indian Children’s Literature (AICL)
- American Indian Library Association
- Birchbark Books
- Cooperative Children’s Book Center (CCBC)
- Native Voices Books
Native Knowledge 360°
Native Knowledge 360° (NK360°) from the National Museum of American Indian (NMAI) provides educators and students with new perspectives on Native American history and cultures. NK360° provides educational materials and teacher training that incorporate Native narratives, more comprehensive histories, and accurate information to enlighten and inform teaching and learning about Native America. Furthermore, NK360° challenges common assumptions about Native peoples—their cultures, their roles in United States and world history, and their contributions to the arts, sciences, and literature. NK360° also offers a view that includes not only the past but also the richness and vibrancy of Native peoples and cultures today. The following information in available on the website:
- About Native Knowledge 360°
- Professional Development
- Lessons & Resources
- Student Programs
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Lessons of Our Land
Lessons of Our Land teaches the Native American story of this land from historical to modern times. The developed the curriculum provides students with broader insight and understanding of land, cultures, inherent rights and tribal sovereignty. The larger goal of the initiative is to have people identify with the land they live on and be better prepared to solve the difficult issues that impact communities on or near reservations today. Although Lessons of Our Land positions Native American tribal issues and values at the forefront, the curriculum emphasizes the fundamental relationship between land and people in general, not just Native Americans. The following information in available on the website:
Furthermore, each of these suggested resources listed above are intended for individuals of all ages and in all communities to make the connection between the knowledge, skills, and ways of learning about each of the American Indian nations, tribal communities, and people in Wisconsin and United States. In addition, here is a hyperlink to a document titled A Tiered Purchasing Plan for Supporting Wisconsin Act 31 in your Classroom or Library.
Please let me know if you need anything further on my end (as indicated earlier additional resources and materials are listed on the DPI American Indian Studies Program and Wisconsin First Nation Education websites). Take care and miigwech (Ojibwe meaning thank you) for all you do!
Regards,
_________________________________________________
David J. O'Connor, M.S.
Education Consultant, American Indian Studies Program
Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction
125 South Webster Street | P.O. Box 7841
Madison, WI 53703-7841
Telephone: (608) 267-2283 or (800) 441-4563 | Fax: (608) 266-1965
Email: david.oconnor@dpi.wi.gov | Web Page: dpi.wi.gov/amind