American Indians in Children’s Literature (AICL) (website) – Established in 2006 by Dr. Debbie Reese of Nambé Pueblo, provides critical analysis of Indigenous peoples in children’s and young adult books. You can search the AICL website for a review of a particular book or search for articles using keywords. A few of her many resources and articles are listed below.

• AICL: Lists of Best Books
• Critical Indigenous Literacies: Selecting and Using Children’s Books about Indigenous People
• Tips for Teachers: Developing Instructional Materials about American Indians
• Dear Teachers: An Open Letter about Images of Indians

Every Child Thrives (website) – We Walk Together for Early Childhood Care & Education (article) – Niwiidosedimin means we walk together in Ojibwe. It’s also the name of a project of the Wiikwedong Early Childhood Development Collaborative where educators are discovering what parents, grandparents, caregivers, and intergenerational supportive adults envision for their children.

The Administration for Children & Families, Tribal Early Childhood Development (website) – The Office of Early Childhood Development has launched a webpage dedicated to Tribal Early Childhood Development. In collaboration with tribal communities and partners across the federal government, ECD is engaged in efforts to support and strengthen the implementation and coordination of early childhood programs and systems in tribal communities. The Tribal Early Childhood Development Webinar Series delves into topics related to the coordination and alignment of early childhood programs in AI/AN communities.

College of Menominee Nation – Indigenous Early Childhood Education Teaching Resources (website) – The Circle Never Ends is a multicultural preschool curriculum model based on the American Indian tradition. The framework includes 9 units that can be used in a 9 or 12-month cycle. Books & lesson plans can be found on the College of Menominee Nation website.

Head Start

Partnerships for Change: Listening to the Voices of Families (video) – This video demonstrates how one program effectively partners with families and local organizations to build a strong community. See how family well-being and children’s healthy development is rooted in a respect for culture, values, and home language. Successful partnerships contribute to community wellness and better outcomes for families and children, including school readiness.

The American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) Teacher Webinar Series (webinar) These webinars feature in-service suites that can help teachers and home visitors better understand and identify effective teaching practices, learn why they’re important, what they look like in action, and how to use them in classrooms and during home visits. Each webinar offers practice-based strategies that teachers can use immediately to improve their practice.

Making It Work (webpage) – Traditional lifeways, languages, and cultural heritages are important components of young children’s school readiness. Making It Work helps American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) early education staff meet these goals as they teach children about their traditional cultural skills, values, beliefs, and lifeways.

Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, American Indian Studies Program (webpage) – The American Indian Studies Program exists primarily to assist with the implementation of the curricular requirements in the areas of American Indian history, culture, and tribal sovereignty. Here you can find Resources Related to American Indian Education and a listing of Tribal Head Starts and Early Childhood Program Contacts

Don’t Just Teach About Cultures – Teach Culturally. Here’s the Difference (article)
This article by David O’Connor, American Indian Studies Consultant with the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, encourages educators to think about how they can move from teaching about cultures to teaching culturally with their students. This article appears on the Houghton Mifflin Harcourt blog.

Wisconsin First Nations (website) – provides current and pre-service educators with accurate and authentic educational resources for teaching and learning about the Native Nations of Wisconsin. Their website contains over 50 resources for PK-2nd grade!

Native Knowledge 360° (NK360) (website) provides educational materials, virtual student programs, and teacher training that incorporate Native narratives, more comprehensive histories, and accurate information to enlighten and inform teaching and learning about Native America. NK360° challenges common assumptions about Native peoples and offers a view that includes not only the past but also the vibrancy of Native peoples and cultures today.

Family Leadership Design Collaborative (website) – Indigenous Family Engagement: Strong Families, Strong Nation (pdf) This publication on Indigenous family engagement appears in the Handbook of Indigenous Education. It argues for amplifying and renewing Indigenous family leadership and engagement in systems of education that aim to support Indigenous communities’ resurgence.

Updated 10/24/2024