Classroom opportunities for Native American Heritage Month

November is Native American Heritage Month, a time to recognize and celebrate the rich history of Native American culture in South Dakota. The Department of Education (DOE) and its partners have a variety of ways to integrate Native American Heritage Month into your classroom.

Recommended Reading:

As part of the Wóokiye Project, the South Dakota Indian Education Advisory Council has approved of two books written by Oceti Sakowin authors to be used in classrooms throughout South Dakota. In 2023, each elementary school in the state received two copies of “Muskrat and Skunk / Sinkpe Na Maka: A Lakota Drum Story” by Donald F. Montileaux. Every middle and high school received two copies of “The Lakota Way: Stories and Lessons for Living” by Joseph M. Marshall III.

Highlighting these books to students by reading the books or excerpts of the books aloud to students can spark interest in Native American history as well as begin a conversation about Native American culture.

Learn more about the Wóokiye Project on the Office of Indian Education website.

Classroom enrichment:

The Oceti Sakowin Essential Understandings & Standards (OSEUS) contain information, songs, and pictures that relate to each of the seven understandings contained in the OSEUS. These standards can be taught as early as kindergarten, and all the way through high school.

The Wóokiye Project also has a resource workbook which contains hundreds of lesson plans that meet the OSEUS for all grade levels.

Field trip opportunity:

The South Dakota Indian Education Summit will host its Youth Day on Friday, Nov. 15. Students of all ages are welcome to come to Pierre to learn about drumming and singing techniques, to hear history and Native storytelling by Elders, to play Indigenous hand games, and to take part in other activities.

Youth Day will be held from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. (CT) at the Ramkota Hotel & Conference Center in Pierre. Doors open at 9 a.m. Registration is not required. To learn more, visit SouthDakotaIES.com.

School counseling classroom instruction:

Two lesson plans in the South Dakota sturdy curriculum feature prominent Native American figures – Crazy Horse (Tĥaŝúnke Witkó) and Billy Mills. Each of these lessons integrates standards from OSEUS, Social Studies, English/Language Arts, and South Dakota Mindsets & Behaviors for Student Success. These lessons are designed to provide inspiration to elementary and middle school students to help them succeed in trying circumstances.

These lesson plans include readings for students as well as hands-on activities for the class to participate in to reinforce the concepts.