Native American Studies
Lagoons as Vital Cultural Ecosystems
Performing—Anchor Standard 6, Creating—Anchor Standard 2, MS-ESS3-3, MS-LS2-3, MS-LS2-4Students will learn to see lagoons as important to Indigenous cultures and the surrounding communities, including themselves. Students will analyze the dangers of water pollution to the ocean and lagoons to plants, animals, and culture. Students will learn how to identify some of the common plants and animals at a lagoon. Students will learn how to speak about the importance of wetlands and lagoons to Indigenous culture through a story with a moral or lesson about good lagoon stewardship. The ultimate goal is for students to learn the importance of understanding the connection between healthy ecosystems and the resilience of Indigenous cultures.
Maidu Bear Dances
3-LS2-1, 4-ESS3-1, 5-ESS3-1The lesson centers California Native American perspectives, with a focus on the Maidu tribe, highlighting the ways Indigenous knowledge and ceremonies honor the natural world and guide responsible stewardship. In this lesson, students will explore the cultural significance of the Maidu Bear Dance and its deep connection to nature. Through learning about the Maidu People's respectful relationship with the land and animals, students will gain insight into how traditional cultural practices support environmental sustainability and conservation.
New Conversations about Grizzlies
3-LS4-3, 3-LS4-4, 4-ESS3-1, 5-ESS3-1, 5-PS3-1The lesson highlights the importance of grizzly bear conservation while centering California Native American perspectives, including insights from the Gabrieleno/Tongva tribe, to deepen understanding of Indigenous relationships with the land and wildlife stewardship. In this lesson, students will investigate the ecological role of grizzly bears and how human activity has affected their habitats and survival.
Respect, Reciprocity, and Reverence
3-ESS3-1, 4-ESS3-1, 5-ESS3-1, 3-LS4-4, 4-LS1-1, 5-PS3-1Through learning from California Native American perspectives, including voices from the Gabrieleno/Tongva tribe, students will explore how these values guide environmental stewardship and cultural practices. This lesson introduces students to core values within Indigenous knowledge systems, respect, reciprocity, and reverence, and their role in fostering sustainable relationships with the environment. The lesson encourages reflection on personal and collective responsibilities to the land and invites students to identify meaningful ways to honor and care for their local environment through everyday actions.
Setting the Foundation for Grizzlies to Return
3-LS4-4, 4-ESS3-1, 5-ESS3-1In this lesson, students will explore the importance of habitat restoration and conservation through the lens of grizzly bear recovery efforts. The lesson centers Indigenous knowledge, featuring perspectives from California Native communities, including members of the Gabrieleno/Tongva tribe, to highlight traditional ecological understandings and relationships with wildlife.
Traditional Ecological Knowledge
This lesson introduces the concept of Traditional Ecological Knowledge. Students will be shown examples of Yurok TEK and will be introduced to gathering policies. Students will evaluate maps as they relate to reservation land versus public land use. This lesson is designed for middle school students and includes supports for multilingual learners at the Bridging proficiency level.
Lesson 3: Yurok Country - Since Time Immemorial
In this lesson, students will review the importance of the Chah-pekw O’ Ket’-toh Stone Lagoon Visitor Center and Sue-Meg State Park. Students will be introduced to the California State Park Reexamining Our Past Initiative. Using different California State Park websites, students will analyze how the parks can be updated to reflect their Indigenous history.