Tribal Sovereignty and Early Childhood Education

This course engages the Early Learning Tribal Sovereignty Curriculum, created by Native Early Learning educators for all early learners in Washington State. This curriculum is aligned to the K-12, Since Time Immemorial: Tribal Sovereignty in Washington State curriculum. Students will work with the curriculum’s three lessons designed for early learners to experience concepts related to tribal sovereignty and local tribal history: (1) Who We Are (family, cultural identity, a sense of place, and Native families), (2) House of Salmon (historic and contemporary significance of salmon), and (3) Respecting Our House (reciprocity, taking care of the land, acknowledging and honoring place, health and wellness, and giving thanks for all). Storytelling as a child development strategy will be central along with studying the curriculum’s map of Indigenous nations in Washington State. Students will learn about the strategies and efforts of reviving and protecting Indigenous languages, locally, nationally, and internationally.