Teach In Day 3 (PART 4) | Indigenous Histories of the U S Mexico Borderlands | Mestaz

Teach In Day 3: Indigenous Histories of the U.S. Mexico Borderlands Partnering with Museums and Archival Collections to Create Inquiry-driven Lessons on Indigenous History Archives and museums can function as powerful teaching tools. Dr. Lefty will discuss how institutional collections often reflect gaps, silences, and power dynamics in the historical record, but also invite students to critically engage with often unrecognized voices and histories. To do so, teachers will engage in an inquiry-driven exploration of the exhibit “Native Peoples of the Colorado Plateau,” the result of an innovative partnership between museum curators and forty-two tribal members from the region. Presented in their own words, the ethnology exhibition recounts tribal histories, values, and cultures of ten tribes of the Colorado Plateau, including the Acoma, Dilzhe’e Apache, Diné, Havasupai, Hopi, Hualapai, Southern Paiute, Southern Ute, Yavapai, and Zuni. While learning significant content, teachers will also acquire skills for using archival and museum collections to help center Native voices, move beyond outdated stereotypes, and develop key historical thinking skills in their students. Teachers will conclude the day with reflection time to digest their learning so far. Suggested Readings and Materials: Wendy Ng and J’net AyAyQwaYakSheelth, NEH Museum Educators, “Decolonize and Indigenize,” Medium, June 12, 2018. Tina M. Ellsworth, “Can We Believe What We Learn From Museums and Other Historic Sites?” in Using Inquiry to Prepare Students for College, Career, and Civic Life. (Secondary Grades), S. M. Waring, ed. (Silver Spring, MD: National Council for the Social Studies, 2023).