St. Paul Public Schools offers land tenure curriculum training
Jan.-2008

Wednesday, January 30, a dozen St. Paul Public Schools (SPPS) junior and senior high social studies teachers gathered in the district’s Multicultural Resource Center for a two-hour training session on the American Indian Land Tenure Curriculum. 

Led by Secondary Social Studies Coach Michelle Beirman, the training provided an overview of the curriculum, sample lesson plans, and resource materials available to augment lesson plans.  The lesson plans are structured to be easily integrated into a variety of courses for junior and senior high levels.

ILTF’s Terry Janis introduced teachers to the Foundation and its
educational mission.  He also answered questions throughout the training.
Nicole Lonetree, with the SPPS Indian Education Program, shared the resource materials available, many of which she has used in land tenure lesson plans with the K-6 program. 

Beirman offered her assistance as an in-class co-teacher or coach for any interested teacher as well as classroom assistance from consultant Priscilla Buffalohead, whose services are made available through the Indian Education Program.  Bierman wrapped up the session with a discussion of how land tenure lesson plans could be incorporated into participants’ existing curriculums.

The curriculum was designed specifically with Native American tribal issues and values in mind, but the context illustrates the important relationship between land and people in general, not just Indian people.

In addition to ILTF, the St. Paul Foundation, F.R. Bigelow Foundation,
St. Paul Travelers, Little Traverse Bay Band and Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe helped provide funding to support implementation of the curriculum, including refining and adapting content to fit standards and local needs, training sessions, classroom support, and the purchase of resource materials for use in multiple classrooms.

view/download curriculum
description of ILTF's education strategy
curriculum implementation RFP