The Suquamish Tribe Approach to Incorporate Tribal Historic Preservation into School Curricula

Summary

The Suquamish Tribe of the Port Madison Indian Reservation in Western Washington promotes incorporation of tribal history, culture, and language into school curricula. Staff members in the Archaeology and Historic Preservation Program participate in curriculum development and make presentations in the North Kitsap School District and at the Suquamish Tribe’s own Chief Kitsap Academy Middle and High School. Tribal archaeologists contribute to the classroom experience in a variety of ways to bring to life the rich cultural traditions of the Suquamish People. We summarize efforts to incorporate archaeological and ethnographic data into marine biology, language, and social studies classes through demonstrations of traditional fishing technology, analyses of archaeological shellfish and fish assemblages from shell midden sites, summaries of traditional ecological knowledge related to fishing, hunting, plant gathering, and shellfish gathering, and discussions of traditional place names given by Suquamish elders. Archaeologists also serve as mentors to Chief Kitsap Academy students, providing opportunities for students to explore career paths in tribal historic preservation.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 81st Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL (2016)   •
• Community Matters: Active Involvement with Tribal Communities, the Many Roles of Tribal Heritage Management

Keywords

Spatial Coverage