Educators should be mindful of cultural appropriation when teaching about other cultures and understand that Native American students in class may experience lessons differently than non-Native students.
Indigenous People’s Day Resources
The Zinn Education Project has lessons, books, and films to examine for teaching the truth about Columbus, “Indian Removal” policies, and Indigenous Peoples’ history.
Celebrate Indigenous People Lesson Plan (PDF)
In this activity from IllumiNative, elementary school students will make a booklet to celebrate the contributions of Native Americans.
Transforming Teaching and Learning About Native Americans
Teaching and learning about Native Americans can occur in meaningful ways across different subject areas. Use these resources, from the Smithsonian Museum of the American Indian Native Knowledge 360° Education Initiative to bring new ways of thinking Native Americans to multiple disciplines, including science, English language arts, and social studies.
Student-Centered Digital Learning Activities
Check out these digital education tools, lesson plans, and resources available for free and downloadable from the National Indian Education Association.
Living Nations, Living Words: A Guide for Educators
This guide offers teachers and other educators ideas for using U.S. Poet Laureate Joy Harjo's signature project, "Living Nations, Living Words," in the classroom. The project gathers and highlights the diverse voices of 47 contemporary Native American poets.
Native Now: The Dos and Don’ts of Talking Respectfully about and with Native People from IllumiNative (PDF)
Indigenous Storytellers Share Scary Stories and the Wisdom They Hold
Four Indigenous storytellers recite a scary tale and share a little about the meaning behind these chilling yarns.
NEA's Land Acknowledgement Guide
Land Acknowledgements are a reminder that every major city, town, and municipality benefits from the dispossession of Indigenous land and people. It is a formal recognition of that painful reality and history and a small first step in truth, healing, and reconciliation. This guide outlines why land acknowledgements are important, how to approach them, and includes further actions to support Indigenous communities.
Find more resources for teaching about Native Americans at our American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month resource page.
Recommended Books About Indigenous Peoples from NEA and Read Across America
Share stories of Indigenous Peoples and cultures in your classroom with these titles and related resources.
ELEMENTARY AND PICTURE BOOKS
- All Around Us by Xelena González
- Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story by Kevin Noble Maillard
- We Are Water Protectors by Carole Lindstrom
- We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga by Traci Sorrell
- Chester Nez and the Unbreakable Code: A Navajo Code Talker’s Story by Joseph Bruchac
- Powwow Day by Traci Sorrell
- Contenders: Two Native Baseball Players, One World Series by Traci Sorell
- Loaf the Cat Goes To The Powwow by Nicholas DeShaw
MIDDLE SCHOOL
- Ancestors Approved: Intertribal Stories for Kids by Cynthia Leitich Smith
- I Can Make This Promise by Christine Day
- Healer of the Water Monster by Brian Young
- Notable Native People: 50 INDIGENOUS LEADERS, DREAMERS, AND CHANGEMAKERS FROM PAST AND PRESENT by Dr. Adrienne Keene
- The Rez Detectives by Steven Paul Judd
- We Have a Dream: Meet 30 Young Indigenous People and People of Color Protecting the Planet by Mya-Rose Craig
- Sky Wolf's Call: The Gift of Indigenous Knowledge by Eldon Yellowhorn
- Native Americans in History by Jimmy Beason
- Voices of the People by Joseph Bruchac
- Indigenous Ingenuity: A Celebration of Traditional North American Knowledge by Deidre Havrelock & Edward Kay
- Red Bird Danced by Dawn Quigley
YOUNG ADULT
- An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States for Young People by Roxanne Dunbar Ortiz
- Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger
- Hearts Unbroken by Cynthia Leitich Smith
- #NotYourPrincess: Voices of Native American Women by Lisa Charleyboy and Mary Beth Leatherdale (editors)
- Living Nations, Living Words: An Anthology of First Peoples Poetry by Joy Harjo
- Looking for Smoke by K. A. Cobell
Voices of
Native American Educators
Join the community of activists committed to advancing social and racial justice in public education
