Minnesota Native American Essential Understanding for Educators
For years, Minnesota educators have lacked a single reliable source for teaching accurate Native American history and culture. Minnesota Native American Essential Understandings for Educators fills that gap, distilling complex history into seven core understandings—covering Dakota and Ojibwe identity and culture, land and treaty rights, tribal sovereignty, historical trauma and ongoing disparities, and contemporary contributions to Minnesota life. Directed by Ramona Kitto Stately (Santee Dakota Nation) and reviewed by Native scholars and educators including Anton Treuer, Angelique EagleWoman, and Tadd Johnson, the publication addresses a need identified in the 2022 Restoring Our Place report: the absence of a trustworthy foundation for educators before they teach Native topics. Educators, curriculum developers, and community members will find concise, well-organized content designed to reduce the fear of “getting it wrong” and to establish a shared, accurate baseline for relating to Minnesota’s Dakota, Ojibwe, and other Indigenous communities.
Anton Treuer (Ojibwe name Waagosh “fox”) is Professor of Ojibwe at Bemidji State University and author of more than 20 books specializing in the Ojibwe language and American Indian Studies. Dr. Treuer is a member of the governing boards for the Minnesota State Historical Society and Waadookodaading Ojibwe Language Institute and has received many prestigious awards and fellowships. In 2018, he was named Guardian of Culture and Lifeways by the Association of Tribal Archives, Libraries, and Museums.
One of the most prolific scholars of Ojibwe, Treuer is at the forefront of a movement to textualize this formerly oral language in hopes of preserving and revitalizing it. He has also worked extensively with the Ojibwe language immersion efforts underway in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Ontario and is part of a team of scholars developing Rosetta Stone for Ojibwe with the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe. Treuer is actively building an Ojibwe teacher training program at Bemidji State University and presents around the nation and the world on topics of cultural competence and equity, tribal sovereignty and history, Ojibwe language and culture, and strategies for addressing the “achievement gap”.
Anton Treuer’s YouTube channel
One enjoyable way to learn more about Ojibwe history and culture is to listen to the recordings on Anton Treuer’s YouTube channel. His playlists can support educator professional development and/or student-facing learning alike. Here is a sampling:
Playlist: Ojibwe Culture & Teaching | Stories, Traditions & Worldview
- Native American Hair and its Cultural and Spiritual Importance (3:19)
- Ojibwe Greeting Protocol (6:34)
- Ojibwe Parting Protocol (4:31)
- Ojibwe Clans (14:52)
- Owls in Ojibwe Culture (4:44)
Playlist: Racial Equity & Indigenous Perspectives | Education, History & Dialogue
- Indigenous Land Acknowledgement (6:38)
- Thanksgiving Through Native Eyes: History, Perspectives, and Family Traditions (8:08)
- Thriving in Indian Country: What’s in the Way and How Do We Overcome (16:57)
- Defining Indigeneity: The Problem with Buffy Sainte-Marie (26:50)
Anton Treuer recommended books and resources
No one is expected to arrive already knowing Native history — only willing to learn it. Anton Treuer’s Recommended Books and Resources is a place to start! What is special about this list is that he has curated and vetted these resources for those seeking a deeper understanding of Indigenous history, sovereignty, culture, and contemporary Native life.