RPS integrates more Indigenous history

ROCHESTER - Little by little in recent years, traces of Native American culture have started weaving themselves into the visible fabric of Rochester Public Schools.

Those who walk into the school district's main office in the Historic Southwest neighborhood of Rochester will see a wall with artwork depicting the Seven Grandfather Teachings.

Those who go to the school board on Tuesday nights will hear a proclamation at the beginning of the meeting about how the district's buildings are located on the ancestral land of the Dakota people.

And for the second year since it was built, a quarter of the city's sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders will go to class every day in the building named after that same tribal nation: Dakota Middle School.

Now, yet another strand of Native American heritage will be woven into that equation. Earlier this year, the Minnesota Legislature approved a new academic requirement for all students to have access to Native American history. It also requires teachers to receive training on Native American heritage as part of their licensing process.

"It's long overdue, and it's a great start," said Amelia Cordell, Native American liaison at Rochester Public Schools. "It's going to be a work in progress, but I believe this will definitely help."

The Minnesota Department of Education refers to the new requirements as "Indigenous Education For All." The department's website says it's "intended for all students in Minnesota, as well as their teachers and school administrators to better understand their Indigenous peers."

It's not that there wasn't education about Native American history prior to 2023. Cordell said Minnesota history is emphasized in sixth grade social studies. Outside of that, Cordell describe Native American history as "sprinkled throughout the curriculum."

However, the changes aim to expand that into a more robust system.

"It was very broad and narrow," Cordell said about the previous extent of the curriculum. "Native American education is really huge and vast and can really be applied to all subject areas."

The Department of Education is still figuring out what will go into the new education initiative. Part of that includes conducting a survey about what everyone - both Native and not - would like to see incorporated into the new academic requirements.

There are 11 tribes located in Minnesota. Seven are Dakota, and four are Ojibwe, also known as Anishinaabe. Just 50 miles northeast of Rochester, Red Wing Public Schools started a Dakota Language course even before the new legislation that will help both Native and non-Native students connect with the state's Indigenous heritage.

Although Rochester has a smaller population of Native American students than other corners of Minnesota, there are more than 45 tribal nations represented among the district's roughly 250 students who are identified as Native American.

While the details of "Indigenous Education for All" are still being figured out, Cordell said it will be beneficial for Native and non- Native students alike.

"For Native students, they'll definitely get to see themselves ... (Before), the only time it was taught was if we said something in class. If we talked," Cordell said. "For non-Native students, you don't know what you don't know. So, they get to learn about the people who were here before them."