Teaching Native Language & History in a Public School

Teaching Native Language & History in a Public School

presented by Jamie Valadez

Teaching Native Language and History in a Public School
Jamie Valadez outlines her approach to teaching Native language and history in a public school to both Native and non-Native students. She will cover how she creates units based in place, culture, and community, to help students make connections between current issues and their roots in recent past and to understand how those issues affect the community. She references challenges such as reversing low-attendance amongst Native students and embracing cultural diversity among non-Native students to give practical insight to educators who may be working with these types of challenges; and she also references rewards when working with both groups of students such as breaking down stereotypes and misunderstandings to build a more respectful and diverse community to motivate educators doing this work.

Presenter Biography
Jamie Valadez, an Elwha Klallam Tribal Member from Port Angeles, has been teaching Klallam Language since 1999 and Native American Studies since 2005 at Port Angeles High School. Jamie enjoys storytelling for small children; provides Cultural awareness training for educational communities and basket weaving and cradleboard making workshops for tribal programs.  Jamie’s formal education includes: Peninsula College (A.A.), The Evergreen State College and University of Puget Sound (B.A. and teaching certificate), Pacific Lutheran University to complete ProCert.  Jamie is most proud of her time spent with Elders of the Klallam Tribe learning the Klallam Language, Culture and History. Since 1991 Jamie has worked with the Klallam Language Program, on preservation, revitalization and expansion of the Klallam Language.  This has led to several publications including a Klallam Dictionary and Klallam Grammar.  Jamie has also made contributions to Inter-tribal publications such as ‘Native Peoples:  Who We Are’ and ‘From the hands of a weaver.’