The Billy caldwell film & curriculum (Grades 6-12)

Native American and Indigenous Peoples Resource Guide

The experiences of Native Americans are often relegated to the past. Shear, et. al. (2015) illuminated this in their report, “Manifesting Destiny: Re/presentations of Indigenous Peoples in K-12 U.S. History Standards.” Their research found that 87% of state-level US History standards do not mention Native American history after 1900. And at the time of this study, Illinois had zero standards related to the teaching of Native Americans post-1900, let alone our contemporary experiences.  

This changed in Illinois with the passing of HB 1633 in 2023, which mandates that schools throughout the state teach “about the Native American nations' sovereignty and self determination, both historically and in the present day, with a focus on urban Native Americans,” including, “the contributions of Native Americans in government and the arts, humanities, and sciences, as well as the contributions of Native Americans to the economic, cultural, social, and political development of their own nations and of the United States. 

To provide, advocate and support an intertribal urban system of education, through networks of Native American Programs and other providers to increase academic and career success for multi-generations that recognizes formal education and tribal cultures/traditions.