Native Education @ CES
Our intent is to carry out our work in ways that recognize and honor our region’s pre-colonial history and resistance to colonization. We hope to participate in the restoration of a broader, more inclusive present, a more accurate narrative of our past for greater Native student success now. Our approach requires awareness raising, advocacy, and humility for all students because the work needed to address the deep injustices of colonization, loss of access to sovereign lands, and the continued impact of assimilation is still incomplete.
We hope that through our continued efforts more Native voices feel Native Education @ CES is a place where Native entities can access resources to aid in their sovereign right to guide the success of their youth, families, elders, and communities.
How Native Education @ CES came to be
Providing infrastructure and resources is how the work of Native education awareness raising at CES began. The educational system’s ongoing inability to invite, hire, and retain Native People in the teaching and learning of all students is a shortcoming. CES hopes to expand on providing resources and infrastructure to native entities. We have defined a process for external donations to be directed to Native entities.
Photo source: Our History – Tribal Government of the Nipmuc Nation, https://www.nipmucnation.org/history
Our Approach for Native/Indigenous student success
We support schools and organizations in understanding that all education in Massachusetts happens on Native land. Additionally, we work with educators in their growth to disrupt educational practices that continue to inaccurately depict Native knowledge, histories, and continued resilience of the original stewards of this continent.
We are encouraging and supportive but also provide straightforward feedback when appropriate as well as help hold space for the processes and reflections through cycles of inquiry and collaborative problem – solving and growth.
Ask us about a tailored program
We can provide professional development, coaching, assessment, and technical assistance for your district, school, or organization that can meet your specific needs and goals. CES excels at drawing together the right multidisciplinary team for you.
Services
Professional Development Support
including hybrid co-facilitation, asynchronous course design
CES acknowledges that we do not have the right to cultural and Indigenous Intellectual property. We have modified our internal process to support the development of curriculum related to the Original People of the Americas without any expectation of using Native derived content without express written agreement. Additionally, we will follow confidentiality expectations of all Native entities who invite us to support their work in PD development planning.
CES can provide co-facilitation, coplanning, learning partnership, registration, IT support as requested, and PDP certification for PD, conferences, and community engagements.
CES is a DESE approved PDP provider.
Centering a Place-Based Protocol
We can help you:
- Develop an understanding of what a Place-Based approach can look like and how it can be applied,
- Use community-based and researched scholarship to support organizational planning and implementation of a place-based approach for your land and waterways commitment
- Draft and/or evaluate organizational documents such as strategic plans, curriculum units, and meeting agendas
Through the lens of a place-based approach, together we will co-create solutions and actions based on the Five Threads of Indigenous Learning related to Place, Experience, Interconnectedness, Intergenerational, and Storytelling.
Land Acknowledgement and Implementation
We recognize that many organizations have worked hard to develop land acknowledgments; however, a land acknowledgement is part of a wider process of strategic planning for deeper implementation towards a commitment to the land and waterways. We will work with you to:
- understand how to center Native voices in your planning, reflecting, teaching, and leadership practices through a place based protocol.
- build organizational knowledge and practice to enhance a sense of belonging for staff and clients,
- center Native Education practices for the benefit of all adults and learners
Professional Learning Community (PLC) Co-Facilitation
PLCs are a well-known way to support educator job-embedded professional development and collaboration. The relationships built in PLCs support teachers to grow and confer with their colleagues. Native Education @ CES can work to help develop or invite you to our PLCs to further develop and explore in a dynamic way how to incorporate, learn more about, and/or implement understandings of Native Education Practices.
Curriculum Review
As part of our Place-based protocol, inspired by Native entities including the work of Dr. Sandra Barton, we work closely with educators to review their current curriculum practices through several frameworks. Primarily, we consider the Standard Model of Indigenous Learning (Barton, 2023), geographical location for where the curriculum takes place and who are the original people of the land, backwards design, and culturally relevant pedagogical practices. We will work with you to develop and implement the work with cultural literacy, historical accuracy, standards alignment, and academic integrity.
Research and Evaluation
With our colleagues in the Research and Evaluation Department, we will work as your learning partner to provide an Indigenous pedagogical perspective to your evaluation processes. Our work and focus uses a Place-based protocol, meaning our primary focus is where you are not only physically but also in relationship to those around you.
Examples of Past Projects
State Tribal Education Program grant (STEP)
In 2021, the “Voices from the First Light” conference invited educators from the school districts where Wampanoag students are enrolled, and attendees could submit a response to the event for PDP points. In 2022, CES also helped support “Learning And Unlearning For School Equity: Native Students, Trauma, And Resilience”, and joined in the planning and registration of “Voices from the First Light” conference.
Wistariahurst
CES was invited to provide consulting on the museums Land acknowledgement. We connected the museum staff with Native author of Colonization and the Wampanoag story”, and discussed the need to make an land acknowledgement an action plan that is dynamic.
The Native Education Council of Massachusetts
The Native Education Council of Massachusetts is an independent educational organization that advances the cultural knowledge, wellbeing, and academic success of Native students in all educational opportunities. CES’ José Lugo began in July 2023 to assist NEC in facilitating meetings, building more voices into the discussions regarding Native Education in MA, providing topics research, building resources and meeting outlines based on member directives, and assisting to develop a SWOTT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Tangible Targets) analysis to review the Dawnland Community Specialist role that NEC members drafted.
Traditional Ecological Knowledge Conference
This 2022-2024 conference was designed to incorporate ancient Indigenous understanding into the curriculum to address today’s issues of sustainability. CES provided support for registration, communication, IT, PDP certification processing, and online event planning and facilitation. It was a 3 day conference for teachers and administrators where educators from the school districts where Wampanaog students are enrolled.