4/28 Living Earth: Saving Sacred Spaces

The National Museum of the American Indian was at the center of our final 2022 museum seminar, with the topic for the afternoon being Living Earth: Saving Sacred Spaces. Throughout the United States, sites sacred to the Native peoples of this land have become endangered as a result of climate change, continued population growth, development of natural resources and a lack of respect for the spiritual and cultural impact these sites have to Native nations. These are all challenges that reverberate with our 2022 theme of social justice, and have been heightened in this time of pandemic.

We were fortunate to have four highly knowledgeable guides for the afternoon: Maria Marable-Bunch, Associate Director, Museum Learning and Programs, Shawn Termin, Acting Assistant Director of Programs, Renée Gokey, Teacher Services Coordinator and Hayes Lavis, Museum Program Specialist.

They provided perspectives from a variety of Native American communities, through the sharing of stories, images and objects that allowed us to think about the significance that homelands, kinship systems, and nationhood hold for Native Peoples. Online lessons and case studies that can be tailored for education level were shared and Fellows were able to engage in activities that deepened their appreciation for how Native Peoples experience belonging.  Parallels were quickly drawn with what many of our own students have experienced.

A review of NK360 reminded us of the richness of online resources the museum has for educators, many of which have been built around the ten themes of the National Council for Social Studies’ national curriculum standards. Using these themes as a starting point, NMAI’s Essential Understandings help guide students to gaining an understanding of the complex and diverse cultures, histories, and contemporary lives of Native Peoples.

The afternoon was lively and engaging, and provided a wonderful ending to our seminar series.

Photo courtesy of Sealaska Heritage Institute, Smithsonian Digital Learning Lab