By Corvo Rohwer, Puyallup Tribal News
Heritage Division Curriculum Developer and School Liaison Patricia Conway visited multiple school districts in November to observe the ongoing implementation of the Since Time Immemorial curriculum.
Also known as the John McCoy (lulilaš) STI, the Tribally-cultivated curriculum has been a requirement for schools to teach since 2015 by Senate Bill 5433. The adoption of the course work has taken a long time to integrate within schools alongside their existing classes, Conway said, but progress is being made.
“When a teacher leaves, the curriculum doesn’t always get implemented,” Conway said. “It’s been like that historically, where some pockets of teachers will do the work, but school districts have gotten away with not doing the work.”
The Puyallup Tribe has been dedicated to providing support and assistance to school districts to ensure they are able to build a strong framework to build off of. The goal is to create curriculum and strategies that are not just classroom based, but have a wider scope. Classroom visits are just one step to monitor growth of the districts and learn where it may need assistance in reaching the shared goal.
Conway began the classroom tours by visiting three schools in the Federal Way School District to observe Native students and examine the differences in Since Time Immemorial curriculum integration strategies. Valhalla Elementary students were engaged with Alaskan Native games like the one-foot high kick, mint and nettle tea was prepared in the culinary courses at Federal Way High School and the garden class at Lakota Middle School showed off its harvest of vegetables, fruits and herbs.
“The major differences in school districts is they are all at different places with their STI and local Tribe specific adoptions,” Conway said. “Some school districts are more creative and have the staff who are willing and ready to learn Indigenous science, traditional knowledges, plant-based medicine, history and songs. They are able to blend it into science and to English language arts. Others are a little further behind.”
With no integration benchmarks in place, there isn’t a great way to track how schools are performing regarding the implementation of Since Time Immemorial materials. Conway believes visiting locations in person and establishing communication pathways between districts and the Tribe will help aid in this process, as well as establishing a better understanding of what is succeeding and what needs more work.
“Most of the school districts do not have a system for tracking STI training,” Conway said. “My request was I want to see your kids, I want to see your Native kids, I want to see the STI plan and I really just want to see the campus environment. The number one thing is, ‘Where do I see Native American representation on campus?’ And if I don’t see it, or it’s not made a priority, that’s a concern because we can’t expect one educator to do the lifting — there has to be team work.”
Native American Education Program Coordinator Otellie Trujillo has been working on that team work, aiding the Fife School District, along with the Tribe, to further develop its STI implementation alongside pushing for more Native-focused professional development for teachers.
Trujillo said some teachers have had trouble knowing where to get started or are uneasy about instructing material they are unfamiliar with.
“That’s why you learn — if you don’t learn, you can’t appreciate it and then teach it respectfully or accurately,” Trujillo said.
She pointed to the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction website as a starting point to build off of, saying she hopes more teachers begin looking into ways to infuse their curriculum.
Trujillo went on to share the successes of the district naming Powwow Fit, an afterschool program held at Discovery and Hedden Elementary, as something she is especially proud of. This program allows students who are between eighth and 12th grade to earn physical education credits while learning about culture as well.
Conway listed creative strategies like this to be important in leading the way to Since Time Immemorial adoption and smooth integration. She hopes as school visits continue in 2025 that districts will not only be working hard to ensure they are applying the Since Time Immemorial curriculum, but also asking for support when they need it.
“It comes down to creativity, people’s willingness to think outside the box and to get out of their comfort zone,” Conway said. “To be willing to admit that, ‘We don’t know what we don’t know,’ but also be willing to ask questions.”
