November is National Native American Heritage Month. Teaching students about the history, culture, traditions, music, art, and world views of Indigenous peoples is important to celebrating our shared sense of humanity. 

Listenwise has a thematically-curated Native American Stories podcast collections featuring a variety of voices and experiences, past and present. Browse the Middle School collection, the High School collection, or review the lists of resources below to find opportunities to bring American Indian heritage into your classroom this month and throughout the year.

The Listenwise podcasts below can be integrated into classroom lessons in a variety of ways:

Podcasts Highlighting Native American Culture & Language

 

Podcasts Highlighting Native American History & Politics

 

Podcasts for Thematic Debate & Discussion

 

More Quality Teaching Resources for Native American Heritage Month

Listen to this podcast to hear students at Crow Agency Public School on the Crow Reservation in Montana debunk myths and stereotypes about Native life. Fifth grade teacher Connie Michael was inspired to make this podcast with her students after working with teachers at the Smithsonian Museum of the American Indian, where she learned that students across the country had significant misconceptions about life on a reservation.

Here are a few more resources that can help you bring Indigenous peoples’ perspectives into your classroom:

Additional Notes

Terminology

According to the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian, all of these terms are acceptable to use: American Indian, Indian, Native American, Indigenous, and Native. While the term Native American is widely used, we do acknowledge that it is a term that is falling out of favor with some groups, with the preference being to use the terms American Indian or Indigenous American. 

Best practice is to use the specific tribal name of the group you are referring to whenever possible. We use Native American in this blog post frequently because it is the most commonly used term, however we have made an effort to use different acceptable terms when possible out of respect. Listenwise commits to using specific tribal names whenever possible.

Thanksgiving

As we head into Thanksgiving later this month, it’s important to recognize that, as Learning for Justice explains in its Thanksgiving Mourning lesson, “For some Native Americans, Thanksgiving is no cause for celebration, but rather serves as a reminder of colonization’s devastating impact on Indigenous peoples.” The lesson offers valuable resources to use with students to help them think critically about American holidays and history and to read and listen to different perspectives. 

Learning for Justice also offers other teaching resources to help promote understanding of the experiences of Native Americans. For example, their lesson Teaching Thanksgiving in a Socially Responsible Way raises the point that “Native Americans have been speaking out and writing back against the colonialist narrative of Thanksgiving for as long as the American narrative has existed.” 

Please share with us in comments any other resources that you use to help promote understanding of Indigenous peoples’ cultures, histories, and perspectives.