TITLE: Support for Development of Indian History Standards for Use in All Public Schools in the United States
WHEREAS, we, the members of the National Congress of American Indians of the United States, invoking the divine blessing of the Creator upon our efforts and purposes, in order to preserve for ourselves and our descendants the inherent sovereign rights of our Indian nations, rights secured under Indian treaties and agreements with the United States, and all other rights and benefits to which we are entitled under the laws and Constitution of the United States, to enlighten the public toward a better understanding of the Indian people, to preserve Indian cultural values, and otherwise promote the health, safety and welfare of the Indian people, do hereby establish and submit the following resolution; and
WHEREAS, the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) was established in 1944 and is the oldest and largest national organization of American Indian and Alaska Native tribal governments; and
WHEREAS, American history as taught in public schools routinely ignores or minimizes the history and impact of American Indians and Alaska Natives in the United States and their interaction with Europeans, other immigrants, and those brought to the United States against their will, such as slaves, from the first contact until the present; and
WHEREAS, such failure creates a pervading feeling among students, whether Indian or non-Indian, that American Indians and Alaska Natives are minimally important in U.S. history, and that their cultures are not interesting nor important today except as historical artifacts; and
WHEREAS, the truth of the historical account is that up until the last 70 years, American Indians were mentioned by U.S. Presidents in a prominent way, starting with George Washington, and the understanding generally became American Indians represented a “problem” to the United States; and even within the past 45 years, American Indians have been treated as a significant cultural and racial group within the United States; and
WHEREAS, American history as it is now taught constantly undervalues American Indians, their rich and varied cultures, and their place in history both in the past and today, and is need of serious revision.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) urges the Administration to develop a new set of standards for teaching American History in K-12 schools and in post-secondary institutions that correctly assess the importance of American Indians to the narrative of American history, and that treats this history both from the point of view of American Indians, immigrants, emigrants and slaves who interacted with American Indians for the past 500 years; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that NCAI urges collaborative consultation among national Indian organizations and tribal institutions and colleges, and subsequent collaboration with the Administration, to develop a new set of history standards regarding American Indians and Alaska Natives in this country; and finally, to take such other actions as are necessary to advance this policy initiative; and
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that this resolution shall be the policy of NCAI until it is withdrawn or modified by subsequent resolution.