DPI Coordinates Textbook Update for ND Studies Tribal Curriculum

The North Dakota Department of Public Instruction's Multicultural and Indian Education Office is coordinating an update to the North Dakota Tribal Curriculum textbooks for North Dakota Studies—the first new edition since 2002. The books are being revised by a team of North Dakotan historians from the Mni Wakan Oyate, Standing Rock Oyate, Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa, and Mandan, Hidatsa, and Sahnish nations. Reporter Adrianna Adame, from local news outlet Buffalo's Fire, stopped by the state capitol to get the inside scoop on the project's scope and status.

The guides being updated are History & Culture of the Mandan Hidatsa & Sahnish (Arikara), History & Culture of the Mni Wakan Oyate Spirit Lake Nation, History & Culture of the Standing Rock Oyate, and History & Culture of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa. The first editions were coordinated by DPI and published between 1995-2002. A fifth book, Journey to Understanding: An Introduction to North Dakota Tribes, was published by the North Dakota Department of Health & Human Services around the same time and is being updated as part of this project for use by both departments. The books are used across the state in North Dakota Studies, a program run by the State Historical Society of North Dakota. The new books will be made available to school districts as a resource to help meet SB 2304 guidelines, which promote learning about North Dakota's vibrant Native culture. Digital versions of the books will be made available for free to the public.
 
Department of Public Instruction to release updated tribal curriculum guides by fall 2024 - Buffalo’s Fire (buffalosfire.com)