Native Education at CES
Our intent is to carry out our work in ways that recognize and honor our region’s pre-colonial history and resistance to colonization. We hope to participate in the restoration of a broader, more inclusive present, a more accurate narrative of our past for greater Native student success now.
We support schools and organizations in understanding that all education in Massachusetts happens on Native land.
We can provide professional development, coaching, assessment, and technical assistance for your district, school, or organization that can meet your specific needs and goals. CES excels at drawing together the right multidisciplinary team for you.
Map used with permission from the University of Massachusetts/Amherst Native American Trails Project: https://www.umass.edu/nativetrails/
Services
Professional Development Support
CES acknowledges that we do not have the right to cultural and Indigenous Intellectual property. We have modified our internal process to support the development of curriculum related to the Original People of the Americas without any expectation of using Native derived content without express written agreement. Additionally, we will follow confidentiality expectations of all Native entities who invite us to support their work in PD development planning.
CES can provide co-facilitation, coplanning, learning partnership, registration, IT support as requested, and PDP certification for PD, conferences, and community engagements. CES is a DESE approved PDP provider.
Centering a Place-Based Protocol
We can help you to develop an understanding of what a Place-Based approach can look like and how it can be applied, and draft and/or evaluate organizational documents such as strategic plans, curriculum units, and meeting agendas through the lens of a place-based approach, and based on the Five Threads of Indigenous Learning related to Place, Experience, Interconnectedness, Intergenerational, and Storytelling.
Curriculum Review
As part of our Place-based protocol, inspired by Native entities including the work of Dr. Sandra Barton, we work closely with educators to review their current curriculum practices through several frameworks. Primarily, we consider the Standard Model of Indigenous Learning (Barton, 2023), geographical location for where the curriculum takes place and who are the original people of the land, backwards design, and culturally relevant pedagogical practices. We will work with you to develop and implement the work with cultural literacy, historical accuracy, standards alignment, and academic integrity.
Examples of Past Projects
Investigating History: Impacts of US Expansion - Video
This video is the outcome of work conducted by the Native Education Council of Massachusetts in collaboration with DESE for the 4th grade history and social studies curriculum update.
State Tribal Education Program grant (STEP)
In 2021, the “Voices from the First Light” conference invited educators from the school districts where Wampanoag students are enrolled, and attendees could submit a response to the event for PDP points. In 2022, CES also helped support “Learning And Unlearning For School Equity: Native Students, Trauma, And Resilience”, and joined in the planning and registration of “Voices from the First Light” conference.
Wistariahurst
CES was invited to provide consulting on the museums Land acknowledgement. We connected the museum staff with Native author of Colonization and the Wampanoag story”, and discussed the need to make an land acknowledgement an action plan that is dynamic.
The Native Education Council of Massachusetts
The Native Education Council of Massachusetts is an independent educational organization that advances the cultural knowledge, wellbeing, and academic success of Native students in all educational opportunities. CES’ José Lugo began in July 2023 to assist NEC in facilitating meetings, building more voices into the discussions regarding Native Education in MA, providing topics research, building resources and meeting outlines based on member directives, and assisting to develop a SWOTT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Tangible Targets) analysis to review the Dawnland Community Specialist role that NEC members drafted.
Traditional Ecological Knowledge Conference
This 2022-2024 conference was designed to incorporate ancient Indigenous understanding into the curriculum to address today’s issues of sustainability. CES provided support for registration, communication, IT, PDP certification processing, and online event planning and facilitation. It was a 3 day conference for teachers and administrators where educators from the school districts where Wampanaog students are enrolled.