Knowing Our Neighbors: Wisconsin American Indian Nations and Tribal Communities - Black River Falls

Event Description

Understanding the educational experiences and perspectives of American Indian students in Wisconsin has profound implications for both district policies and instructional methodology when transforming systems to educate all students. In this training, participants will have an opportunity to learn about the historical events involving American Indian people, their nations, and the effects of these traumatic experiences.

Through counter-narratives shared by American Indians, learn about the rights, responsibilities, and misinformation surrounding Native people and education. Training participants will have an opportunity to apply the Courageous Conversations protocol to examine, recognize and appropriately address the American Indian students' struggles and emotions connected with educational assimilation and historical trauma; and understand the concepts of "invisible identity".

Although not required, participants are strongly encouraged to attend the Equity and Social Justice Institute PRIOR to Knowing Our Neighbors to build the necessary background for courageous conversations.

Participant Outcomes

As a result of attending this training, participants will:

• gain an understanding of the American Indian historical trauma and the effect it has on today's students, families, communities, and nations;
• deepen their understanding of the American Indian experience through the counter-stories shared throughout the day-long conversation;
• gain an understanding of the unique circumstances facing Native people in society historically and today;
• examine how societal patterns and experiences for American Indian students plays out in their education;
• explore ways in which school systems institutionalize practices that marginalize American Indian students;
• discover and examine ways to transform our school environments into places that nurture growth and foster high-level engagement and achievement for American Indian students;
• receive useful classroom strategies for culturally responsive practices that can be implemented into your practice;
• learn about statistics and data concerning American Indian students in Wisconsin as well as programming and initiatives being implemented to address these issues.

REGISTRATION: Knowing Our Neighbors: Wisconsin American Indian Nations and Tribal Communities - Black River Falls

Monday, March 2, 2020 from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM