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Zinn Education Project News

The Movement to Abolish Columbus Day Surges 

Violence against Indigenous people:
Then and now.
Standing Rock image: Redhawk/Standing Rock Rising.
In the last month, the number of cities and schools passing resolutions or considering legislation to abolish Columbus Day and establish Indigenous Peoples Day has blossomed. New locations include Yakima, Washington; Denver, Colorado; Phoenix, Arizona; Lincoln, Nebraska; the East Lansing, Michigan school district; and the state of Vermont, to name a few.

People may call Columbus "a man of his time" but still today, we bear witness to brutal actions against Indigenous people as authorities violently attack #NoDAPL water protectors.

To abolish Columbus Day is to abolish the teaching of a colonialist mindset. To help you prepare for next year, we are pleased to present a new how-to guide and other resources to teach about Native American history and activism.

 
Native American Activism: 1960s to Present 
A collection of recent Native movements and activists who continue to struggle for sovereignty, dignity, and justice for their communities. Continue reading.
 
How-to Guidelines 
By Mahtowin Munro, United American Indians of New England
We respectfully offer a few points below to anyone who is thinking of starting a campaign elsewhere, based not only on the Cambridge campaign but also on the study of other campaigns. Continue reading.
 
Impact of "The People vs. Columbus, et al."  
One of the most popular lessons on the Zinn Education Project website is The People vs. Columbus, et al. Here are stories from teachers about the impact of the lesson in their classrooms.

The students developed a sense of wonder and investigative
spirit
as they learned the truth about the things that they have learned all their life
were incorrect.
---- STEFENY ANDERSON,
high school social studies teacher, Seattle.
It forces students to research, utilize primary sources, think in a debate-like manner, and justify their positions with evidence.
---- SARA PIERCE, high school language arts/ English teacher, Hollywood, Florida



 
Resources


Rethinking Columbus 
Now 25% off
Use code: RCJ16
More than 80 essays, poems, interviews, historical vignettes, and lesson plans reevaluate the myth of Columbus and issues of Indigenous rights. Rethinking Columbus is packed with useful teaching ideas for kindergarten through college.
Make a donation and  
get stickers to share!

Donate:
$15 for 5 stickers 
$20 for 10 stickers 
$30 for 25 stickers 
$40 for 50 stickers 
$60 for 100 stickers 
Any amount for support

 
NEA Pledge
#StandingRockSyllabus

We are honored the National Education Association Speak Up For Education and Kids project linked to the Zinn Education Project in their pledge to support Indigenous peoples' rights. Take the pledge here .



A syllabus project that brings together the work of Indigenous and allied activists and scholars to contribute to the work of the Sacred Stones Camp, Red Warrior Camp, and the Oceti Sakowin Camp resisting the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline.

 
D.C. Area Event: A Night for Social Justice Teachers and Friends
Do you live in the D.C. area or are you coming to town for the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) conference? Please join us for a fun night of questions and answers about the history often missing from textbooks ----the role of women, people of color, labor, and other social movements.
 
Friday, Dec. 2  :: 5:30-7:30 pm         
Busboys and Poets, 14th & V        
U Street Metro (Green/Yellow Line)          
$10 minimum donation per person         

Space is limited. Reserve today!
Get tickets at: zinnedproject.org/TRIVIA 
 
Help Bring People's History to the Classroom 
Help bring people_s history to the classroom--donate today_

 
Zinn Education Project
The goal of the Zinn Education Project is to introduce students to a more accurate, complex, and engaging understanding of United States history.
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