Centering Indigenous Voices in Early American History

The Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks for Social Studies ask K-5 teachers to engage with complex narratives about colonial history. But many of us learned about early American history - from the “discovery of the New World” to the story of the first Thanksgiving - from the perspective of Europeans with little discussion of the complex societies they encountered or the disruptions to Indigenous lifeways their arrival initiated. Join the CHGS for a workshop designed to help elementary school teachers center Indigenous voices and perspectives. Hear about the history of the first encounters from the point of view of the Wampanoags and other Indigenous nations in New England. Discover age-appropriate and historically accurate classroom resources and lesson plans that center Indigenous experiences. Learn about the continuing impact that indigenous communities have in Massachusetts and the larger United States.

Linda Coombs is a member of the Aquinnah Wampanoag Tribe on Martha’s Vineyard. She has 50 years of experience as a museum educator, beginning at the Boston Children's Museum, and including the Wampanoag Program at Plimoth Plantation and the Aquinnah Cultural Center. In 2023, she published Colonization and the Wampanoag Story, a non-fiction book intended for middle school readers. The goal of her work continues to be the communication of accurate and appropriate representations about the history, cultures, and people of the Wampanoag and other Indigenous nations.

Lindsay Randall is a Senior Humanities Specialist at the Metropolitan Area Planning Council and an archaeologist with over 20 years of experience in archaeology, education, and public humanities. Her work is grounded in Indigenous collaborative archaeology, with a focus on community-centered approaches to teaching Native American history and interpreting layered histories of place. She spent 14 years at Phillips Academy’s Robert S. Peabody Institute of Archaeology, including serving as Curator of Education and Outreach, where she led education programs and partnerships.

School districts wishing to send teams of teachers as well as individual teachers wishing to reserve a spot for the workshop should contact us at chgs@salemstate.edu.