The Oceti Sakowin Essential Understandings, or OSEUs, are once again being considered by the state Board of Education Standards. The lesson plans, and how to best go about their contents, remain unregulated across the state.
The plans are an optional standard for state educators, meaning there is no requirement for teachers to incorporate any of the education in their classrooms.
That, and the contents within, were the focus of multiple tribal and education leaders at the most recent Board of Education Standards meeting.
Fred Osborn is the director of Indian education in the state office of tribal relations. He said the OSEUs symbolize a serious effort to represent the states tribal communities.
“As part of the committee that performed this review, which included Native elders, tribal representatives, teachers, administrators and community members, great detail was made to make these standards more inclusive of all nine tribes in the state of South Dakota," Osborn said. "With special efforts to make the standards easier to navigate for teachers when developing lessons teaching the history and culture of the Oceti Sakowin people.”
However, some wanted to see more yet detail. That includes Sherry Johnson, tribal education director of the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate.
“Essential understandings should include origin stories from each tribe, which in most part are passed down in the oral tradition," Johnson said. "There should be research included.”
Despite the content debate, some like Lower Brule tribal education director Brian Wagner said it’s time to require these plans.
“Advocate for us to require our communities, our schools, our children – everybody understand the tribes, tribal sovereignty and our history," Wagner said. "If we do not address the lack of knowledge, we will always have a barrier.”
“Oceti Sakowin” translates to “Seven Council Fires,” an umbrella term referring to the Lakota, Dakota, and Nakota peoples that first inhabited much of the Great Plains.