Oceti Sakowing Essential Understandings

The Oceti Sakowin education standards, which have been tuned since being first introduced 2008, could be in violation of an executive order barring "divisive concepts" and critical race theory.

Educators and Indigenous groups in South Dakota are fighting to better represent Native American history, culture, and values in the state’s education systems through teacher training, immersion schools, and other programs.

Despite the influence of the Lakota, Dakota, and Nakota peoples in South Dakota, the state’s history of forced assimilation, failed legislation efforts, and a lack of teacher confidence have limited the presence of Indigenous culture and values in its education systems.

We discuss an ongoing movement to address educational disparities for Native American students. The state Department of Education shows year after year that Native American students' on-time graduation rate is the lowest of any racial group in the state.

Last month, Representative Tamara St. John joined us to discuss her bill to fund the missing and murdered Indigenous person's liaison position in the attorney general's office. Lawmakers created that position last year in response to the disproportionate number of unsolved missing and murdered cases, but the position hasn't yet been filled. Last week, the non-profit Native Hope announced it will fund the position at $85,000 a year for three years.

Lawmakers have voted down a bill to require Native American history and culture in state-approved social studies curriculum.

Gov. Kristi Noem ordered the Department of Education to delay revisions to social studies standards after the department significantly reduced the number of references to Native American history and culture.

The Senate Education Committee unanimously passes a bill to allow for the creation of community-based schools centered on Native American language and…