- Details
- By Neely Bardwell
A watered-down bill was introduced in the Michigan senate on March 15 that “strongly encourages” local school districts to teach Native boarding school history, instead of directing the Department of Education to make changes to the state-wide curriculum.
This updates a previous bill introduced in February meant to ensure that accurate history about Native boarding schools was taught in grades 8-12. That bill was pulled and the new bill, SB962, was reintroduced just a month later.
These changes were made "per recommendations" received by the Department of Education, a source in State Senator Wayne Schmidt (R-Traverse City) told Native News Online. Schmidt, who introduced both bills, claimed in a statement to Native News Online that the intent is the same: to make sure that accurate Native history is taught.
Both Schmidt and the bill’s co-sponsor, Senator Jeff Irwin (D-Ann Arbor), citizen of Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa, say the “recommendation” bill reflects their commitment to sharing the knowledge of Native boarding schools.
“What Senator Schmidt and I are trying to get done is to make sure that students in Michigan learn about the horrific history of the Indian boarding schools here in Michigan, and learn about how recently some of these atrocities occurred,” Irwin told Native News Online.
There is nothing in the new bill that will guarantee anything about Indian boarding schools will be taught. Missing from the bill is any language that would ensure that school districts teach Indian boarding school history.
The bill has been stuck in committee since March and is not expected to go anywhere.
Only 12 states currently mandate that content regarding Indigenous history should be taught in grades K through 12. Wisconsin became one of them in 1989 when the Wisconsin state legislature passed Wisconsin Act 31, or American Indian Studies in Wisconsin.
Act 31 requires that all public school districts teach the history, culture, and tribal sovereignty of the eleven federally-recognized tribes that are located in Wisconsin to grades 4th through 12th. On top of that, teachers must receive lessons in the study of minority group relations, including instruction in the history, culture, and tribal sovereignty of the federally recognized tribes and bands located in this state in order to receive a teaching license. However, there is no standardization for what qualifies as a Native American history, culture, or tribal sovereignty teaching credential.
More Stories Like This
Native Forward Scholars Fund Announces 2025 Students of the Year at Empowering Scholars SummitNavajo Nation Speaker Curley and Council Delegate Dr. Nez Join Education Leaders to Address Federal Budget Cuts
Mackie Moore (Cherokee) Named Interim President of Haskell Indian Nations University
Mohawk Students File Legal Suit Over Changes Impacting Access to Federal Financial Aid
Trump Administration Proposes Deep Cuts to Tribal College Funding, Threatening Their Survival
Help us tell the stories that could save Native languages and food traditions
At a critical moment for Indian Country, Native News Online is embarking on our most ambitious reporting project yet: "Cultivating Culture," a three-year investigation into two forces shaping Native community survival—food sovereignty and language revitalization.
The devastating impact of COVID-19 accelerated the loss of Native elders and with them, irreplaceable cultural knowledge. Yet across tribal communities, innovative leaders are fighting back, reclaiming traditional food systems and breathing new life into Native languages. These aren't just cultural preservation efforts—they're powerful pathways to community health, healing, and resilience.
Our dedicated reporting team will spend three years documenting these stories through on-the-ground reporting in 18 tribal communities, producing over 200 in-depth stories, 18 podcast episodes, and multimedia content that amplifies Indigenous voices. We'll show policymakers, funders, and allies how cultural restoration directly impacts physical and mental wellness while celebrating successful models of sovereignty and self-determination.
This isn't corporate media parachuting into Indian Country for a quick story. This is sustained, relationship-based journalism by Native reporters who understand these communities. It's "Warrior Journalism"—fearless reporting that serves the 5.5 million readers who depend on us for news that mainstream media often ignores.
We need your help right now. While we've secured partial funding, we're still $450,000 short of our three-year budget. Our immediate goal is $25,000 this month to keep this critical work moving forward—funding reporter salaries, travel to remote communities, photography, and the deep reporting these stories deserve.
Every dollar directly supports Indigenous journalists telling Indigenous stories. Whether it's $5 or $50, your contribution ensures these vital narratives of resilience, innovation, and hope don't disappear into silence.
The stakes couldn't be higher. Native languages are being lost at an alarming rate. Food insecurity plagues many tribal communities. But solutions are emerging, and these stories need to be told.
Support independent Native journalism. Fund the stories that matter.
Levi Rickert (Potawatomi), Editor & Publisher
