IndigNM
What is IndigNM?
Our project aims to provide resources and Indigenous perspectives that will inspire inquiry and debate on the complexity of New Mexico history. We have identified various types of resources that align with a framework to provide counter-narratives in NM History for curriculum, instruction, and policy in high school social studies. We have created this website to provide easy access to high school social studies educators everywhere. We aim to provide a resource for the public that speaks to the criticality of knowing the history of New Mexico from Indigenous perspectives. In doing this, our goal is to fill in the gap of perspectives regarding New Mexico’s Indigenous Peoples and how it has evolved and changed over time. By providing perspectives largely unrepresented in the state’s curriculum, the project will empower students, educators, and the community-at-large with knowledge and resources to stimulate critical consciousness to praxis.
Four Umbrella Understandings
The lessons and curriculum provided on this site are each connected to 4 umbrella understandings of Indigenous peoples’ experiences and perspectives. The 4 understanding are all interconnected and in relation to one another. They include:
- Land
- Provides a central context in which to understand Indigenous peoples. The understanding of land not only consists of the earth and environment, but the source of our origins, worldviews, and our relationships.
- Provides a central context in which to understand Indigenous peoples. The understanding of land not only consists of the earth and environment, but the source of our origins, worldviews, and our relationships.
- Complexity of Identity
- Highlights the complex factors that comprise our values and beliefs that makes meaning of ourselves as individuals and citizens of tribal nations and Indigenous communities.
- Highlights the complex factors that comprise our values and beliefs that makes meaning of ourselves as individuals and citizens of tribal nations and Indigenous communities.
- Hegemony – Power
- Awareness of the complex systems that impact, influence, and regulate Indigenous lives and worldviews.
- Awareness of the complex systems that impact, influence, and regulate Indigenous lives and worldviews.
- Empowerment
- Realization of one’s ability to critically examine the multiplicity of oppressions toward positive action
- Realization of one’s ability to critically examine the multiplicity of oppressions toward positive action
What you can find under each Concept Tab
Within each Umbrella Understanding, you will find the following concepts with associated lesson plans: Cultural Expressions, Environment, Identity, Language, Religious persecution, and urbanization. The tab for each concept includes resources for the public that speaks to the criticality of knowing the history of New Mexico from Indigenous perspectives. Along with the concepts, you will find timelines on Apache, Navajo, and Pueblo histories; documentaries and YouTube videos, primary source documents and questions, bibliography of literature, and a list of guest speakers to contact.
How to use this curriculum
The curriculum included under each concept is designed for teachers who draw on multiple sources in lesson planning. The lessons were created to engage students with a myriad of source: primary, secondary, documentaries, and guest speakers. The lessons are structured to allow high school teachers the ability to integrate grade appropriate lessons into pre-existing subject-specific classes. The unit plans are infused with significant concepts and ideas in the history of Indigenous Peoples of New Mexico. The Development Project Team organized the website in a way to support the teacher. Because flexibility and creativity are at the center of teaching, the teacher can exercise autonomy with teaching an entire unit plan, or if time is limited, teachers can select one or two individual lesson plans. The essential questions and objectives allow the teacher to take each lesson plan and/or unit plan and adapt it to the unique needs and interests of his or her classroom, or in some cases to the unique needs of the students.
Historical Timeline
The timeline is based on the recorded historical events for the Navajo, 19 Pueblos, Jicarilla Apache, and Mescalero Apache. It is a work-in-progress and we will continue to add events to the timeline. View the timeline, here.
