![]() ![]() Indigenous civilizations are thus demoted to “cultures” or “tribes,” which ignores their important historical impacts on world history. This is why textbooks focus on classical civilizations as the ideal. Ancient civilizations are the focus of sixth-grade social studies in New Mexico, but often the criteria for what counts as a civilization are biased toward Western measures of knowledge such as formal writing. ![]() Nearly 200 years after “ Indian Territory” was established by the US government on what it believed to be barren land, the Nations of Oklahoma are thriving in a contemporary world and have adapted to the circumstances their ancestors endured during the 1830s Indian Removal Era.Īnother place to begin to understand Indigenous histories is New Mexico, home to some of the most ancient civilizations. There are informational plaques that detail the significance of the stones, the arch, the hand, and the shape of the design. The symbolism involved in these architectural designs is meaningful to the Nations represented in the museum. The author at the First Americans Museum in Oklahoma City. This results in a more complete picture of many histories from the perspectives of Indigenous peoples. By doing this, the FAM reclaims the histories of Indigenous peoples who encountered one another and the institutions established by Euro-American society. As visitors leave, they’re reminded that there is more than one truth in history, but that what ultimately counts as knowledge is written by those from the dominant perspective. They experience ancient and contemporary stories about the 39 diverse Indigenous Nations of Oklahoma. Visitors to the FAM are asked to consider how truths are told and how those narratives have become part of what counts as history. One unique place that can give us a glimpse into how history’s narratives impact real people is the First Americans Museum (FAM) in Oklahoma City. ![]() This article will look at whose histories are reflected in our textbooks and whose knowledge gets left out of the historical narrative. Those textbooks often seem like they were only interested in one side of the glass. How does your perspective differ from theirs? How do your respective views differ when you’re looking at opposite sides of the same thing?Īs an Indigenous scholar working in public education, this is a common experience I have when reading world-history textbooks. Imagine you’re looking at someone through a two-sided mirror. ![]()
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