Securing our Futures through Land and Water Education: Developing an Indigenous Language Curriculum in a Tribal Nation Early Learning Program

The early learning program featured in this research is embracing land-and-water-based curriculum development that is localized to the Coast Salish Tribal Nation's language and culture. The development of a land-and-water-based language/culture curriculum focused on fostering relationships with land, water, and place supports children's holistic development connected to their community and serves as an example of Indigenous resurgence in practice (Deloria & Wildcat, 2001; Simpson, 2017) where an Indigenous community is determining the content and context of their children's education. [...]this story is included in the developed curriculum, and sharing it here in its entirety offers insight into the curricular content and cok"-, tol, and hayad k"i g"oshaydx"s we have worked to center within our learning environment. The Grandmother Tree had taught the people how to take strips of her bark and make all kinds of mats and baskets and hats and even towels and diapers with it.