Bill > S444

This bill modifies existing education standards to require more comprehensive instruction about Native American history, culture, and contemporary issues in Massachusetts. Specifically, the legislation mandates that educational standards include detailed teaching about local and national Native American tribes, including the Aquinnah Wampanoag, Mashpee Wampanoag, Massachusett, Nipmuc, and Wabanaki Confederacy. The bill requires instruction on critical topics such as tribal sovereignty, governance, treaty rights, historical experiences of genocide, Native American cultures and languages, and current socioeconomic challenges faced by Native American communities. Importantly, the bill stipulates that the state education board must consult directly with tribal nations when developing these educational standards, ensuring that the curriculum is developed with input from Native American communities themselves. This legislation aims to provide a more accurate, comprehensive, and culturally respectful approach to teaching Native American history in Massachusetts schools.

Education

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/S444