Native American Education

SPS’s Native American Education Program is a Referral Service

2023 land acknowledgment in English and Southern Lushootseed with photo of canoes

Muckleshoot Indian Tribe is our treaty tribe in Seattle and King County. Suquamish Indian Tribe is our treaty tribe up to Elliott Bay boundaries. Seattle Public Schools shares a government to government relationship with both tribes.

We would like to acknowledge that we are on the ancestral lands and traditional territories of Puget Sound Coast Salish People. — SPS Land Acknowledgment

We work with students, parents and guardians, teachers, principals, and SPS departments on a case-by-case basis to address the broad scope of needs our Native students face.

We want every family to understand how to navigate the district’s resources and support all schools in understanding the unique experience Native students face interacting with our system. Our goal is to ensure all Native students have a high-quality educational experience and reach the goal of graduation.

Please call or email Gail Morris gtmorris@seattleschools.org We are here to help, problem-solve, and inspire.

Save the Dates

January 11, 5:00 – 6:00 pm: Indian Parent Advisory Committee Meeting (virtual)
January 16, 5:00 – 7:00 pm: Family Culture Night
January 30, 5:00 – 7:00 pm: Family Culture Night
February 8, 5:00 – 6:00 pm: Indian Parent Advisory Committee Meeting (virtual)
February 13, 5:00 – 7:00 pm: Family Culture Night
February 27, 5:00 – 7:00 pm: Family Culture Night
March 12, 5:00 – 7:00 pm: Family Culture Night
March 14, 5:00 – 6:00 pm: Indian Parent Advisory Committee Meeting (virtual)
March 26, 5:00 – 7:00 pm: Family Culture Night
April 9, 9:00 am – 3:00 pm: Regalia Making (9-11 learn to sew; 11 – 3 sew regalia)
April 18, 5:00 – 6:00 pm: Indian Parent Advisory Committee Meeting (virtual)
April 23, 5:00 – 7:00 pm: Family Culture Night
May 7, 5:00 – 7:00 pm: Family Culture Night
May 9, 5:00 – 6:00 pm: Indian Parent Advisory Committee Meeting (virtual)
May 21, 5:00 – 7:00 pm: Family Culture Night
June 4, 5:30 – 8:00: End of Year Student Celebration
June 11, 5:00 – 7:00 pm: Family Culture Night End of Year Celebration

Whitman Middle School Raises Awareness of Missing and Murdered Indigenous People

Thank you to Principal John Houston and art teacher Dever Dunnett for an amazing Multicultural Night that featured Native artists and student art. Students created faceless dolls to bear witness to the thousands of missing and murdered Indigenous people within the borders of the United States.

Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women poster created by Whitman Middle School student — Recognizing Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women

Display of faceless dolls created by Whitman Middle School students — Recognizing Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women

Learn more about the Faceless Dolls Project

Learn more about the Red Dress Project

Observe Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples Week of Action, April 29 – May 5

Ask your teachers about classroom resources provided by us!

Learn about the National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center.

Celebrate Native American Poets and Pop Culture during National Poetry Month in April

Native American Poetry and Culture (Poetry Foundation)
Native American Poetry (Seattle Public Library)
A Tribe Called Geek (entertainment, art, media, lit, and culture links, reviews, and news)
MovieWeb – Native American TV Shows
Native America – PBS series on contemporary Indian Country
12 TV and Streaming Shows about the Native American Experience and That Celebrate Indigenous Culture [the title is unfortunate, but the resource is worthwhile] – Rotten Tomatoes article with links
Native American Music Awards – Explore contemporary and traditional music from Indian Country
Indigenous Futures – Storytelling Project that highlights resiliency of Native peoples

March 9 is Billy Frank, Jr. Day

Learn more about Billy Frank, Jr.
Teacher Resources (Requires login)

50th Anniversary of the Boldt Decision

Boldt at 50 Community Events and Resources

February is African-American History Month

Learn about the past, present, and future of Black Indians, also known as Afro-Indigenous, African American Indian, and African and Native American.

Images of Native American Tina Turner, Cherokee Jimi Hendrix, Cherokee and Choctaw James Earl Jones, and Wampanoag Crispus Attucks

November is Native American Heritage Month

Wear Orange on September 29, 2023

In 1973, Stwecem’c Xgat’tem First Nations citizen Phyllis (Jack) Webstad’s new orange shirt, given to her by her grandmother, was taken away the day she arrived at Mission School. She was six years old. In 2013, she founded the Orange Shirt Society as part of her healing journey.

Learn more…

I Am Native-Video

SPSTV Licorice Fern Story

Native American Education collaborated with Social-Emotional Learning to prepare activities for SELtember 2022. These activities promote social-emotional learning using plant teachings.