Incorporating Contemporary Issues into Education

"Indian Knowledge, Western Education" participants at Cahokia Mounds.

The Center for American Indian Studies at Johnson County Community College (JCCC) is currently leading a National Institute for the Humanities (NEH) funded project titled, “Indian Knowledge, Western Education.”  The purpose of the project is to have JCCC faculty add components to existing courses, or develop entirely new courses, focusing on contemporary American Indian peoples, their communities, and the issues they face.  The initial cohort consists of 11 JCCC faculty members from various departments and programs including art history, English, environmental sciences, philosophy, political science, and more.  Over the past year, the faculty have met with ten American Indian community members from throughout the Midwest during which time Native community members presented on and discussed various topics and subjects affecting contemporary Indian peoples.  Some of the topics discussed include issues surrounding sovereignty and self-determination, maternal-child health on reservations, language preservation efforts, education, pow wows, and contemporary art.

Additionally, the JCCC faculty also travelled to New Mexico in June to visit several pueblos including Acoma Pueblo, where faculty members visited the original mesa-top community and attended a traditional Pueblo dinner held in their honor.  In November, faculty members went to Cahokia Mounds in Illinois to attend the annual Cahokia Native Arts Festival during which time they were able to meet with Native artists, as well as learn about pre-contact Native life at Cahokia.  This spring trips are planned to other Native communities and events in Kansas and Oklahoma where faculty will continue to learn about contemporary Indian life through interactions with Native peoples in Native communities and venues.

This coming fall faculty in the program will formally develop their new Native-focused components and courses.  They will begin to implement the new course components and courses beginning in the spring of 2021.