In 2015, Washington state mandated the Since Time Immemorial curriculum in all public schools. Developed in collaboration with the state’s 29 federally recognized tribes, this curriculum offers frameworks for teaching tribal sovereignty, historical injustices, and contemporary Native issues. Tribes are now developing community-driven content on their specific histories. In 2025, the Puyallup Tribe signed a memorandum of understanding with thirteen school districts to guide curriculum development on tribal culture and history. With this award, Rocha Beardall will examine how such partnerships can reconfigure K-12 education as a site of shared governance, with particular attention to Puyallup-led curriculum on the removal of Native children into boarding schools. Rocha Beardall will develop expertise in integrating historical microdata with large-scale administrative records through mentorship from Corey Abramson, Associate Professor of Sociology at Rice University. Tsianina Lomawaima, Professor Emerita at Arizona State University, will provide mentorship in ethical curriculum development that centers Native nation sovereignty.
How do Native nations define curricular self-determination, and what forms of knowledge, history, and responsibilities do they seek to restore through education?
