Indigenous American Wabanaki Studies Deeper Learning

Wonderful, online, Wabanaki presentations from Darren Ranco, PhD, who described historical injustices towards Wabanaki people and current day activism to overcome what has occurred; and Sherry Coyne and Lindsay Ely who presented an overview of the engaging, interdisciplinary Wabanaki and Native American activities they provide for their middle school learners.

RESOURCES below.

Overcoming The Doctrine of Discovery and the Colonial Origins of Settler Property Through
#LandBack and Rematriation
Darren J. Ranco, PhD, explores the ongoing legacies of the Doctrine of Discovery in how land and property is held by settler populations in Maine, how this legacy disrupts Wabanaki access and stewardship, and what Wabanaki people are doing in response to these legacies. By revealing hidden colonial histories and Indigenous solutions to these histories, Dr. Ranco engages in deeper learning for students/teachers to think carefully/critically and creatively for challenge-solving.

Darren J. Ranco, PhD, a citizen of the Penobscot Nation, is Professor of Anthropology, Chair of Native American Programs, and Faculty Fellow at the Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions at the University of Maine. He has a Master of Studies in Environmental Law from Vermont Law School and a PhD in Social Anthropology from Harvard University. He has published extensively and teaches classes on Indigenous intellectual property rights, research ethics and methodology, environmental and climate justice, and tribal governance. Darren Ranco can be reached at darren.ranco@maine.edu.

Darren J. Ranco Presentation RESOURCES

Dawnland Return

World Bank Report

Buying America from the Indians: Johnson v. McIntosh and the History of Native Land Rights, Blake Watson (2012)

Johnson v. M’Intosh, US Supreme Court (1823)

Pagans in the Promised Land, Decoding the Doctrine of Christian Discovery, by Steven T. Newcomb, (Shawnee/Lenape) (2008)

The Doctrine of Discovery: The International Law of Colonialism, The Indigenous Peoples’ Journal of Law, Culture, and Resistance 5(1): 35-42

Decolonization is not a metaphor, Decolonization: Indigeneity, Education and Society 1(1): 1-40

Native American & Wabanaki Studies: An Interdisciplinary Approach
Sherry Coyne and Lindsay Ely describe how their students engage in Wabanaki and Indigenous American studies through individual lessons, coursework, and how study of Indigenous Americans is interwoven into themes of Identity, Culture, Belonging, Movement, and Cause & Effect in multidisciplinary units that are often team-taught by Sherry and Lindsay. The studies includes critical thinking (asking why? and how?), collaboration & communications (small group work), leadership (self- and peer-assessment), information & media literacy (reliable sources, bias), cultural competency (primary sources), and social/emotional intelligence (identity and curiosity).

Sherry Coyne has been teaching in the Gorham, Maine School District for 24 years as a middle school teacher. She graduated from Portland High School and Saint Joseph’s College of Maine where she majored in Elementary Education. She is currently certified to teach Math, ELA, Science, and Social Studies at the K-8 level. She is also the Gorham Middle School Athletic Director and High School varsity girls basketball assistant coach. Sherry Coyne can be reached at sherry.coyne@gorhamschools.org.

Lindsay Ely earned her Masters of Science in Education from the University of Southern Maine and is certified to teach K-8 Science, Social Studies, Math, and ELA. This will be her 8th year teaching and her 5th year at Gorham Middle School. Lindsay Ely can be reached at lindsay.ely@gorhamschools.org.