The knowledge of the environment and its proper care used to be passed down from generation to generation, by word of mouth. Then Americans of European descent came and pushed the indigenous people off the land, managing resources with very different values.
California schools now have the option of including Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) in middle schools, by using a curriculum developed by several tribes and released through Save California Salmon. The creators say the curriculum meets middle school standards in several subject areas, and tells a more positive story of the first people to occupy California.
Charley Reed and Regina Chichizola from SCS visit with details of the learning plan, and the process of getting it ready for schools to use.
Mentioned in the interview: the previous curriculum, "Advocacy and Water Protection in Native California," for high school students.