Press release from the Humboldt County Office of Education:

On November 8, 2025, the Humboldt County Office of Education (HCOE) hosted Carrying Our Stories Forward: Celebrating the Launch of the Native American Studies Model Curriculum (NASMC), a landmark event honoring California’s first state-sponsored curriculum designed to center and uplift Native American voices, histories, and perspectives in public education. The event brought together Tribal leaders, educators, youth, and community members for a day of celebration, dialogue, traditional foods, and professional learning — made possible by $30,000 in community donations supporting this historic milestone.

The event’s keynote speaker, Dr. Cutcha Risling Baldy (Hupa, Yurok, Karuk), a Guiding Leader of the NASMC development, spoke from the heart, encouraging educators to embrace the curriculum even when the content feels new or challenging. She reminded participants that learning Native American Studies is an ongoing process and that the NASMC was intentionally designed to support that journey. “You don’t have to redesign your entire curriculum overnight,” she shared. “Start small by integrating one lesson, one unit, or one Indigenous author—and build over time. Use this curriculum as an opportunity to model what learning looks like for students: enthusiasm, reflection, and growth.”

“The NASMC represents far more than a new curriculum, it’s a movement toward truth, healing, and educational justice,” said Michael Davies-Hughes, Superintendent of the Humboldt County Office of Education. “We are honored to stand with California’s Tribes, educators, and students to ensure Native voices are not only represented but centered in our classrooms.”

Developed by the Humboldt County Office of Education in partnership with the San Diego County Office of Education and California Tribal partners, the NASMC is one of four new Model Curricula funded by the state under Education Code §51226.9 and available on the We Are California website hosted by UC Davis. The NASMC includes hundreds of standards-aligned lesson plans and primary source materials, commissioned and licensed Native art, poetry, and oral histories, as well as planning guides and culturally grounded professional development resources.

Created by and with Native educators, youth-serving organizations, and cultural knowledge keepers, the NASMC ensures accuracy, respect, and authenticity. By reflecting Native students’ cultures and worldviews in the classroom, the curriculum supports positive identity development, mental health, and belonging and guides all students to build empathy, awareness, and a deeper understanding of our shared environment.

Humboldt County’s participation in the project reflects its deep commitment to educational equity and community partnership. With 8.8% of Humboldt County students identifying as Native American or Alaska Native and with chronic absenteeism among Native students more than double the countywide rate, HCOE recognized an urgent need to create learning environments that affirm Native identity and strengthen school engagement.

HCOE’s Native American Studies Model Curriculum Learning Specialist, Maggie Peters, continues to expand this work by leading monthly professional development sessions for educators across the state. These sessions offer lesson deep dives, collaborative learning spaces, and Cal Poly Humboldt course credit to deepen teacher capacity in implementing the NASMC.

“This moment is an affirmation of truth, resilience, and shared commitment to the future,” said Peters. “The NASMC shows what’s possible when Tribes, educators, and communities work together to restore balance through education.”

“I was astounded at the breadth of the NASMC project,” shared educator and curriculum writer Cheryl Tuttle (Yurok/Karuk), who was honored for her contributions to the NASMC at the event. “It really hit me at the event—the variety, the age differences, the different mediums, and the complexity involved!”

As the NASMC takes root statewide, organizers invite the public to carry this work forward by honoring Indigenous communities and strengthening relationships with Tribes and Indigenous-led networks to uphold culture, tradition, and sovereignty. Supporting the First Peoples of Humboldt County and California means affirming Native identities through accountability, curiosity, and respect for community and place.

This effort also calls for integrating Native perspectives into education and policy by moving from consultation to true collaboration with Tribes and Indigenous-led networks to ensure accurate representation and co-created approaches. Most importantly, advocates are encouraged to ensure this first step becomes a foundation, not a finish line, by supporting continued funding so that the NASMC grows into a comprehensive curriculum representing all Tribes and reaching every school in California.

We all share the responsibility and have the opportunity to grow, unlearn, and reimagine how we understand history, place, and belonging. This event marked not only a celebration of what has been achieved, but also a call to sustain and expand this work. Together, we can ensure that Native American Studies remains a living, evolving part of California’s classrooms for generations to come.

For more information, please visit this link or contact HCOE’s Native American Learning Specialist, Maggie Peters mpeters@hcoe.org or 707-441-4503.