Native American Indian Literacy Project
Use local Native stories to educate and engage children in Utah’s classrooms
In 2006, Shirley Silversmith, in her role as the Utah Director of Native American Affairs, coordinated the collection of traditional Native stories from the sovereign nations and tribes within Utah. The project was generated through funding from the State of Utah.
The purpose of this Native American Literacy Project was to bring Native stories into the classroom through the creation of print and digital booklets. Each participating tribal nation contributed five traditional stories to both entertain and teach readers. In 2022, each book’s lesson plan was updated and revised to include USBE core standards. The lesson plans include background information, highlights of Native Americans, and suggestions for books written by Indigenous authors.
Six of the eight Tribal Sovereign Nations in Utah are represented in the project:
- Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah and Ouray Reservation,
- Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah,
- Northwestern Band of the Shoshone Nation,
- Confederated Tribes of the Goshute Reservation,
- Navajo Nation, and
- Ute Mountain Ute Tribe.
How to Access Native American Stories in the Utah Digital Archives
The stories are currently housed in the Utah digital archives and printed booklets are available for purchase through the San Juan School District Heritage Language Resources Center.
To help teachers, our NACI team has put together a list of all the links to the books and resources that are found within the Utah digital archives because the archives are tricky to navigate. As of 2022, all of the books are available on the UEN website.
On the UEN website, the literacy books are available in electronic format. They can be viewed in presentation mode or in print form for individual use.
Many of the stories are Coyote stories that the sovereign nations within Utah request be read and taught only in the winter months.
Arts-Integrated Lesson Plans Based on Native Stories
Our NACI team has used the stories and resources in this project as fodder for arts-integrated lesson plans we are co-creating with Native partners. Check out the following stories and the accompanying lesson plans to get ideas for how you can implement these stories in your classroom.
- The Greedy Porcupine: A Tale from the Northwestern Band of Shoshone adapted by Brenda Beyal as retold by Patty Timbimboo-Madsen and Illustrated by Theresa Breznau, is the basis of our drama-lesson plan and reader’s theater “The Greedy Porcupine.”
- Father Sky and Mother Earth: A Navajo Legend, a story told by Don Mose, Jr., illustrated by Molly Trainor, and based on sketches by Don Mose, Jr. is featured in our drama lesson plan “Father Sky and Mother Earth”.
