Native American Curriculum Initiative
Amplifying Native Voices in the classroom, building bridges between Native and educational communities
Join us in celebrating Native American Heritage Month!
We have 33 lessons that can be used throughout November and through the school year to amplify Native voices and understand Native perspectives across the curriculum.
Bring an artist to visit your school or classroom! Select one from the Utah Division of Arts and Museums Native American Teaching Artist Roster.


Amplifying Native Voices
The Native American Curriculum Initiative is an initiative of the BYU ARTS Partnership. The BYU ARTS Partnership's mission is to ensure that all children benefit from an education that provides for academic excellence, social confidence, and personal expression through experience with the arts.
In order to do this, we believe we need to expand notions of belonging in the classroom with more space for the voices on the margins. Teachers, school administrators, students, and their communities can grow together and contribute to a more equitable learning environment by exploring cultures, their own and others, through the arts.
Vision & Mission
Vision: Amplify Native voices in the classroom
Mission: Use principles of partnership to build bridges between Tribal Nations and educational communities within Utah. Create arts-integrated resources, model respectful collaboration, and provide experiences that inspire confidence in addressing cultural content in the classroom.
Guiding Principles
- Know your own culture.
- Assume goodwill and learn from mistakes.
- Ask with genuine intent and listen attentively.
- Accept "no" gracefully.
- Use accurate and original sources from the past and present
- Embrace partnership and reciprocity.
- Allow the time needed for authentic growth.
Tribal Partners in Utah
Crucial to this endeavor is establishing a collaborative partnership with tribal nations of Utah in the creation of lessons that align with tribal customs and traditions. The BYU Arts Partnership believes "the greatest impact for change will be accomplished through collaborative efforts involving teachers, schools, districts, departments, and universities," and in this case, tribal nations. Providing arts-integrated lesson plans, an artist roster, and other resources in partnership with and approved by tribes will add validity and another layer of confidence and support for teachers and children.

NACI Resources for the Classroom
-
Native American Lesson Plans
The lesson plans developed as part of the Native American Curriculum Initiative allow teachers to: integrate Native American perspectives when teaching core subjects, feel confident using tribe-approved materials, and use the arts as a culturally responsive pedagogy.
-
Online Course "Amplify Native Voices in the Classroom"
Consider registering for our new 1-credit online course "Amplifying Native Voices in the Classroom" to learn HOW to implement our tribe-approved arts-integrated lesson plans and select culturally appropriate resources for your classroom. -
Blogs & Articles
Learn about topics such as: indigenous foodways, evaluating resources, the native literacy project, opinion editorials, moving towards cultural responsiveness, and many more!
-
Native American Teaching Artist Roster
Native American Teaching Artists are one of the best resources for your classroom when seeking to provide accurate and authentic voices in your students' learning experiences. Our initiative can connect you to these individuals through our partnership with the Utah Division of Arts and Museums, funded in part by the National Endowment for the Arts.
-
Artful Teaching Podcast
The BYU ARTS Partnership presents the stories of teachers, Native artists, and community members working to amplify Native voices, enhance student learning and improve school culture through culturally responsive teaching and indigenous pedagogy.
-
Native American Children's Books
We love to help teachers find the best children's books for their classrooms. As more Native American authors write from an authentic voice and position, the time has come to replace many Native American-themed classroom books with more affirming, credible literature.
-
Present & Ancestral Maps
Our team of instructional designers has designed maps showing the historical and modern geography of Native lands in our area to help teachers empathize with Native perspectives and understand Native American terminology and facts.
-
More Native American Resources
Find a list of additional resources we recommend for their effort and ability to produce accurate and authentic Native content for the classroom.
Selecting Authentic and Accurate Materials
How do I know what to teach in my classroom?
Teachers are often stuck in the tension between their desire to include Native content in their classroom and their fear of doing it "wrong". They are looking at the resources they've used for years, asking themselves, "Do I want to continue using this resource in my classroom?"
During an era of education impacted by cancel culture, fear, and censorship, it may seem easier to avoid the topic of marginalized cultures altogether in the classroom. However, teachers dedicated to creating inclusive classrooms and honoring the identity of all children inside and outside of their classrooms are diving deeper to understand how they can include accurate and authentic cultural resources in their classrooms.
If you are looking for answers when deciding what resources to keep, add, or let go of, we have resources to support you! Join our online course or check out these blogs linked below.
Online NACI PD Course
Want to learn more?
Consider registering for our new 1-credit online course "Amplifying Native Voices in the Classroom" to learn HOW to implement our tribe-approved arts-integrated lesson plans and select culturally appropriate resources for your classroom.
Click here to register and learn more about our online PD course.
NACI in the News

Deseret News: Meet 3 little-known Utah women who've changed our state for good by Brenda Beyal and Heather Sundahl

Desert News: Navajo code talkers should be remembered for more than just WWII by Brenda Beyal and Heather Sundahl
Connect with us!
Newsletter
The best way to get the latest news on new lesson plans and upcoming workshops is to subscribe to our NACI mailing list. Join here!
Social Media
Instagram @everychildeveryart
Facebook @byuartspartnership
Pinterest @byuartspartnership
Youtube @byuartspartnership
"Let us put our minds together and see what life we can make for our children"
-Sitting Bull
