Washington Votes Forum

Introduced in the House on January 26, 2005, to require Washington's Indian tribal history to be taught in the common schools

The vote was 78 in favor, 18 opposed and 2 not voting

(House Roll Call 0 at House Journal 0)

Click here to view bill details.

Teaching Indian History is fine, as long as classes don't become a forum for demagogues, as it has become at Yakima Valley Community College, which sits near the Yakama Indian Reservation. If we teach Indian history, let's teach it ALL. Despite modern propaganda, the Indian wasn't always the good guy. My great, great, great uncle was caught by a band of real creeps who killed him slowly. Classroom demagogues enrage me. Let's get teachers willing to tell the WHOLE story. And if we do, teachers needn't be Iiberals nor Indians.

If, say, the Russians had invaded in the 1980s, kidnapped random members of various families, killed whole towns, and kicked you off your property so Russians could live there instead and decided you should live in the furthest reaches of the deserts of the country, I'm sure you wouldn't be driven to beat, torture, and/or kill the Russian invaders. But, I guess it's different when it's Europeans being killed by brown people in loincloths.

And will these teachers explain how the tribes and the Justice Department withheld the evidence from Vol. 15 of the Indian Claims Commission findings as it deals with the Snoqualmies where it is explained the purpose of the treaty that none of the Pt. Elliott Treaty tribes received exclusive title to lands? By withholding this evidence, the plaintiff in the Boldt case claimed they were due 50% of the resource because by holding "aboriginal" title they should be treated as a sovereign. Again, no tribe received exclusive title to the lands, the aboriginal title had been ceded but the State didn't do their homework!

Why don't we own up to the idea that the tribal reservation system is a TERRIBLE failure? The new way to fund the tribes is through gambling, which creates funds to make an already bad situation worse. I live in an area where our local Nooksack tribe has collected toxic waste, construction material of all sorts, cars, mobile homes etc and dumped it on Indian land next to a valued water source, (the Nooksack river) This last winter a flood carried much of the waste down stream and now our local officials are petitioning the Federal government for 3 million in funds to clean up the mess. What is the tribe going to pay for? Nothing! Now you want to force teach our children about Indian culture? Trust me that'll blow up in someone's face big time. If I still had children in school, I would excuse them those days in school. Is it not about time to fold the tribe in to American life? Trust me, they would be better for it. Most now live in Ghetto’s, are dead by the time they are fifty and have no pride about themselves or their people. A solution must be found for this ever growing problem. NOW! NOT LATER!!!!

If this becomes law. I for one of what I believe will be many will see to it my grandchildren are moved to a private school. Our children need to focus on the problems of the future, not failed politics of the past.

How can we plan for the future without reviewing the past?

Do you support teaching children European history (i.e., history from a European perspective), but not the history of the land in which they live?

That would require the government admitting that its policy over the last century regarding Indians has been a debacle. It would require admitting that the government has attempted to eradicate, and, failing that, railroad American Indians at every turn over the past century (and, of course, over the two centuries previous). What kind of government admits that it not only failed in the past, but has continued, with gusto, the failed policies of the past?

Review the Past. What a concept. The fact is this. The Past HAPPENED. It is not a subject to being rewritten. You can pick and chose that which you want to believe but you can't change the fact that it OCCURRED! History doesn't repeat itself, Stupidity does.

This History teacher is celebrating the passing of HB1495! Since people experience so much fear of the unknown, let the true tribal histories be told. Maybe some of the blatant, local racism will start to disintegrate, as children are educated to respect the First Americans for their many accomplishments. We cannot change the past, of course, but if we can learn from our mistakes, we will all have a brighter future.

If anyone is interested - let's get real about this Indian education routine - Euro American history is my history and I have every right to expect it to be taught. Indian history is not in danger of not being taught, trust me. Our children are being indoctrinated with it and my history is taught that my people are the scourge of the earth.

Let's get real. The Indian stereotype of being the great environmentalist and caretaker of the earth is just that, a stereotype. This is not over. The plan is to teach Indian religion also. I suppose next they'll want to introduce tobacco and peyote next? This isn't about "race" despite what the people who are rascists themselves say. Do we get to teach about the Indians and their slavery? Or are we brushing that under the carpet too?

I am a very happy person today! THE BILL PASSED AND WAS SIGNED! Well, I guess someone's going to need to move there grandchildren to a private school! Some of you people replying are really mean, you all know that? Please just get along, theres no reason to be mean. Can't we all just get along?

I don't understand why people are so upset about the idea of native american history being taught in public schools. Twenty odd years ago, when I was in public high school, Washington State history was a required course which included our specific area. We started out learning about the local tribes and then moved on to the founding of towns and how those towns expanded. I just don't get why people view it as a bad thing. How can information and looking at subjects from several perspectives be so frightening?

Finally something is done about learning something other than what western society wants us to learn. I grew up on a Indian Reservation and I had to learn Washington State History which had little about the X amount of tribes in this wonderful State! I want to learn My Yakama History not Settlers' history. Now we can incorporate our history into our classroom and the large wave of new immigrants can learn the original history of this land.

So as a euro-american, what makes your history more important than mine? None of it may be in danger of being taught, but the problem lies in whether or not the correct information is being taught. If you have a problem with the particulars they point out in regards to your ancestors, be more pro-active not anti-this or that. This bill is an attempt to addresses the Tribal area local to you, not the east coast.

thats all true

Not sure when you went to school but little if any is taught about Native Americans.  Your right Euro-American history is NOT in any danger of not being taught it is the primary viewpoint in history books/classes.  The correct information continues to be left out of a majority of Washington schools.  This bill is not an anti-anything, it is actually to create tolerance and mutual respect.  Knowing the history of tribal people will help to eliminate stereotypes and bias against Native people.  It is unfortunate that anyone sees it any other way.

I agree. Knowledge is power. Understanding your neighbors helps to develop better relations within a community. Not everything has to be about us and them. As a member of the human race I think it's imperative to learn more from each other and work to make it a better world for future generations. I think that each person can learn from their forefathers, regardless of their race. By sharing and learning we as a community can come together and and be stronger and more understanding. Celebrate the differences by respecting them.

 I agree, the students should know about the history of the first Americans, as well as WA states first Americans.  Where else can you find that native americans raided other tribes for slaves as well as hunt buffalo by stampeding them off a cliff?

I would much rather my students and grandchildren learn about that then have the school teach them homosexualism.

DK

I completely agree with these history lessons. They will teach our children so much and not just historically. We are a nation that accepts cultural differences and we're talking here about the native Americans, they more than anyone have the right to learn their own history in school. I for one am glad I finished school, I never was a big fan of history, I am though on my way of getting my fire science bachelor degree and yes, we have a lot of cultural diversity in our school too.

lennys: This is a 2005 bill that was passed into law in 2005.