IEL Resources
- Blogs
Web Resources
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American Indian Center of Chicago
Source: American Indian Center (AIC)
The AIC is a key organization in the Chicago Native American community. This website provides information about Chicago-area powwows and other events.
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American Indian Library Association’s Youth Literature Awards
Source: American Indian Library Association (AILA)
Every other year, AILA publishes a list of picture books, middle grade books, and young adult books that it recognizes for presenting “Indigenous North American peoples in the fullness of their humanity.”
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American Indian Magazine
Source: National Museum of the American Indian
Articles in this richly illustrated magazine for adults cover a wide range of topics related to Native cultures.
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Best Books (Recommended by the Editors of American Indians in Children’s Literature)
Source: American Indians in Children’s Literature (AICL)
The editors of the AICL blog list some of the best books featuring Native content, each year, including picture books.
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Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior
This federal webpage offers reports and resources based on a comprehensive effort to recognize the troubled legacy of federal Indian boarding school policies with the goal of addressing their intergenerational impact and to shed light on the traumas of the past.
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First American Art Magazine
Source: First American Art Magazine, LLC
Articles in this magazine cover contemporary and historical art by Native people and include many images of people and artwork.
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History of Indigenous Peoples’ Day (Lesson Plan)
Source: Beacon Press
This lesson plan is useful as background information for early childhood educators or parents. It is designed for use with An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States for Young People.
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Indian Country Today
Source: IndiJ Public Media
This media outlet’s website is a source of up-to-date news and opinion, both text and video, on topics especially relevant to Native Americans.
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Indian Entities Recognized By and Eligible to Receive Services from the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs
Source: Federal Register, The Daily Journal of the United States Government.
This U.S. government document lists all 560-plus federally recognized Native nations, tribes, bands, and other groups.
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Molly of Denali
Source: PBS
This website offers access to episodes of the animated children’s program featuring Indigenous children and families living near Denali in what is now known as Alaska. Related online games and activities also are featured.
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National Indian Education Association’s Digital Resources for Schools, Teachers, Parents, and Students
Source: National Indian Education Association
This set of webinars provides educators with background information on a range of topics related to Native Americans.
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National Museum of the American Indian
Source: Smithsonian Institution
This website offers a variety of resources, from collections of images to professional development webinars for educators.
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Native American Music Awards Archives
Source: Native American Music Awards
This website is a source of award-winning music videos and information about performers; some are appropriate to share with young children.
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Native Children’s and Young Adult Books
Source: Cynsations Blog
This webpage links to several lists of recommended books for young people and to resources on related topics.
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Native Knowledge 360 Education Initiative
Source: National Museum of the American Indian
This website includes resources for classroom use and recorded webinars for educators, with information about a range of topics related to Native people’s lives and history.
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Native Land Digital
Source: Native Land Digital
This Indigenous-led, carefully researched web resource includes blogs and interactive maps that enable users to find the ancestral homelands of Native nations.
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Native People of Illinois
Source: Illinois State Museum
This 12-minute video, intended for children in kindergarten to second grade, gives an overview of Native Americans in what is now called Illinois, from Cahokia to the present.
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North and Central America: “Many Nations, Many Peoples”
Source: Spurlock Museum
Digital resources for educators include images of objects in the museum’s collection, and information about them.
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Origin Narrative: Thanksgiving (Lesson Plan)
Source: Beacon Press
This lesson plan is useful as background information for early childhood educators or parents. It is designed for use with An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States for Young People.
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President Biden’s Proclamation on Indigenous Peoples’ Day, 2021
Source: The White House
This short official proclamation explains reasons for observing National Native American Heritage Month.
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President Biden’s Proclamation on National Native American Heritage Month, 2021
Source: The White House
This short official proclamation explains reasons for observing National Native American Heritage Month.
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This Land
Source: Crooked Media
This archived podcast addresses two important matters affecting Native people: The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in McGirt v. Oklahoma and recent challenges to the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA).
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Top Board Books [about Native Americans] for the Youngest Readers
Source: American Indians in Children’s Literature (AICL)
This blog post by Nambé Pueblo blogger Debbie Reese lists sturdy books for babies and toddlers, featuring Native children and families.
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Tribal Nations and the United States: An Introduction
Source: National Congress of American Indians (NCAI)
This booklet-length report from NCAI provides easy-to-understand background information for adults about tribal governance and the political relationships Native Nations have with the U.S. government.
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“We’re Still Here”: Chicago’s Native American Community
Source: PBS
This 2018 article includes factual information about Chicago’s contemporary Indigenous community.
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Wisconsin First Nations Book List K-2
Source: Wisconsin First Nations: American Indian Studies in Wisconsin
This resource for educators suggests 14 picture books by Native writers and artists, with emphasis on tribal nations of the Great Lakes region.
Books for Adults
- “All the Real Indians Died Off” and 20 Other Myths About Native Americans by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz and Dina Gilio-Whitaker
- Do All Indians Live in Tipis? Questions and Answers from the National Museum of the American Indian by the National Museum of the American Indian staff
- Everything You Wanted to Know About Indians But Were Afraid to Ask by Anton Treuer
- An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States for Young People by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, adapted by Jean Mendoza and Debbie Reese
- New Native Kitchen by Chef Freddie Bitsoie and James O. Fraioli
- Original Local by Heid E. Erdrich
- The Sioux Chef by Sean Sherman
Books for Children
- Fall in Line, Holden by Daniel Vandever
- Jingle Dancer by Cynthia Leitich Smith
- Mission to Space by John Herrington
- Bowwow Powwow by Brenda Child
- Cradle Me by Debbie Slier