The 105th of the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) Annual Conference wraps up Sunday in Washington D.C. Dr. Mark Finchum and News Hour Classroom's Vic Pasquantonio presented a session on Teach Current Issues Affecting Native Americans Today, including sports mascots and name repatriation, boarding schools and cultural celebrations, like powwows.
Credit: Screenshot of PBS News Hour Classroom's Journalism in Action website featuring Jourdan Bennett-Begaye, managing editor of ICT News.
At last year's NCSS Annual Conference in Boston, News Hour Classroom interviewed Finchum, executive director of the Tennessee Council for the Social Studies, previous head of NCSS' Indigenous Education Community, founder of Indian Creek Productions and social studies teacher (ret). for 33 years, about his work with Native American history education and social studies, teaching media literacy through the lens of journalism and the importance of comparing news stories from different sources.
"I encourage people, if you want to start and be serious about media literacy, record ABC, NBC and CBS at the same time for their 30-minute evening news program," says Finchum. "Do it several times and then compare. What did they cover? What did they not cover? Then, what did they lead with? What story did they put at the top? So, understand that and once you've done that awhile, broaden your view to other shows. Then, you have a much more informed opinion."
Finchum is also a curriculum writer for News Hour Classroom's Journalism In Action website, creating insightful Native American History lessons, including the Cherokee Trail of Tears.
Credit: Spirit of Nations Powwow poster, Indian Creek Productions
"It's a story of tragedy and triumph," says Dr. Finchum. "It's a story that has somewhat of a happy ending, not completely, but, somewhat, in that, they're still here. The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, the Cherokee Nation in Oklahoma, the United Keetoowah Band. In spite of everything else, still vibrant and still active and still maintaining sovereignty. It's just a story that everyone should understand."
Finchum has been organizing powwows since the 1980s and founded Spirit of Nations Powwow, which takes place in Tennessee every spring. Members of the public are welcome to attend. To look up a powwow where you live, go to Powwows.com.
If you would like to pitch an Educator Voice article to News Hour Classroom, contact education@newshour.org.
Produced by Gianfranco Beran and Victoria Pasquantonio
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