(lively music) - Hi, I'm Jay Martin Jr in the Crosscut KCTS-9 newsroom.

In 2005, the Washington State legislature encouraged school districts to teach kids about the histories and cultures of the state's federally recognized tribes.

The state partnered with tribes to create a new curriculum called Since Time Immemorial, Tribal Sovereignty in Washington State.

The coursework wasn't required to be taught until 2015.

However, nearly seven years later, it is unlikely any of the curriculum has been fully implemented.

Without state funding, tribes have mostly paid for the curriculum's creation along with teacher training.

The state superintendent awarded additional funding this year and in 2021, but it's still not enough to ensure the curriculum's full implementation.

Despite this, school districts are still benefiting from what work is already being done.

Each tribe's teaching plan begins building relationships with tribal communities that often weren't there before.

I'm Jay Martin Jr. Find nonprofit Northwest news every day on Crosscut.com.

(lively music)