Chapter 11: Assessing Californiab State Curriculum and Its Impacts On K–12 Students

My daughter entered the 4th grade 4 years ago. I remember feeling anxious about how her educators might present California Mission history to her and her classmates. When the assignments began coming home, I soon realized that the angst I had felt was grounded in the fact that materials hadn’t progressed much since I was in school. The traumas that I experienced as a 4th grade student came rushing back, and a realization set in that during the last 30 years, nothing had changed. For many individuals, this issue seems inconsequential. The majority of the population of California does not view the presentation of California Indians in history as an issue that needs to be addressed. Many believe that the diversity of our state fosters tolerance and acceptance of differences in beliefs and cultures. More often than not, Native parents and students who complain about these representations are labeled as overly sensitive and preoccupied with a history that is no longer relevant to our modern lives. How often have we heard the phrase, “Can’t we just all get along?” However, these issues are much more than an unfortunate experience for Native Americans, who represent a small percentage of the general U.S. population. These issues are integral to a cycle of genocide that continues to be perpetrated towards Indigenous peoples across the globe.