On November 14, AP English Language students across YES Prep began a six-week unit of study on Storytelling and the Indigenous Perspective. This unit is built around the reading of The Truth About Stories by Thomas King, an author of Cherokee descent.
In this nonfiction text, based on a series of lectures sponsored by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), King explores the art and craft of storytelling and its influence on the experiences and culture of North America’s indigenous peoples.
For students, the book provides context and inspiration to examine and practice storytelling techniques, connecting them to indigenous culture and history.
The importance of land acknowledgments
At the beginning of the unit, students research the indigenous heritage of the regions where they live and learn, writing land acknowledgments that honor those who inhabited and cared for the land under them. These land acknowledgments allow students to begin the unit with respect and recognition for the original stewards of the land on which they learn.
Land acknowledgments give us insight into the lives of the Native Americans and not just the American colonizer's point of view.” -Zaira Estrada Perez
The following entries below are some of the land acknowledgments submitted by the students:
- “Today, at YES Prep Eisenhower High, I begin this unit of study on storytelling and native perspectives by acknowledging this place as the traditional territory of the Karankawa, as well as other indigenous groups. We honor Native Americans for their contributions in building empires and developing trade networks and social systems.” - Genesis Ayala
- “Today, at YES Prep North Central Secondary, I begin this unit study on storytelling and native perspective by acknowledging this place as the territory of the Coahuiltecan and Karankawa, as well as other indigenous groups. We honor their humble traditions of hunting and gathering and cultivation of the land which we stand on.” - Alan Antonio Robles Perez
- “Today, at YES Prep Eisenhower High, I begin this unit of study on storytelling and native perspective by acknowledging this place as the traditional territory of the Karankawa Native Americans and the Caddos as well as other indigenous groups. We honor their tradition of trading and building of economies as well as their kind hearts towards those who may not [have] deserved it.” - Israel Plata
- “Today, at YES Prep Northbrook High, I begin this unit of study on storytelling and native perspectives by acknowledging this place as the traditional territory of the Karankawa, as well as other indigenous groups. We honor how they gathered their food and the fact that one of those foods was cactus. After their peers died from diseases brought by Europeans, they decided to move to Mexico in 1843. This impacts our society today because we're always mentioning how eating cacti is from Mexico and it’s their tradition, but in reality, we are not giving credit to the Karankawa that started that trend of eating cacti in the coast of Galveston Bay in the 16th and 17th century.” - Danny Gutierrez
- “Today at YES Prep East End Secondary, I begin this unit of study on storytelling and native perspectives by acknowledging this place as the traditional territory of the Karankawa and Ishak, as well as other indigenous groups. We honor the Karankawa for their perseverance in attempting to survive such harsh events from the European when smallpox was introduced as well as the harsh conquest of the Spanish of their land and the knowledge they provided to grow and survive in the land; we now [give] thanks for their cultural practices and methods.” -Nelson Villalobos
- “Today, at YES Prep Northbrook High, I begin this unit of study on storytelling and native perspectives by acknowledging this place as the traditional territory of the Karankawa, as well as other indigenous groups. We honor your adaptability by way of crafting dugout canoes to properly live in Texas' Gulf Coast, as well as your adoption of canine companions.” - Kristina Wheeler Pero
What students learned from the land acknowledgments
Eisenhower student Zaira Estrada Perez shared that these land acknowledgments matter because “they give us insight into the lives of the Native Americans and not just the American colonizer's point of view.” Fellow Eisenhower student Juan Cardenas expressed the same sentiment, “through these land acknowledgments, we formally acknowledge and reflect on the attempted erasure of Indigenous people and the historic trauma caused by colonialism.”
Through these land acknowledgments, we formally acknowledge and reflect on the attempted erasure of Indigenous people and the historic trauma caused by colonialism.” -Juan Cardenas
As a final project for this unit, students will be crafting and telling their own oral stories about memorable moments, origin myths or stories passed down in their families.
If you would like to learn more about native lands, the website our classes have been using for this project is https://native-land.ca/.
About the author
Faith Hunter-Brantley has served as English content specialist on the YES Prep Academics team since 2018. She has been with YES Prep since 2005, first as a middle school teacher and then high school English and theater teacher at YES Prep Southwest, later teaching at Gulfton, Northside, and Southside. Faith graduated from Ouachita Baptist University with a degree in Business Administration. She also holds a master’s degree in Sociology of Education from Union Institute and University. Faith is a passionate advocate for project-based learning and hopes to continue planning and coordinating “opportunities that would not otherwise exist” for YES Prep students.