Alice Deal Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Newsletter
To view or download this newsletter in PDF form, click here.
To read more about the DEI Committee, please see our webpage here.
About the DEI Committee at Alice Deal
The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee is a parent-led group focused on uplifting the voices of diverse communities. As a collective, we believe in creating space that consciously highlights justice in order to inspire the new generation to stand on the right side of history and understand the reason behind disparities that currently exist. We understand diversity provides the opportunity to learn how to authentically create human connection and dispel harmful stereotypes. We work in the spirit of inclusion so that we, as a collective, can combat erasure and make sure communities affected by systemic oppression have a voice and work through the lens of equity to create an understanding that people of different backgrounds and abilities may have different needs but all are equally important.
Join Us! Diverse Voices are Powerful
We all have unique experiences, histories, and cultures. The DEI Committee invites the Deal MS Community to join! If you would like to join, suggest resources, feature a story, or have any ideas, please email: dealdeicommittee@gmail.com.
Christi Belcourt (Michif), 2014, acrylic on canvas, Collection Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto; Purchased with funds donated by Greg Latremoille, 2014, 2014/6. © Christi Belcourt
Indigenous Peoples
Did You Know?
We are on Piscataway Land. The Piscataway peoples are part of the Algonquian Chesapeake nations, to learn more, check out this exhibit at the National Museum of the American Indian.
The Truth Behind Thanksgiving
In 1789 George Washington called for "a day of public thanksgiving and prayer" to occur on Nov. 26 each year, but Thanksgiving didn't become a national holiday until 1863 when President Lincoln hoped to create a sense of national unity (source). Check out this four min. listen from NPR, "The True, Grim Story of the First Thanksgiving" or for a more in-depth exploration, "The Untold Story of Thanksgiving."
Did you know the Maya traded turkeys before they made their way to the Thanksgiving table? Corn, pumpkin, cranberries, squash, beans, and potatoes are all indigenous to the Americas. Learn more here.
In Native News:
Protect the Indian Child Welfare Act All are invited to join the in-person event at the Supreme Court in favor of protecting native kids during the oral arguments. Click here for event details. ACLU explains here.
Media Recommendations
Books
Ancestor Approved, Cynthia Leitich Smith, Ages 10+
*A collection of short stories by native writers
Surviving the City, Tasha Spillett, Ages 12+
Graphic Novel,
*Contemporary, urban, teens
Two Roads, Joseph Bruchac, Ages 10+
Historical fiction
*Involves veterans marching on D.C in the 1930s
Code Talkers: A Novel About the Navajo Marines of World War II, Joseph Bruchac, Ages 12+
Historical Fiction
Undefeated: Jim Thorpe, and the Carlisle Indian, School Football Team, Steve Sheinkin, Ages 10+
Biography, Sports
Fatty Legs, Multiple authors, Age 8+
Memoir
*Life in residential schools
Unsettling Truths: The Ongoing, Dehumanizing Legacy of the Doctrine of Discovery Mark Charles & Soong Chan Rah
Adult Non-Fiction
The Sentence, Louise Erdrich
Adult Fiction
"Dazzling. . . . A hardwon love letter to readers and to booksellers, as well as a compelling story about how we cope with pain and fear, injustice and illness." -USA Today
Fire Keeper's Daughter, Angeline Boulley
Young Adult Fiction
"Groundbreaking YA thriller about a Native teen who must root out the corruption in her community"
-Politics & Prose
Podcasts
Episode: Rebel Girls- Rigoberta Menchu
Learn about an indigenous Mayan human rights activist from Guatemala
Episode: Sidedoor- That Brunch in the Forest
Debunk misconceptions we have about Native Americans & Thanksgiving
Podcast: This Land
Season 2 Focuses on how Native children have been used to dismantle tribes. (More mature audience)
Suggestions?
If you know of any events, books, or resources we might highlight in our December issue, focusing on Winter holidays and traditions, please share! Email dealdeicommittee@gmail.com.
