Curriculum of Place

Curriculum of Place, a partnership between IAoIL, Northwest Indian College, and Family Tides Farm, is a Native-led curriculum aiming to create conditions within which relationships between settler and Native communities grow and thrive. Cohort 1 comprises 14 islanders serving 13 unique island-based organizations, including a high school teacher, elder care worker, land stewards, conservation and preservation staff, museum directors, county staff, Episcopal Church rector, LGBTQIA leadership, Spanish speakers, grassroots organizers and activists. Intention: Acknowledging that colonization has erased and removed Native people and culture from the SJIs, there is a growing desire of islanders to connect with Indigenous neighbors in the spirit of allyship. Unfortunately, a huge gap in knowledge remains: spiritual, practical, historical, and contemporary information; relationships and cross-cultural work skills; and misunderstanding of settler history and identity. The ability to truly ally runs aground at this gap, often creating more harm than good, stalling momentum, and preventing an individual’s ability to do the work necessary to transform from colonizer to welcome guest. 2026 Public Capstone Presentation: This presentation is the Capstone for Cohort 1 of Curriculum of Place and the thesis for action moving into the community, with the support, insights, and experiences of the past year. This public-facing event fosters Cohort participants’ responsibility and accountability to the larger community and to their Tribal teachers, and opens a space for diversity to flourish within a held and respectful space grounded in Truth.