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Native American Studies & Culturally Sustaining Practices
Native American Studies Model Curriculum
The Native American Studies Model Curriculum (NASMC) is a series of lesson plans, primary source documents, planning resources, teaching strategies, and professional development activities to assist educators in teaching about Native American studies. The Humboldt County Office of Education and the San Diego County Office of Education were selected as lead agencies in the development of the NASMC. By design, the model curriculum was developed in partnership with California Tribes, other COEs, and native youth serving organizations. HCOE serves regions 1-3 as noted in map below.
As part of the development processHumboldt County Office of Education hosted 120 community meetings, reaching more than 2,500 participants, across Northern California.
Learn more about the HCOE’s NASMC journey from this ACSA Leadership article:
AB 167 Model Curriculum Projects
Assembly Bill 167, Chapter 252, Statutes of 2021 amended California Education Code sections 33540.2, 33540.4, 33540.6 and 51226.9, for the development and maintenance of model curricula relating to the Vietnamese American refugee experience, the Cambodian genocide, Hmong history and cultural studies, and Native American studies. The California Department of Education shall, in collaboration with, and subject to the approval of, the executive director of the state board, enter into contracts with county offices of education for the purposes of developing a model curriculum. Work on these projects was slated to begin in 2022 and conclude by September of 2025.
Alice Piper as a 15-year-old student at Big Pine High School in 1923.
June 2: The Right to Belong Day of Awareness
On June 2, 1924, 15-year-old Alice Piper, a Paiute student from Big Pine, won her California Supreme Court case after being denied admission to her local high school because she was Native. That same day, Congress passed the Indian Citizenship Act, granting U.S. citizenship to Native Americans — though many were still denied full voting rights for decades. Together, these events mark a pivotal moment in Native civil rights, educational access, and the ongoing fight for belonging.
The Humboldt County Office of Education has created a K–12 Teaching Toolkit to support educators in recognizing June 2 as a day of learning, reflection, and celebration of Native leadership, resilience, and belonging.
Contact Information
Maggie Peters
Native American Learning Specialist
Humboldt County Office of Education
Tel: 707.845.6960
Email: mpeters@hcoe.org
Colby Smart, Ed.D
Deputy Superintendent
Humboldt County Office of Education
Tel: 707.445.7031
Email: csmart@hcoe.org
NASMC Continuous Improvement Network
Open to all California educators, administrators, Tribal partners, and community members, this online series supports the implementation of the Native American Studies Model Curriculum (NASMC) in alignment with state education code.
These professional developments introduce over 450 TK–12+ lessons and resources that center Native voices and histories. Participants will engage with Native scholars, curriculum writers, and knowledge keepers to support implementation of the NASMC in educational spaces throughout California. Continuing education units (1 or 3) are available through Cal Poly Humboldt. Join us in bringing meaningful, accurate, and community-rooted collaboration to inspire a future of respectful partnerships.