Discovering Local Tribes with the John McCoy Since Time Immemorial Kits
Hello TRL Patrons!
We have just released some kits for you to check out and share with your young children. Let me introduce you to the John McCoy Since Time Immemorial kits. These kits are all about encouraging families to dive into the rich cultures, histories, and contemporary lives of our local and national Native American tribes through some beautiful picture books written by Native authors from across the country.
So, what’s the story behind these kits? Well, in Washington, there’s a law (Senate Bill 5433) that requires all schools to teach curriculum developed in collaboration with the tribes. These kits are a great way to bring that learning home and make it a fun, engaging experience for preschoolers. They are designed for caregivers to share with young children.
A huge shoutout goes to the amazing librarians from the Bellingham and Whatcom County Libraries who came up with the idea for these kits. They teamed up with the Lummi Nation to create something really special and provided the inspiration for TRL’s early learning coordinator to create similar kits for you, our TRL patrons.
The kits contain stories written by and about Native people, their traditions, the land, and animals. There are even puppets designed by Native American artists and a photo story created by a member of the Quinault tribe.
These stories and traditions teach us valuable lessons about taking care of the land and respecting one another.
We hope the stories in these kits spark your curiosity about our local tribes and encourage you to keep learning more.
So next time you’re at the library, why not check out a John McCoy Since Time Immemorial kit?
Learn more about OSPI’s John McCoy Since Time Immemorial Curriculum HERE
