Beyond the Oregon Trail: Oregon's Untold History

Beyond The Oregon Trail: Oregon's Untold History Curriculum--Overview On April 22, l999, in a joint legislative session, Oregon lawmakers joined Oregon citizens for the Day of Acknowledgement at the state capitol. Oregon Uniting, a grassroots group of citizens who work toward racial reconciliation across ethnic lines through interracial dialogues and education, organized the day with the support and assistance of several lawmakers. At the morning session, the entire legislature gathered together to pass a resolution acknowledging the history of their body’s role in creating racially discriminatory legislation. Further, they made a pledge to work for equality and justice for all Oregonians. That afternoon over 800 people, including the legislators, governor, honored guests, and citizens, heard some of the painful legacies resulting from discriminatory laws and practices and heard how white privilege was invoked throughout our history. They also heard of the heroic efforts of people from every ethnic group who worked long and hard to remedy injustices. Though the day was a solemn occasion, it was also a day of celebration. Representatives from major ethnic groups, as well as important government officials, spoke of hope and change. As part of the day’s ceremony the senate president, speaker of the house, and representatives of the legislature signed the acknowledgement from the morning legislative session. The governor signed a proclamation of the day. As an outgrowth of the Day of Acknowledgement, Oregon Uniting developed a 10-lesson middle-school social science curriculum designed to present a more inclusive perspective of people in Oregon, from the indigenous American Indians to more recent Oregon immigrants. The lessons and activities teach us about groups of Oregonians who were discriminated against simply for who they were, what they looked like, where they came from or what they believed. Even though the history and experience of people of color in Oregon may be painful to read or think about at times, it is essential learning to help our young people to understand the true and full history of our state, and better prepare them to be critical thinkers and active citizens in a diverse society. Why the Curriculum? Over a period of l88 years, the federal and Oregon governments passed more than 30 laws that discriminated against groups of individuals and citizens, based solely on their ethnicity. This had a profound effect not only on people of color who were directly affected, but also on attitudes and behaviors of the dominant White culture—even today. Few Oregonians know of these laws and fewer still understand their impact on present behaviors and attitudes. History must be taught in all its dimensions so that we as a state and as individuals can remove the last vestiges of prejudice, discrimination, and racism. In addition, too often our students read a history that implies that white men were responsible for all the history and accomplishments within our state. Leaving out the accomplishments of people of color and women (though this curriculum does not address women’s role in Oregon history) not only negates what they have accomplished but also leaves our students of color and females feeling marginalized and leaves everyone ignorant of important people and events. Therefore, we believe that it is critical that we introduce a new inclusive supplement to history and social sciences for Oregon students. This curriculum is a brief history of racial injustice and righting wrongs but the bibliography and tools and resources found in each lesson should help you find materials on areas of particular interest for more in-depth study and research opportunities for your students. Profiles of notable Oregonians have been provided to help infuse the lessons with real life. We encourage you to creatively use first hand accounts and real stories whenever and wherever possible as you move through this curriculum.

1 In recognition of the standards that Oregon students need to meet, we have written this with the CIM and Social Science standards in mind. Through a variety of learning activities, students will be involved in improving such skills as listening, speaking, critical thinking, and co-operative learning. We sincerely hope we have offered to the teachers and students of Oregon a new look at important history as well as recognition that we must understand our history in order to move forward as a state and as individuals in a multicultural world. We hope it is presented in interesting and thought-provoking ways that address why such a study is important and how to move forward, challenging the students to work for an Oregon in which everyone is treated with respect. The lessons included in the BTOT curriculum are:

#1: The Fight for Equality and Justice in Oregon: The Day of Acknowledgement (1999) #2: What Difference Does Difference Make? #3: Power & Privilege: The Roots of Inequality #4: Enduring Traditions: American Indians in Oregon #5: Our Oregon Trail: Family Migration Stories #6: Closed Doors, Closed Minds: Asian Exclusion in Oregon #7: Courage and Resilience: The African-American Fight for Civil Rights in Oregon #8: Roots in Many Cultures: Latinos in Oregon #9: Finding Allies and a Collective Voice #10: Our Day of Acknowledgement –Planning, Reflection and Assessment (PROFILES of Community Leaders, lesson extensions, action tools, resources/videos, benchmarks and standards chart, and student materials are included.)

We hope the BTOT curriculum will plant the seeds for ideas and actions that:

• Foster understanding and acceptance of different races and ethnicities • Acknowledge racial injustice in Oregon’s past in order to work towards a more just future • Value honest dialogues about tough topics like racism • Create and implement action plans for building and sustaining a more equitable environment for all

For information and access: Stephanie McBride: 503-781-7188, [email protected] To access the BTOT curriculum wiki (http://btot.pbworks.com), email your request to Stephanie