WSSDA has long been committed to providing resources that support Washington state school directors and administrators as they engage in authentic partnerships with neighboring tribes. These partnerships are referred to as government-to-government relationships.
An example of WSSDA’s commitment is the Government-to-Government Task Force. In conjunction with that group’s work, the purpose of this webpage is to provide resources to assist boards and districts as they develop effective relationships with their local Native American communities. These relationships are critical to the well-being of Native American youth.
In 2005, the Washington state Legislature approved landmark legislation SHB 1495, ensuring all students in our public schools have a deeper understanding of the history and culture of the Pacific Northwest Native American tribes. This legislation gave WSSDA a leadership role in strengthening government-to-government relations between school districts and neighboring tribal nations, which has come to include the requirement to implement the curriculum for Since Time Immemorial: Tribal Sovereignty in Washington State.
The legislature built upon the foundation of SHB 1495 by adopting SB 5433, which requires each Washington school district to engage local tribes as partners in the review and updating of social studies curricular materials, including the use of the Since Time Immemorial curriculum across the state. A year later, SB 5028 was adopted, requiring teacher preparation programs to integrate Native American curriculum into existing Pacific Northwest history and government requirements. Then in 2018, SB 5028 passed requiring teacher preparation programs to integrate Native American curriculum developed by the office of the superintendent of public instruction into existing Pacific Northwest history and government requirements.
Administrative Support Officer
The Government-to-Government Task Force works to make sure school boards have the ability to identify and implement programs and services necessary to effectively serve the Native American community in their districts.