Located on the ancestral lands of the Red Lake Nation in rural north-central Minnesota, Red Lake School District is committed to creating a learning environment that celebrates students' Ojibwe (oh-jib-way)¹ language and culture. Although the district primarily serves Ojibwe students, the staff is more diverse. Over the past year, leaders at the Red Lake Elementary Complex for prekindergarten–grade 2 (RLEC PK–2) worked with REL Midwest to strengthen the staff's Indigenous cultural proficiency. As partners, the two teams co-designed a professional learning series to support educators' needs and honor the rich traditions of the Red Lake Nation.

Red Lake School District recognized the importance of creating a culturally affirming environment for its teachers and students alike. Culturally affirming environments are associated with improvements in staff well-being and retention. Similarly, these favorable conditions are associated with students' academic success and improved social and emotional well-being.^2-10

Building trust with RLEC PK–2

Red Lake district leaders first connected with REL Midwest at the Minnesota Indian Education Conference in April 2023. At the event, a REL Midwest team described the Supporting Inclusive and Diverse Educator Environments (SIDEE) partnership and its evidence-based approach for developing inclusive working conditions.

The presentation resonated with Red Lake leaders, who were interested in providing their staff, which is primarily White, with formal cultural proficiency training. RLEC PK–2 principal Amanda Norman shared that only about 30 percent of the school's certified teachers are Indigenous, and many non-Native teachers are emerging language learners who are working hard to integrate Anishinaabe language and culture into the classroom setting.

The collaboration kicked off in spring 2023. REL Midwest coaches began by building relationships with the staff at RLEC PK–2, prioritizing the importance of establishing trust. An important aspect of this stage was becoming familiar with the Seven Grandfather Teachings, traditional Indigenous values that are woven into the school's strategic vision. During the planning process, RLEC PK–2 walked REL Midwest through the teachings, explaining that they represent a way of life that is holistic and recognizes interdependence as an asset. With this information in mind, REL Midwest focused on honoring the Red Lake Nation's rich traditions by examining how to align the four components of the SIDEE approach with RLEC PK–2's strategic vision.

Previously, REL Midwest had facilitated the SIDEE approach with a school in which the majority of educators of color spoke Spanish. At Red Lake, the team now had the opportunity to adapt the approach to the needs of an Indigenous community. REL Midwest project lead Dr. Tammie Causey-Konaté, who was involved in the project from its launch, noted, "We came in without assumptions and with a desire to learn by listening." As the culmination of this planning phase, RLEC PK–2 leadership team developed a guidance document that clarified key considerations for the school's adoption of the SIDEE approach and outlined a plan for co-designing the SIDEE professional learning activities.

Implementing the SIDEE components with RLEC PK–2

With their students' cultural identities in mind, more than 40 RLEC PK–2 teachers and education staff completed eight cultural proficiency trainings with REL Midwest coaches during the course of the 2023/24 school year. The sessions were designed to create a safe space and shared terminology for discussing aspects of culture, competencies for culturally responsive teaching, and strategies for responding to bias in the workplace.

RLEC PK–2 principal Amanda Norman and Red Lake superintendent Tim Lutz reflected that after completing the cultural proficiency trainings, staff members were more likely to engage in discussions that they may have avoided previously. One RLEC PK–2 teacher shared that the concept of looking through a cultural lens "has brought together parties that view an event differently and can bring them together when other problem-solving strategies have failed to resolve differences."

The trainings culminated in the creation of personal cultural proficiency posters that emphasized Ojibwe language revitalization and cultural immersion.

While all RLEC PK–2 leaders and teachers participated in the cultural proficiency trainings, 15 Indigenous educators and educators of color also formed an affinity group to address issues related to under-representation and feelings of isolation. Because Indigenous educators and educators of color represent a minority among RLEC PK–2 staff, the affinity group offers a safe place where members can discuss problems of practice and support one another's professional growth.

Affinity group members also created a self-advocacy framework. Red Lake Ojibwe language teacher Wes Jordain provided the framework's title, Gaa-bami'idiwaad mazina'igan, or "The ones that support one another." The framework is a living document that is intended to serve as a repository for self-advocacy information and resources while also supporting educators in obtaining a Minnesota teaching license in American Indian Language, History, and Culture. This license is unique from other teaching licenses in Minnesota; it requires that a teacher obtain a resolution or letter of support from a Tribal Nation. Dr. Causey-Konaté noted, "We were fortunate to have an Ojibwe woman and REL Midwest coach, Traci Maday-Karageorge, co-lead the cultural proficiency trainings and lead the affinity group for Indigenous educators and educators of color. I believe that Traci's authenticity, lived experiences, and facilitation expertise were indispensable."

Throughout the school year, REL Midwest and RLEC PK–2 staff also collaborated on teacher mentoring and leadership coaching. As part of this effort, a group of seven RLEC PK–2 teachers convened to reflect on their experiences as educators with diverse backgrounds and to consider how they could incorporate Anishinaabe culture into a plan for educator peer-to-peer mentoring. In addition, the group considered ways the current mentoring standards might be adapted to better address the needs of Indigenous teachers and teachers of color.

Meanwhile, 10 RLEC PK–2 education leaders explored culturally responsive leadership research and reviewed lessons learned from the cultural proficiency training series. Beth Howard-Brown, a REL Midwest coach who guided the leadership coaching activities, shared, "One of the many gifts we gained as coaches was learning firsthand about the Warrior Nation of Red Lake to assist us in building our background knowledge. Little did we know that we had an actual keeper of the Ojibwe archives in Wes Jordain, a member of the RLEC PK–2 leadership team. This team, led by Principal Norman, exhibited bravery each day as they fought to preserve the Ojibwe language and culture while learning about culturally responsive school leadership practices during our time together."

Reflecting on lessons learned

Using SIDEE's evidence-based approach, RLEC PK–2 and REL Midwest focused on how a school system can effectively center a community's unique linguistic and cultural assets in daily school life. Tammie Knights, one of the REL Midwest staff who provided mentor coaching support, reflected, "It was a privilege to challenge my own westernized preconceptions of adult learning and mentoring. As I learned more about the Anishinaabe way, both on my own and in our conversations, I was better able to ask questions and guide our work together from my novice understanding of the Seven Grandfather Teachings."

This sentiment echoes the perspective of Red Lake Superintendent Lutz, who shared, "Many of our staff have become more sensitive to the cultural needs and concerns of our students, families, and communities while also gaining better cultural awareness and humility. In short, many individuals did not know what they did not know, and the work of SIDEE has helped them develop a greater consciousness regarding cultural aspects of their work in school and in the community."

As REL Midwest continues its work across the region, the team will carry the experiences and lessons learned with Red Lake into future collaboration efforts.

Related resources

To learn more about the SIDEE partnership and approach, browse the following REL Midwest resources:

• Blog Post: How one Minnesota school is building an inclusive culture that supports teachers of color
• Infographic: Building Inclusive and Equitable Learning Environments