New certificate blends cultural understanding, curriculum

Future teachers can start their careers with a better understanding of the language, culture and history of Indigenous communities.

The nine-credit Indigenous Studies for Social Studies Educators certificate introduces students to basic Ojibwe, history of Indigenous people, and cultural themes through films, current issues and archaeology.

Social studies as a field has too often either misrepresented or excluded Indigenous communities from the narrative, said Melissa Stanley, Ph.D. and director of the secondary social studies education program. She said the program’s a step in the right direction.

“I feel like this provides a way that students can gain more knowledge, so when they're going out and teaching in classrooms, they have a better understanding,” Stanley said.

The certificate, available starting in Fall 2025, is a good start to achieving that, she said. Future educators can fill missing holes in social studies about indigenous history and better support student understanding of Indigenous cultures.

Stanley worked with Christi Brookes and Michelle Cassidy of the Department of History, World Languages, and Cultures to develop the new certificate.

It provides students with more opportunities to meet the Michigan Department of Education’s updated curriculum standards.